Jared Dickson, a quiet star for the Wolves. (John Fisken photo)
“I hope to be remembered as the kid who did his job.”
For anyone who watched Coupeville High School senior Jared Dickson as he played out his football career, there is no doubt he succeeded.
Whether catching balls or crushing people while patrolling as a linebacker, the two-way starter was a model of consistency. He worked hard, never quit and went out the way he came in — as the kind of player every coach loves to see strap on a helmet and pads.
For his part, Dickson, who plans to serve a two-year Mormon mission after graduation, then head to Brigham Young University with plans to become a dentist, remains low-key.
He was never one to scream about his accomplishments, and knows how fast the game can change on you.
“I will always remember the game against Sultan this last season, when I was on special teams and we were punting,” Dickson said. “I was all by myself, no one around me and I thought for sure that I was going to tackle the guy that had just caught the ball.
“At the last second, however, I was blindsided by a guy who just flat laid me out,” he added. “It was the weirdest feeling thinking that you were doing so well and then in an instant be totally humbled. It is definitely a feeling that I will never forget.”
That was a fate rarely suffered by the always-smiling big hitter, whose younger sisters Allison and Lainey are CHS cheerleaders. Usually he was the one cracking helmets and taking folks down.
His style was shaped by his coaches, who he is quick to give credit.
“I felt that my biggest strength was my ability to listen to what my coach had to say, and then be able to use his advice to make myself a better player,” Dickson said. “The thing that I enjoy the most about football is that it takes everyone on the team doing their job in order for you to have success, and that it really is all about working as a team.”
Playing on Senior Night — he was sick and missed the final cross-over game against Chimacum — capped a six-year run for Dickson, one he treasured.
“I started because it has always been a game that I enjoyed to watch and I wanted to see if it was just as much fun to play,” he said.
When not working on the gridiron, he has been a strong student, as well, favoring science and math classes. Away from school he scuba dives, mountain bikes, does tree-work with his dad and has been known to shoot a shotgun or two.
And, while his coaches have played a big part in his development, everything begins at home.
“By far those responsible for making me who I am today are my parents,” Dickson said. “They have always been there for me, and have constantly used that time to teach me how I should act and who I should want to be.
“I owe everything I am to my parents.”
Coupeville Sports 