Proving his worth with the Packers, rookie Jake Kumerow receives praise from QB Aaron Rodgers
Jake Kumerow
GREEN BAY -- Jordy Nelson and Jeff Janis are both now former Green Bay Packers. That seems to have opened the door for a new favorite among fans and the starting quarterback alike.
Jake Kumerow continues to earn fans, all the way up to Green Bay's MVP, Aaron Rodgers -- and here's why: Kumerow knows where to be and generally gets things done when he gets there. That sounds simple, but sometimes that's just what a wide receiver needs to do, especially a wide receiver who is trying to separate himself from the pack.
FOX6's Tim Van Vooren: "You've had some early success. What is your big picture mindset now, even as you have several weeks of preseason action?"
"Just keep my head down and keep working hard. It's the mindset that stays the same. We don't change much. Game day or practice, we come with a game plan and we come ready to execute. I'm not going to change a thing. I'm going to come out to practice tomorrow or whenever our next practice is and get ready to grind again," said Kumerow.
Kumerow is the son of former first-round NFL Draft choice, Eric Kumerow, a linebacker at Ohio State. He is the cousin of recent first-round NFL Draft choice Joey Bosa, an edge rusher at Ohio State, but his resume reads University of Wisconsin-Whitewater -- after starting his college career at Illinois.
Jake Kumerow
Prolific success in Division III earned Kumerow practice squad stints in Cincinnati and New England and then late last year, Green Bay. When the team drafted three receivers, Kumerow took note, but clearly did not take offense. In fact, he said he sees the draftees as peers.
"We're all feeding off each other. Training Camp is always a tough time and you need the guys in the locker room to help you get through it, always. We always put in a lot of hard work together and so it's nice to see it pay off," said Kumerow.
It paid off in the form of a 52-yard touchdown pass from Tim Boyle in Green Bay's preseason opener, Aug.9 against the Tennessee Titans.
"It was a great shot. We had a good play called. The O-line definitely held their ground and Boyle put the ball on the money. I just tried to do my job and ran right through it."
Jake Kumerow
The matchup with the Titans came the same week that Aaron Rodgers criticized the effort of several young Packers' receivers for their lack of effort in practice. Rodgers actually identified Kumerow for praise, but Kumerow himself said the receivers are in things together, so they all needed to raise the group's play.
On Tuesday, Aug. 14, Rodgers called out the rookie receivers on the Packers' roster. He singled out some guys who were doing well. Jake Kumerow was in that group. Let's just say Kumerow didn't mind.
"It gives me a lot of confidence. It's good to hear. It's good to get a high five from No. 12 and to hear him say your name, definitely," said Kumerow.
Kumerow said he hopes he can stick with the team and that Rodgers will be calling his name in the regular season.