Veterans Day is a day where many Americans and universities take time out of their busy schedules to honor the brave men and women who have served in the United States Military. Veterans Day focuses mainly on the men and women who have formerly served the nation, however, sometimes the people who are currently serving or will be serving the country in the future go unrecognized.

Curtis Jerzerick is someone who is currently preparing to serve the nation. Jerzerick is a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and he is also a student athlete. A normal day for Jerzerick, however, is very different from the normal day of a regular student-athlete.

A typical morning for Curtis includes a 6:15 a.m. wake-up and breakfast, morning formation, and classes from 7:30 a.m.-11:55 a.m. After attending morning classes, Curtis has formation again before lunch, which is followed by a meeting or study hour.

In the afternoon, Jerzerick attends classes from 1:55-2:50 p.m. After class Curtis goes to football practice, followed by football film study. After film study, Curtis goes to dinner and showers. Around 8 p.m. he begins doing homework and goes to bed at 11:30 p.m.

A normal day for a college athlete who does not attend one of the service academies is somewhat similar, but every minute of the day is not accounted for in the same way that it is at West Point. With such a busy day, the daily routine at West Point and balancing athletics can be difficult.

“Managing time is hard here because you are taking at least 20 credits and you are expected to work as hard as your opponents,” Jerzerick said. Jerzerick noted that other student athletes at some of the schools they play do not take the same amount of credits or have the long daily schedules that are a part of everyday life at West Point.

At Shippensburg University, many student athletes are taking 15-18 credits and balancing athletics as well. At West Point, however, all of the classes at the academy relate to the military and to West Point in particular.

“It is the only place where everyone is there for each other, and my greatest friends are here. I think the fact that some of us will die for each other makes the bonds here so great. These people are amazing and we all look out for each other,” Jerzerick said about what separates West Point from a normal four-year school.

While Jerzerick is a cadet corporal, or informally a “yuk,” he is also excelling on the football field in his sophomore season as a defensive tackle on the Army sprint football team. Sprint football is different than varsity football at many schools because it is a weight class football league. In sprint football, to be eligible to play you must keep your weight under 170 pounds. This is a struggle for Jerzerick at times because in high school football he never had to worry about watching his weight to stay eligible.

“The biggest difference between sprint football and varsity football is that everyone is roughly the same size. I never had to watch my weight until I came to West Point and staying under is tough. Trust me though, we still have the heart, and the defense is like a bunch of hungry dogs looking to feed,” Jerzerick said.

Army sprint football had a very successful season, staying undefeated with a 7-0 record. Jerzerick was a key contributor on defense for Army, tallying 38 tackles, with 22 of those being solo tackles. He also recorded five sacks, and recovered a fumble against Mansfield University, returning it 61 yards for a defensive touchdown. Jerzerick finished fourth on the defense in total tackles on the season.

Jerzerick’s favorite memory of the season was defeating rival military academy Navy, 24-23.

“I can’t describe the feeling of beating Navy. It was a day I will never forget,” Jerzerick said.

After his four years at West Point are up, Jerzerick will be required to serve five years of active duty in the military. He wants to be an infantry officer and he would like to make a career out of the military.

Jerzerick is one of the nation’s many veterans who are celebrated and admired.

Editor’s note: Curtis Jerzerick and the author, William Whisler, have been friends since high school. This piece was written to highlight the life of one student-athlete veteran, but its purpose is also to recognize the efforts of veterans everywhere, including those in the military and ROTC program at SU.

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