Big Cat Country
Get to know the Jaguars’ new additions from draft weekend with our ‘3 things to know’ series
Get to know the Jaguars’ new additions from draft weekend with our ‘3 things to know’ series
With the 2025 NFL Draft in the books, it’s time to reflect on how the Jacksonville Jaguars fared. Did rookie GM James Gladstone deliver a masterclass, or has he just set the Jags back five years? Truth is, we probably won’t know that for some time. But we can get to know the newest members of the team a little bit better. In the latest of our mini-series of deep dives, here are three things to know about Jack Kiser, LB, Notre Dame:
A town with just 797 inhabitants according to the last count, Royal Center, Indiana is far from regal and isn’t particularly the centre of anything. Adopting it’s name from a place in New York, it came to be in 1846 after a railroad was built through the territory, and is surrounded by farmland. This is the home of Jack Kiser, one of four children to parents Aaron and Deborah, who would go on to star for one of the most prestigious football programs in America. But he had duties way before he put on pads and a helmet.
The Kiser family have owned a farm in this remote part of Indiana for generations. In fact, Jack could see his grandparents’ home from the doorstep of the house he grew up in, right across the cornfield. His grandma Frances still lives there to this day. And as is common in agriculture, this was a family business - and everyone was expected to contribute, no matter how big or small. That rule extended to Jack despite him being the youngest of the family, and is likely to have helped forge a strong work ethic that has served him well in football.
This serene brand of living has shaped Kiser in other ways too. He didn’t have a phone until he was 14 years old, and even then had to share it with his older sister. His family and his partner Meagan describe him as ‘chilled’ and ‘goofy’, someone who enjoys the outdoors for hikes as much as he enjoys movies and board games. The demeanor changes when he hits the gridiron, but the wristband he wears that says ‘don’t do anything stupid’ on it will tell you that there’ll be no off-the-field drama from the Jaguars’ new linebacker.
Tiny Pioneer High School was where Jack Kiser made a name for himself on the football field. His father Aaron was the coach of the youth team, and allowed Jack to train with the third grade players despite being a year younger. Jack was allowed to train and suit up on gameday but not hit the field, his father believing it was unfair for him to take gametime away from his older teammates. Regardless his peers and other coaches did manage...
