THE R.E.U.P PODCAST

What does it take to build a winning football program—and keep it that way?

Coach Jack welcomes back Eric Morris, Defensive Line Coach at Louisiana Christian University, for Part 2 of their conversation on the REUP Podcast.

In this episode, we go beyond recruiting and get inside the day-to-day operation of a college football program. Coach Morris discusses the work behind the wins, the standards that shape his defensive line, how coaches keep players hungry, and why every athlete—from the starter to the scout-team player—has a role in the team’s success.

We also discuss:

• What it takes to prepare for a challenging opponent
• The weekly grind of a college football season
• Developing freshmen and getting them ready to contribute
• Handling playing time, expectations, and team-first culture
• How coaching philosophy evolves without sacrificing standards
• Why coaching is about more than football—and helping young men grow

Whether you’re a high school athlete pursuing the next level, a college player looking to improve, or a coach committed to developing your players, this conversation offers a closer look at the work behind the game.

The standard doesn’t change. The work doesn’t stop. And everybody has a role.

Subscribe to the REUP Podcast for more conversations about football, personal development, and what it takes to keep raising expectations.

REUP — Raise Expectation Until Proven.

#REUP #CollegeFootball #FootballCoaching #PlayerDevelopment #StudentAthlete

Getting the opportunity to play college football is one thing. Learning how to handle everything that comes with it is another.

At the midway point of the season, Coach Jack speaks directly to the freshmen, redshirt freshmen, and young players who are getting meaningful playing time and learning what it really takes to compete at the college level.

The physical demands are real. The pressure to perform is real. The fear of losing your spot is real.

And when practice, meetings, and games are over, you’re still a student. You still have assignments, exams, deadlines, and responsibilities outside of football.

In this REUP solo episode, we discuss:

• The pressure of getting playing time and trying to keep your spot
• Managing the physical demands of a long football season
• Handling mistakes without allowing them to define you
• Recognizing when you need support and learning to communicate
• Balancing football with academics and personal responsibilities
• Why asking for help doesn’t mean you’re not committed
• Learning how to sustain yourself instead of simply surviving the season

The goal isn’t just to get on the field. It’s to learn how to sustain yourself at the level you want to reach.

You can be accountable without tearing yourself down. You can be committed without carrying everything alone. And you can pursue excellence in football while taking care of the person you are becoming.

If you’re a young athlete navigating the demands of college football, this conversation is for you.

Watch on YouTube. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe, share this with a young athlete who needs to hear it, and join the REUP community.

R.E.U.P. — Raise Expectation Until Proven.

#REUP #CollegeFootball #AthleteDevelopment #MentalPerformance #StudentAthlete

Who are you when nobody’s watching?

It’s easy to look disciplined when the coaches are around. It’s easy to talk about hard work when everybody can see your progress. But what happens when the cameras are off, the recognition disappears, and the only person holding you accountable is you?

In this REUP solo episode, Coach Jack challenges athletes to look beyond their image and examine their habits, decisions, and character.

We get into:

• The difference between posting the work and actually doing the work
• Why your habits matter when nobody is checking on you
• What leadership and character look like behind the scenes
• How to respond when you fall short of your own standard
• Why the person you build matters just as much as the player you become

You don’t have to be perfect. But you do have to be honest with yourself.

The question is simple: Are your actions matching the person you say you want to become?

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🎧 LISTEN on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Subscribe and join the REUP community.

R.E.U.P. — Raise Expectation Until Proven.

#REUP #Football #AthleteDevelopment #Discipline #Leadership

Who are you when you’re not wearing a helmet?

In this episode of the REUP Podcast, I sit down with Kevin Griffin, Defensive Coordinator at Missouri Valley University, for a conversation that goes far beyond football.

Kevin and I have known each other for nearly a decade. What began through competition on the football field has grown into a friendship and brotherhood built on respect, shared experiences, and a love for coaching.

We discuss the experiences that shaped his coaching career, the mentors who influenced his life, the importance of faith, and the lessons he’s learned about leadership, humility, and putting ego aside.

We also get personal.

Kevin shares the influence his father had on him, the lessons he’s passing on to his own son, and why he asks his players a question that every athlete should consider:

Who are you when you’re not wearing a shoulder pad and a helmet?

Because your position doesn’t define your entire identity. Your title doesn’t tell your whole story. And football, as important as it may be, is only one part of your life.

In this conversation, we talk about:

🏈 The journey through college and professional coaching environments
🙏 Faith, purpose, and recognizing God’s direction
🤝 Suppressing your ego and serving the people around you
👨‍👦 A father’s influence and the legacy passed between generations
📓 Advice for young coaches: listen, learn, and be a sponge
🧠 Discovering your identity beyond football
❤️ Being a husband, father, grandfather, friend, and mentor
🦁 Giving back to the young men who come after you

This episode is a reminder that the person matters just as much as the player—and your impact can last long after the final whistle.

If you’re a coach, athlete, parent, or someone trying to become a better version of yourself, this conversation is for you.

🎙️ WATCH & LISTEN
▶️ Watch on YouTube
🎧 Listen on Spotify
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts

Subscribe, share this conversation with someone who needs to hear it, and join us as we continue to raise the standard.

🦁 REUP — Raise Expectation Until Proven.

#REUP #REUPPodcast #FootballCoaching #Leadership #Faith #Mentorship #LifeBeyondFootball

ELIJAH ROY: The Journey, The Grind & What It Really Takes to Play College Football | REUP Podcast

Description:
What does it really take to play college football?

In this episode of the R.E.U.P Podcast, Coach Jack sits down with Elijah Roy to talk about his journey, his experiences as a college football player, the work that happens behind the scenes, and the mindset it takes to continue growing.

We talk about football, expectations, adversity, development, and what it means to keep raising your standard when nobody else is watching.

This conversation is about more than football — it’s about the person you become along the way.

Raise Expectation Until Proven.

🎙️ R.E.U.P Podcast
🏈 Life. Football. Growth.
📺 New episodes every Friday at noon on YouTube.

#REUPPodcast #ElijahRoy #CollegeFootball #Football #StudentAthlete #LindenwoodFootball #RaiseExpectationUntilProven

You don’t get to choose when your opportunity comes.

You don’t get to choose when your number gets called.

But you do get to choose whether you’re ready when it happens.

In this episode of the REUP Podcast, Coach Jack breaks down what it really means to prepare before you know the opportunity is coming. Whether you’re a starter, a backup, a coach, a student, or simply trying to figure out what’s next in life, preparation matters long before the moment arrives.

We talk about:

• Why waiting for your opportunity can leave you already behind
• Preparing mentally, physically, emotionally, and professionally
• What you should be doing while you’re waiting
• Why being ready is bigger than being talented
• Staying engaged when things aren’t going your way
• Recognizing opportunities you didn’t expect
• Why you shouldn’t become so focused on the opportunity you want that you miss the one in front of you
• How preparation builds confidence and trust
• The difference between waiting and actually preparing
• Coach Jack’s own unexpected transition from coaching defensive backs to coaching wide receivers
• How the work you’re doing today may be preparing you for something you don’t even know is coming yet

Preparation doesn’t guarantee success.

But when your moment comes, you want to be able to say:

“I’ve done the work. I’m ready.”

So here’s the question:

What opportunity are you preparing for—even though you don’t know it’s coming?

Raise Expectation Until Proven.

REUP. 🦁

#REUP #REUPPodcast #Football #CollegeFootball #AthleteDevelopment #AthleteMindset #Preparation #Coaching #Leadership #FootballLife

Recorded from the hotel the night before Game 2, Coach Jack talks about trusting your preparation, managing the night-before nerves, getting proper rest, and understanding that you don’t have to become Superman when the game arrives.

Game 1 gave us information. Game 2 gives us an opportunity to show what we did with it.

This episode was recorded before Game 2 — before we knew how the game would end. And that’s important, because the mindset doesn’t change simply because the result didn’t go our way.

THE GRIND NOBODY SEES | Coach Isaac Akers | REUP Podcast

What does it really take to build a career in college football?

On this special road-game edition of the REUP Podcast, Coach Jack sits down with Isaac Akers, Quarterback Quality Control Coach at Lindenwood University, to talk about the work, relationships, sacrifices, and experiences that happen behind the scenes.

Isaac takes us through his journey from St. Louis to college football, coaching at multiple programs, stepping away from college football to coach high school, and eventually finding his way back to Lindenwood.

But this conversation goes much deeper than football.

Isaac opens up about being diagnosed with FSGS, a rare kidney disease, at a young age and spending years coaching while undergoing dialysis. He talks about faith, adversity, the people who helped him keep fighting, and what it meant to finally reach a point where he could live and coach without dialysis.

We also talk about:

• The reality of being a college football QC
• The grind behind the scenes that players and fans don’t always see
• Building genuine relationships with student-athletes
• Why coaches have to remain willing to learn from their players
• The coaches and mentors who shaped Isaac’s career
• Faith, adversity, and learning to be honest with yourself
• The impact players can have on their coaches
• Making the most of your opportunities
• Getting comfortable being uncomfortable
• Why athletes should maximize the opportunity while embracing the memories
• What Isaac expects from the next generation of athletes

One of the biggest messages from this conversation:

“Maximize the opportunity, but don’t forget to embrace the memories.”

Football can open doors, create relationships, and change lives — but the people and experiences along the way matter just as much.

This is The Grind Nobody Sees.

🎙️ REUP Podcast
Hosted by Coach Jack — Lavell Jackson

REUP = Raise Expectation Until Proven

Because football is the vehicle.
Life is the destination.

If this conversation gives you something, share it with an athlete, coach, parent, or anyone fighting through their own adversity.

#REUP #RaiseExpectation #IsaacAkers #CollegeFootball #FootballCoaching #CoachLife #PlayerDevelopment #Adversity #Faith #Leadership #LindenwoodFootball

The first game is over.

You won. You lost. Maybe you played great. Maybe you struggled. Maybe you didn’t play the way you expected.

Now what?

In this episode of the REUP Podcast, Coach Jack breaks down what athletes should do after the first game of the season — and why the scoreboard can’t become your identity.

We talk about:

🏈 How to respond after a win
🏈 How to respond after a loss
🏈 Why the film doesn’t care about your feelings
🏈 Taking accountability and ownership
🏈 Learning from mistakes instead of dwelling on them
🏈 Why adversity reveals character
🏈 How coaches must respond alongside their players
🏈 Being an “I gave everything I had” athlete instead of an “I wish” athlete
🏈 Getting back to work and stacking good days
🏈 Why one game doesn’t define your season

The game doesn’t stop your life. Whether you win or lose, you still have to wake up the next day and go to work.

Win. Learn. Lose. Learn. Play the next play.

This is REUP — Raise Expectation Until Proven.

If you’re an athlete, coach, or parent navigating the football season, this one’s for you.

Champions never let nothing phase them. When in doubt, rise to the occasion.

#REUPPodcast #Football #HighSchoolFootball #CollegeFootball #StudentAthlete #AthleteDevelopment #FootballMindset #SportsMindset #CoachJack

GAME WEEK IS HERE. 🏈

The offseason is over.

The workouts. The camps. The 7-on-7s. The summer practices. The preparation.

Now it’s time to perform.

In this episode of the REUP Podcast, Coach Jack talks about what athletes need to understand when game week finally arrives:

• Don’t panic.
• Trust the work you’ve put in.
• Don’t try to become Superman.
• Take care of your body.
• Block out the noise.
• Know your assignment.
• Trust your technique.
• Embrace your role.
• Control what you can control.
• Win TODAY.

Your first game doesn’t define your entire season.

But how you prepare for it matters.

Raise Expectation Until Proven.

REUP.