LYNN — After experiencing a growth spurt, KIPP Academy Panthers wideout Jaythean Im decided to give football a try in his senior season.
It’s safe to say that his decision paid off.
The wide receiver said that he was a slimmer build before his senior season, which was one of the main reasons it took him until this year to put on the shoulder pads.
The KIPP coaching staff helped Im gain some muscle and get him ready for the 2021 season.
“I wanted to play football because I didn’t want to look back and have any regrets,” said Im. “High school football is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Once you are finished with high school, it’s done. I do regret not doing it my other three years but I loved every second of it (this season) and I’m really glad I did it. It was an amazing experience being with the team.”
Im tallied 18 touchdowns and more than 1,000 receiving yards in his senior season that ended on Wednesday night. In his final high school game, he caught two touchdown passes, returned a punt for a touchdown and also snagged an interception.
“His nickname is Mr. Universe,” said head coach Jim Rabbitt. “He can really do it all. I’m glad he came out this year. We knew coming in that he was a spectacular athlete and we knew he could do some dynamic things with his body, (but) we didn’t know this.”
Rabbitt added that some college coaches described Im as a cheat code. Im also stated that being an athlete before football made the transition much easier and helped him be a threat in all three phases of the game.
Reaching the 1,000-yard receiving mark is no easy task, and just after the final whistle blew, Im said he was still taking in the moment.
“It’s a huge moment,” he said. “I still haven’t really taken it in. Just thinking about the first game, how every yard has added up to this moment and everything that my team has done to put me into this position because at the end of the day I just catch the ball, but there is a lot of stuff that goes into it. My quarterback that’s throwing to me, the offensive line that’s blocking, so I’m thankful for every last one of them that was able to put me in this position and get me to the 1,000-yard mark.”
