Emerging as Leader, Funk Excited to Lead Revamped Rushing Attack
The depth in the running back room has been a staple in Maryland’s offensive identity in recent years, but they’ll have new faces in 2020 as the unit looks to reidentify the rushing attack under second-year running backs coach Elijah Brooks. Senior running back Jake Funk missed eighteen games the last two seasons due to a torn ACL, but heading into 2020, he’s ready to lead a revamped room.
“For me personally, I’m super excited to get back. It’s been a long, long time since we’ve been able to get back as a team and get all the guys together and get ready for the season,” Funk told reporters. “I’m excited personally for that alone and then on top of that, being home, being with my family, I was very blessed to have a support system to be able to work out and stay in shape the way that I wanted to. I was doing everything from rehabbing with my brother and his rehab facility to lifting at a barn back home to running on my own to working out with a couple of my home friends who also play college football and got to just catch up with them and see them for an extended period of time. Overall, it was great and I feel great coming back here and I’m ready to get started.”
Funk appeared in the first game of his junior season against Texas while he appeared in consecutive games in November against Indiana and Ohio State, but his season was derailed by a torn ACL that Funk hoped to keep private during rehab. That focus helped drive his offseason motivation heading into 2019 before Funk tore the same ACL following the week three Temple loss. Despite his injuries, Funk admits there was little doubt when it came to his status for his final season.
“Personally, I never had any doubt in my mind that I would opt out, I’ve been 100% in and going to Josh, he made a decision that’s best for him and we all support him through it and I hope he stays safe through these tough times.”
“I personally feel safe. At the end of the day, all the protocols in the world, you can have all of them but if you’re not living right off the field, it doesn’t matter. The protocols can’t protect you when you’re away from the facility, so while I’m here at the facility, I feel as safe as can be. Ultimately there’s a responsibility on our end as players to be able to live right off the field and protect ourselves on the field so we don’t bring the disease into our facility, so it goes hand-in-hand.”
Funk is one of two seniors in the running back room alongside Tayon Fleet-Davis, but the Terps will turn to freshmen Peny Boone and Isaiah Jacobs to play key roles in the rotation as the offense hopes to lean on the previous strength of the offense. Boone and Jacobs have been tabbed as impact players given the depth at the position as Funk sees promise in the new unit.
“They’re very talented from what I’ve seen so far and they’re good people too which is a key thing that we love in this program. They’re both eager to learn, both doing what they need to do to handle their business and coming in, we hope they can come in and contribute this year for us because we’re going to need them. They’re definitely great teammates to have and doing very well for the future.” Funk understands the complications for freshmen to rely on Zoom to help ensure a seamless transition, so with the importance of Boone and Jacobs into the rotation, Funk took it upon himself to step into the leadership role.
“We have a lot of new players this year who have touched a college field whether that’s in community college or that’s just transfers and we also have a lot of freshmen. Stepping up and being in a leadership role this year is more crucial than ever just because those guys don’t know the ropes yet. They don’t know how we operate, they don’t know how we do things and just being there if guys ask questions and just trying to lead by example in everything that I do. It’s trying to take those guys under your wing and show them the right way to do it, the way we do it here.”
Funk’s career has come full circle in 2020 as he will now have the chance to shine for the revamped rushing attack for the head coach that once made it possible for him to suit up in College Park. As he develops into the veteran leader ahead of a college football season littered with off-field distractions, the expectation for the running back room has not changed according to Funk.
“Our mindset is still the same as its been. We want to be the best group on the field regardless how young, how old, how much experience guys have or not. We strive every day to be the best group on the field and we want to produce the best talent like I think we’ve have in recent years. The expectations aren’t different, they’re the exact same and we just preach to everyone in the room whether you’re a freshman or fifth-year senior like myself, where the standard doesn’t change. No matter who it is, what you did last year, no matter whatever it is. The standard does not change in that room and I think we have a great group of guys who are eager and ready to play.”
