One of the most difficult situations for a young athlete is having to sit on the sidelines following a major injury.
Mostly because they are so used to being active.
Thus was the case for St. Francis High graduate Jacob Jimenez, who went on the “injured reserve” list for three weeks during the football season while he nursed his ailing ribs.
“It was definitely hard, but I just try to be out there, try to coach [my teammates] up, and be there for them as much as possible,” he said.
During that same time, one of his teammates was also out with an injury. But instead of moping around, they pushed each other until both players were ready to get back on the field.
St. Francis athletic director and head football coach John Ausman paid close attention to how Jimenez handled what could’ve been a potential crisis.
“You really get to see the character of someone when things go rough, how they respond, and what’s their demeanor,” Ausman said.
Ausman believes it’s what separates superb athletes such as Jimenez apart from others, and allows them to have success.
“I knew [he’d return] because of his mentality, because of his character,” Ausman said.
Jimenez overcame the adversity, and earned All-Pacific Coast Athletic League First Team honors in the Mission Division–North. He went on to earn all-league second team honors in boys basketball in the winter, and won a pair of division championships for the track and field team in the spring.
“What he’s done on the court, on the field and on the track speaks for itself, but what I admire the most is what he does outside of that,” Ausman said. “How he treats all those around him, his family, his little sister whenever she shows up every time. Not only is he a great athlete, great student, but he’s just a better young man, and I couldn’t be more fortunate to have coached him for the last four years.”
Academics was also important to Jimenez, who graduated with a 3.9 grade point average. He was a member of the Varsity Council, and part of the Sports Med Club where he learned the basics of what athletic trainers do.
“It’s always student before athlete,” he said. “I just take pride in getting good grades and just putting all my effort into the classroom, as well as the field. I owe it to my parents because they sacrificed a lot for me, so the least I could do is try hard in school and just get into good colleges. And hopefully make something out of my life.”
Jimenez is what most coaches and teachers would consider the ideal student-athlete, which is why he was named The Pajaronian’s Male Athlete of the Year for the 2025-26 school year.
“It’s an honor,” he said. “I just like to thank my coaches, my friends, my teammates, my family for just pushing me through everything and helping me get to this point. It just feels good to see all the hard work get noticed.”
The rib injury occurred just two weeks into the young football season in a non-league game against Pajaro Valley on Sept. 6.
Jimenez waited patiently for his time to return as he continued to put in the work by himself, even when nobody was watching.
“They get these accolades, which are well deserving, but it’s knowing they truly deserve them,” Ausman said. “Not just because of what God has given them, but taking those gifts and putting in the work to make them the best version of themselves.”
Jimenez hauled in 23 receptions for 435 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns in seven games played, according to the Monterey Bay Preps website.
Yet, it was his ability to block defenders and sometimes act as a decoy that separated him from other wide receivers.
“I always try my hardest,” he said. “It’s not all about catching it. What you do off the ball is how you show your love to your teammates. So, if you block for someone, then that’s how you can tell that you care for him.”
For Jimenez, there’s no other sport like football. He talked about working every day just to play one game a week, and the brotherhood that’s created during those grueling summer workouts.
“You’ll never make that type of bond anywhere else because you go through the same stuff,” he said. “You win together, you lose together, you go through everything together, so it’s definitely a brotherhood.”
In the winter, Jimenez reunited with his teammates on the basketball team – another clique he’s been a part of since his freshman year. He finished with an average of 16.2 points per game, according to Monterey Bay Preps.
Jimenez said once all the hard work came together, there was nothing better than being on a team with a bunch of guys working towards the same goal.
St. Francis was in a tight race for the Mission Division crown during most of the season. In the end, they fell short to league co-champions Hollister and Marina.
“I knew it was my last season, so I was just trying to make the most out of every game,” he said. “Just put the pedal to the metal, and then just not let up.”
After the Sharks were eliminated from the Central Coast Section playoffs, Jimenez transitioned to the track team.
It wasn’t always that way, though. He was once a member of the baseball team during his freshman and sophomore years.
Jimenez said it was fun at first because all his friends were on the squad, yet he began to feel he wasn’t progressing. He was then convinced by track and field coach Britney Hill to join their program, which boosted his confidence to perform at a high level.
“Sometimes I do miss baseball,” he said. “But track’s good because it’s a team sport, but it’s also just you versus you within your events.”
Jimenez was the PCAL Cypress Division champion in both the high jump and triple jump events, and runner-up in the long jump. He was the top qualifier in the high jump at the PCAL Masters Meet, which earned him a spot to the CCS Championships.
Jimenez has had plenty of role models throughout his athletic career, starting with his parents, Holly and Jaime. He said they sacrificed a lot for him and doesn’t know where he’d be without them.
However, it wasn’t until he met Ausman, who Jimenez said became another father figure by showing players how to be good young men.
“Trying to teach us how to grow up and just be respectable,” Jimenez said.
One of Jimenez’s favorite questions Ausman would ask often was “Rent is due, what are you gonna do?”
Jimenez said when it comes down to the line, and the family’s banking on the paycheck, just put the head down and grind. Always just trying to improve.
“I feel like that’s always been my goal, just to be the best person I can,” Jimenez said. “But the thing that motivates me is probably my family, just wanting to be good for them and being around for them.”
Jimenez will continue his football career at San Jose City College this upcoming fall.
