There is a moment in every comeback when a quarterback has to decide whether he believes it. Jake Thomas Pela has already been there. With his team trailing in a game almost everyone had written off, the Class of 2032 quarterback from Phoenix leaned on what he had been taught, stayed steady, and brought his team all the way back. Ask him how, and the answer is simple: he trusted himself and everything he had learned up to that point.
That calm is something Jake has built over time. Now a seventh grader at Shea Middle School, he has been playing football for seven years, more than half his life. What pulled him in was the intensity and the competitiveness of the sport, and neither has worn off. Quarterback is the hardest job on the field, and that is exactly why he likes it. He enjoys the challenge of the position and the chance to watch himself grow, as a player and as a person.
He can also hurt a defense with his legs. This past season, Jake broke loose for a 64-yard touchdown run, the kind of play that changes how a defense has to line up for the rest of the game. So it makes sense that his favorite quarterback is Cam Newton. Jake admires how eager Newton always was to play, and he sees some of his own style in the way Newton ran an offense.
Ask Jake what makes a great quarterback and he does not start with arm strength. He talks about being patient and trusting your abilities. He credits Coach Gio and the other coaches on his team for that mindset, saying they helped build his confidence and taught him to be calmer on the field. He has also put in camp work with Elev8.
His goals are clear. Over the next six months, he wants to see the field better and understand how different plays develop. Over the next year, the list gets longer: faster, stronger, and a higher football IQ.
Seven years in, Jake Pela is still early in his story. But a quarterback who is patient, hard to tackle, and steady when his team is behind is one worth following.
Follow Jake on Instagram and X: @jakepela13
Profile: https://quarterbackmagazine.com/profile/jake-pela
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