Domineck's Path Out of Arkansas Wasn't Personal, It Was All Part of God's Plan

Former dominant Razorback defensive lineman adjusting to cold, thin air of Colorado after terrifying SEC quarterbacks

Author:
Kent Smith
Updated:
May 15, 2023 4:05 PM EDT
Original:
May 15, 2023

In this story:

BOULDER, Colo. – On paper, everything looked like it should have felt the same.

A beautiful campus in a highly rated college town surrounded by mountains. The hustle and bustle of preparations for a spring game while the entire state buzzed with excitement for the upcoming season. The encouraging barks from a head coach who had vaulted into college coaching prominence with his success the previous season. There was a familiarity to it for the former Arkansas Razorback.

But life doesn't happen on paper. Jordan Domineck, fresh off a stellar season as an SEC defensive lineman that had schools like Tennessee, Ole Miss, Florida and Florida State battling it out for his services, was just a few hours away from needing to prove himself again. Where Sam Pittman's voice once filled the room in a manner that immediately turns all unsweet tea immediately into a sweaty glass of sugary sweetness, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders' voice filled the air with so much swag it's a wonder dew rags and a single giant ear ring didn't immediately manifest itself upon his players' heads.

While the snow had been visible on the sharp peaks of the cascading Rocky Mountains in the distance just beyond Folsom, sheets of powdery snow blew around Domineck's feet even though it was technically late April. Instead of air thick with humidity, it was thin, making it hard to feel like a proper breath could be acquired when in full game mode. And instead of a glorified practice session inside a practice facility ringed mostly with a handful of media, a stadium brimming with Colorado fans braving the weather for a glimpse at what Coach Prime would bring to turn around what had been a disaster of a year awaited the team.

It hadn't been an easy decision, but for Domineck, it now definitely felt like the right one. Just a few years earlier, the opportunity to play for Sanders had presented itself. He had gone on an official visit to Jacksonville State where, while enjoying his time there, his father, who grew up in the same town as Sanders, spent way more time talking to the NFL Hall of Famer than he did. It felt good, but that feeling that God was leading him elsewhere put the coach-player relationship on hold.

The winding road back to Sanders took him to Arkansas, which was a pivotal stop. The spotlight of being in the SEC and competing against the best offensive lines in the country not only forced him to be better, it gave him the film and confidence to be part of a foundation Sanders wants to build in Colorado as part of a full reboot of the program. Domineck would later cite lessons learned from Arkansas defensive line coach Deke Adams and defensive graduate assistant Keith Jones as instrumental in his development, but he felt God creating a new path for him once again.

"When leaving Arkansas, it was more so a time for me to reflect and see if Arkansas was where I felt like I needed to be," Domineck said of his time out of state with family prior to deciding to enter the portal. "I enjoyed my time there, but I felt as if God called me to move somewhere else and try to make an impact. It was a tough decision but one I ultimately made with my family."

What transpired leading up to and following that snow covered spring game can only be described as chaos from the outside looking in. Since the season ended, 54 players have left the Colorado program while 41 have been added as of mid-May, including Domineck and former Arkansas teammate Myles Slusher. Many of those who left did so after nabbing a portion of the spotlight in the spring game.

"From the outside looking in I can see how it seems chaotic, but this is all part of a process," Domineck said. "Many people leave to find better situations for themselves, and I don’t blame them. I’ve done it a couple of times now, and it’s a hard decision that falls on the players who make them. However, building team chemistry is not something I'm too worried about. I grew up learning you gain chemistry by going through shared adversity, and we have been going through some tough workouts as well as dealing with a lot of criticism of our team. The chemistry will come. I believe, it’s already being built and has been since the staff here stepped on campus."

Domineck is currently soaking in all the new defensive installs while adjusting to the weather and thin air, but one thing that doesn't need adjusting is his desire to get after the quarterback. While he had 34 total tackles at Arkansas, which is a solid number for a defensive lineman, he made his name as a terror for SEC quarterbacks with 7.5 sacks, and it's a trend he intends to continue.

"Before visiting Colorado I didn’t know too much about the PAC-12," Domineck said. "I just knew they had some really good players coming through this conference in recent years as well as one of the best draft classes of QBs I have seen this year. I’m most excited for Nebraska. The rivalry has been talked about a lot and I can’t wait to see how it is. Also, my old QB Jeff Sims just transferred there, and I can’t wait to play him."

In the brief offseason, he will do a little mountain climbing and then hit the local shopping outlets and restaurants in Boulder looking to build relationships with the locals similar to the ones he left behind in Fayetteville.

"They are both peaceful and unique," Domineck said of his former and current homes. "The beauty each has in their own way in hard to beat, and the people are very friendly, open and honest. It’s a welcoming community."

One way or another, it's the last leg of a journey that has taken him from Florida to Georgia, Arkansas and now Colorado. Where it goes from here, whether it be to the NFL or more time in college classrooms trying to become a physical therapist so he can continue to stay close to the game, he will keep following the path God has laid before him.

If Arkansas fans in the DFW area want a chance to catch Domineck and Slusher in person one final time, Colorado opens the season at Amon G, Carter Stadium in Fort Worth against TCU.