Jack Sengpiel can trace his love for quarterback back to a Chromebook screen in sixth grade, watching Tom Brady highlights and studying the way he carried his team. It wasn’t the arm talent that stuck with him most — it was the decision-making, the calm command, the sense that Brady always seemed to know exactly what to do next. Five years later, that same appreciation for poise and process defines how the rising junior at Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis approaches the position himself.

Sengpiel has built his game around the details that don’t always show up on a highlight reel. He talks about studying defenses, making sound decisions and finding ways to put his teammates in position to succeed, and he considers the leadership side of playing quarterback just as important as anything he does with his arm. Earning the trust of the guys in the huddle, he says, is part of the job description.

That approach mirrors the modern NFL quarterback he admires most: Brock Purdy. Sengpiel points to how calm Purdy stays in the pocket and how quickly he processes what a defense is showing him, running an offense efficiently and giving his team the best possible chance to win. It’s the same blueprint Sengpiel is working to build for himself — accuracy, football IQ and coachability, with an emphasis on improving his decision-making and consistency every single day.

Getting to this point hasn’t been a straight line. Heading into eighth grade, Sengpiel tore his ACL, an injury he calls the toughest thing he’s been through in sports. The rehab process was long and difficult, but he credits it with teaching him how to stay positive and keep working even when he couldn’t be on the field. Looking back, he believes it made him a tougher player. His parents, he says, have had the biggest impact on his development by encouraging and supporting him throughout that process and beyond, while his quarterback coach, Matt Biermann of Elite Football Academy, has sharpened his mechanics, movement and understanding of the position. Sengpiel trains regularly at Elite Football Academy under Biermann and Josh Munn.

The payoff from all that work showed up when Sengpiel was called into a varsity game after the team’s starting quarterback went down with an injury — one of the most important games on the schedule. Stepping in and competing under pressure reinforced a lesson he carries with him: stay prepared, because an opportunity can arrive without much warning.

Sengpiel’s athletic background extends well beyond the football field. He played club soccer at a high level for eight years before shifting his focus to football, and this spring he picked up varsity lacrosse for the first time, playing SSDM and earning a Most Improved Player Award. He credits that multi-sport foundation with sharpening his competitiveness and making him a better quarterback.

Academically and athletically, Sengpiel has drawn interest that includes Indiana Wesleyan, Dordt, MidAmerica Nazarene and the University of St. Thomas (Minn.). His focus for the year ahead is straightforward: put together a strong junior season, keep sharpening his decision-making and consistency, continue building relationships with college coaches, and keep developing as both a quarterback and a person.

For a player who first fell in love with the position by studying how a champion led his team, Jack Sengpiel is doing the same thing one rep at a time — staying prepared, staying coachable, and waiting for his next opportunity to step up.