advertisement

Visual thinking helps Warren's Powe produce

Listening to tunes is one way athletes psych themselves up for competitions.

But for the newest generation of teenagers, watching videos might be just as common.

That's what Warren senior Jalen Powe does.

On the bus to road games, or in the locker room before his team takes the field for home games, Powe pulls out his phone, calls up YouTube and watches his favorite kick and punt return videos. Former Chicago Bears great Devin Hester and DeSean Jackson of the Washington Redskins are his favorites.

"I'm watching everything they do," Powe said. "I love to look for new ways to return kicks."

Powe, who likes to mimic the return moves he sees on the YouTube videos, is developing a mini Hester-like reputation of his own. Powe has two kickoff returns for touchdowns this season, including the game-winning score (a 93-yarder with 1:10 left) in Warren's big win over defending Class 8A state champion Stevenson last week.

He is a threat to take it to the house each time the opposing team kicks to him, which isn't every time … by design. Also a starter at safety, Powe has played a big role in helping Warren manage four straight wins and an undefeated record in North Suburban Conference Lake Division Play. The Blue Devils will take on undefeated Libertyville at 7:30 p.m. Friday for first place in the division.

"Jalen was quietly one of the better return men in the county last year and went under the radar," Warren coach Bryan McNulty said. "He's been really good this season because of his preparation in the off-season."

Powe, who was brought up to the varsity as a sophomore running back and was then converted to a safety last year, put on 10 to 15 pounds of muscle last summer while still increasing his speed. He also spent a lot of time watching game film to even further break down what his strategies should be while returning kicks.

"I think you've got to be fast and you've got to have great vision to return kicks well," said Powe, who also had an 80-plus-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Lake Forest. "You also have to have very good patience. Sometimes, it's so tempting to just run right away. But I'm pretty patient with my blocks. I say, 'Go, go.' They run, I wait a couple seconds, look left and right and then I run behind them. It's a timing thing. Then when I see a hole, I'm gone."

Powe says there's no better feeling than running a kick return in for a touchdown. And Powe absolutely loves the adrenaline rush he gets from making big tackles and interceptions (he has 2 interceptions so far on the season) at safety.

But seeing daylight on a kick return is even better.

"Once I find that hole, I just burst through it," Powe said. "There's no better feeling. It's just exciting and there's a rush through your whole body.

"When you catch the ball, it's like there's this moment of quiet. As you start to break free, you hear the crowd get louder and louder. There's really no feeling like it."

Powe would like to return kicks at the college level. He thinks he'd be good at it.

But his primary role on any team would probably be safety, just like his older brother, Jerry. Jerry Powe, who graduated from Warren last year, is a starting safety as a true freshman for Lafayette College in Pennsylvania.

"Jerry and I are very close," Jalen Powe said. "We talk almost every day. We talk a lot of football. Growing up, we were always on the same team. We were always competing. But we always helped each other. And since we play the same position, it's nice. We give each other advice."

Jerry Powe wound up getting 6 college scholarship offers and settled on Lafayette because he liked the school and liked the idea of getting to play right away.

So far, little brother Jalen has heard from a handful of coaches consistently, ranging from major Division I to Division II.

"When Jerry got his first offer, I said to myself, 'I've got to do the same thing,' " Jalen said with a laugh.

Maybe Jalen should try to market himself by posting some of his best kick return videos on YouTube. There seems to be an audience for that.

pbabcock@dailyherald.com

• Follow Patricia on Twitter: @babcockmcgraw

  Warren's Jalen Powe goes through practice Thursday in advance of Friday's test at Libertyville. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.