Community Sports

Tides to Huskies: A conversation with two locals who will play for a national title

The Washington Huskies (14-0) play for the college football national championship versus the Michigan Wolverines (14-0) at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8 in Houston, Texas. A couple former Gig Harbor Tides will suit up for the second-ranked Huskies.

Samuel Peacock and Jake Jennings are busy preparing for the biggest game of their lives, but still found time to share their thoughts on the game that could bring the Huskies a coveted national title.

Samuel Peacock

Peacock is a 2019 Gig Harbor graduate and a promising sophomore who is Washington’s second-string right tackle. The 6-foot-6, 302-pounder earned playing time in nine of the Huskies’ 14 wins, including the Pac-12 championship win over Oregon and the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl victory over Texas.

He won the Iron Dawg Award in 2022 as the team’s weight room standout. Tape of Peacock shows an agile player with quick feet, long arms and an explosive kick step that allows him to control oncoming pass rushers. He also has the intelligence to remember over 75 offensive plays and the ability to process changing plays and responsibilities with only seconds to spare before the ball is snapped. Most importantly, he has the toughness to play a position that requires him to physically dominate opponents.

Samuel Peacock plays for the Huskies during a win over California. Photo courtesy Samuel Peacock

The Huskies offensive line won the Joe Moore Award as the college football’s best offensive line. Peacock is a valuable member of that unit who has won the trust of his teammates and coach Kalen DeBoer.

In high school, Peacock starred as a crushing offensive and defensive lineman for the Tides. He won the South Sound Conference Lineman of the Year award in 2019 and was ranked the No. 11 recruit in the state and the No. 47 offensive lineman in the nation by 247 Sports. A two-time, first team all-SSC performer, Peacock played for former head coach George Fairhart and then-defensive coordinator and current head coach Darrin Reeves.

He also won a Class 3A state shot put championship in track with a throw of 58 feet, 11 inches as a junior.

Samuel Peacock won a state shot put title for Gig Harbor. Photo courtesy Samuel Peacock

Jake Jennings

Jennings is a 2020 Gig Harbor graduate and a walk-on edge rusher for the Huskies. He has yet to see playing time for Washington but has steadily been impressing the Husky coaches.

He won the team’s defensive scout of the week award four times and its special teams scout of the week award five times in two seasons. The sophomore was recently selected as the MVP of the 2023 scout team.

Listed as an edge rusher, the 6-foot-4, 245-pound Jennings has the versatility to play outside linebacker in certain situations. He will be suited up and on the sideline when the Huskies play for the national title.

Jennings was an All-South Sound Conference defensive lineman who had 55 tackles and seven sacks in helping the Tides to a 7-3 record in 2019. Like Peacock, he also won an individual Class 3A state track championship. Jennings won the javelin competition as a sophomore in 2019 with a throw of 186 feet and six inches. Both track champions lost a shot at repeat titles due to COVID-19.

Another thing they have in common: both were 2022 Pac-12 Honor Roll recipients. Peacock, a pre-med major with an eye on orthopedic surgery, was selected for his second straight year. Jennings is an economics major looking to a possible career in finance or investing after college.

Gig Harbor Now conducted a Q&A with the two former Tides and current Huskies.

Jake Jennings catches a pass against Peninsula during his high school career. Photo by Christi Adams

Gig Harbor Now: When did you first start playing football?

Samuel Peacock: “I first started playing football in the seventh grade in the Peninsula Youth Football program. I still remember putting on the pads. I was home schooled through junior high so it was one of my first opportunities to play and be around the kids I would eventually graduate with.”

Jake Jennings: “I first started playing when I was eight years old in Florida, It was awesome. I remember loving it from the very start as I played there before moving back to Gig Harbor when I was 12 years old.”

GHN: How did you like playing football for the Tides?

Peacock: “It was great, I got a lot of individual coaching from Ti Zurfluh, and coach Fairhart when I was there and also from a private instructor who played in the NFL by the name of DeQuin Evans. As far as the school goes, I really made some good connections there and had a lot of fun. In football we were tight knit, not just with our position groups but all of us were buddies on that team. It was even fun to go to practice.”

Jennings: “Coach Fairhart and the assistants were awesome to me. It’s great to play college football and all but playing in high school with all your close friends was definitely a very special time for me.”

GHN: What aspect of living in Gig Harbor did you like the most?

Peacock: “I love the small town vibe that it has, wherever you go in Gig Harbor you’ve always got a friend nearby, so I felt super connected to the community there.”

Jennings: “Now that I’ve been living in Seattle for the past three years I do miss that small town where everybody seems to know each other more. Even though Seattle is a great place, I still miss the tight knit atmosphere of Gig Harbor.”

GHN: How did it feel to win an individual track and field state championship?

Peacock: “It was super huge. I worked really hard on that with shot put coach Ben Keith and head coach Kevin Eager. It was a great moment when I won and I was super happy. Ben would take videos, analyze them, then go over special techniques and try unique drills to help me improve. I was just as happy for him because he put in so much time with me and then he retired from coaching with our victory.”

Jennings: “My sophomore year I wanted to get faster for football so I chose track. Our head coach Mr. Eager came over and told me that coach Fairhart was a great javelin coach and he wanted me to try it out. I was shocked but okay. When I was a kid, I was a pitcher and it must have helped because the first time I threw it, (laughs) we were all totally surprised. It came natural to me and yes I won without any prior experience, it was crazy but it felt great.”

GHN: Tell me your impressions coach DeBoer.

Peacock: “I absolutely love DeBoer. … He keeps a super level head when the moment gets hot. He really reminds me of a respectable father that is stern when he needs to be but can think outside of himself and make the right decisions. He doesn’t just act on emotions and say the wrong things which a lot of people can tend to do.”

Jennings: “Coach DeBoer is calm always, whether we’re winning or not he always has the same demeanor. Every team that we go up against he says we should respect all and fear none. He has had that same mentality all year, whether it was our first game against Boise State or for the national title.”

What are your thoughts about your talented quarterback Michael Penix Jr.?

Peacock: “Mike is the man for sure. He is a great blend of pure talent and great leadership. We had a players-only meeting before the last game, and he shared some things that were on his heart and it really rallied the team together. Plus it’s his ability, it’s one thing to see the crazy throws from the field level but when you go back and watch the replays and see the windows that he’s throwing through, it’s unbelievable.”

Jennings: “Mike is a really awesome person, every time he’s on the field he commands respect from everyone and he practices really, really hard. When the moment’s brightest is when he plays his best, it’s amazing that he never cracks under the pressure. He’s a unique talent for sure.”

GHN: With being on the Honor Roll in a difficult major plus playing football what attributes do you need to keep a proper balance?

Peacock: “A couple things for me are extreme time management, and always remembering why you are doing it.

In school you can sort of B.S. your way through it for awhile but I have to think about the why. I want to go to med school, I’ve had these dreams since I was a little kid, that’s my “why”. Then the time management piece is planning ahead to study for a class, take an exam or watch film. Sometimes I’m days ahead thinking, I’ve got to go practice then but I can make up for that by studying for two hours on the plane to the game. It’s very complicated to find enough time but you need to piece it together like a puzzle.”

Jennings: “I wake up at 5 a.m. to go and lift to prepare my body with the guys every morning. Then I have to shift to my classes. I chose economics because there are a lot of different things I could possibly do with the degree but it’s a difficult major. It is definitely a challenge but you’ve got to stay consistent and pour the work in.”

GHN: Where did you get your work ethic from?

Peacock: “Definitely from my parents, both of them are the hardest workers I’ve ever met. Both own their own businesses as my dad owns his own landscaping company and he works even longer hours than his employees do, including weekends. I’ve seen him do some tough jobs and it’s stayed with me. My mom is an artist and owns her own studio, she teaches classes and it’s a one-woman show, she is definitely an inspiration to me as well.”

Jennings: “I definitely get that from my mom and my dad and really my brother and sister too, for sure. It’s the way they raised me. We renovate houses, so my parents would use us to sand floors or dig holes in the back yard for plumbing and whatnot. My dad taught me that if you’re going to do something, it’s easier to put a lot of effort in the first time and do it right instead of doing a half ass job and have to come back later and fix it. That mindset has really helped me in the classroom and on the field.”

GHN: What things come to your mind when you think about possibly winning a national championship?

Peacock: “I just think about how much work I’ve seen all the guys around me put in. I know they all absolutely deserve to go out and play their best to win it. I’ve seen them grind, I mean we’ve been talking and working for this since the end of last season. Right after the Alamo Bowl we started winter training and talked about getting to the championship game and winning it, so to get it done would mean the world for sure.”

Jennings: “Oh, that’s been my dream since I was a little kid, sometimes it doesn’t feel real for me. When I’m with the guys and we’re working for this goal, I just have to sit back a bit and appreciate what we’re trying to do. I have definitely dreamt about what it would feel like to win it … oh man, that would really be something.”

GHN: What would you tell a 10-year-old in Gig Harbor that aspires to do what you have done and to one day be where you’re at now?

Peacock: “I would definitely tell them to never let anyone tell them that they are not capable of achieving their biggest aspirations. Never settle for what you’re ‘supposed’ to accomplish or anything average. You are capable of reaching any goal you set your mind to and are willing to work for. We were not supposed to go to a national championship this year. People told us we were not capable, yet we set our minds to it and worked and now that’s where we’re headed.”

Jennings: “It takes a lot of work, dedication and patience. There’s gonna be some days where it feels like it’s not possible, then there are gonna be some days that it feels like everything is going right for you, on either day you need to just keep working. And then a lot comes down to the people you have around you, they really matter. Always surround yourself with people that care about you and want to see you reach your goals, with the right support and hard work you can achieve anything.”

Samuel Peacock warms up before a game. Photo courtesy Samuel Peacock