We weren't able to speak with blind long snapper Jake Olson today but we did talk to a few of his teammates about him. Here were their comments on him.
Holder Conner Sullivan
--He said Olson was announced to the team a couple weeks ago but was just cleared by the NCAA.
--They played together in high school at Orange Lutheran. Sullivan actually worked with him privately last year while Olson was still in high school and Sullivan was at USC.
"We all knew he wanted to be a Trojan since he was a kid. Now he’s finally made that dream a reality. ...
I’m a real good friend of his. He went to my high school. I have practiced with him already from there. He’s doing well. All we do is just position him – line his feet up. He does the rest."
--Olson didn't show any nervousness.
"He was stoked. He’s been waiting for this his whole life. He’s been around this team since Pete Carroll welcomed him here. Sark’s done the same thing. It’s good to see him out here, finally, in pads. ... He’s been doing it since he was in high school. He started at Orange Lutheran. We’ve been working on it since then. When he was out there today, he felt good. We were welcoming him to the team. He’s comfortable out there."
--Teammates are "ecstatic" for Olson.
"We know what it means to us as players. It’s a big deal to play on this team, especially all he’s been through growing up. When he’s out here, we feel it for him, the excitement that he has."
--They've discussed what it will be like in a game.
"He knows, but he’s definitely talked to me. From high school, me and Jake are good friends. I told him I’ll be holding for him. I’ll set him up. All he has to do is snap it; I’ll catch it. He feels confident in that."
--Olson has taught him "anything’s possible."
"It was a dream of mine to play college football. I realize it’s a tough road. When he said he wanted to do it, I believed him. And today, it’s becoming a reality. And it’s a good thing."
Reserve punter Reid Budrovich
--It was his responsibility today to assist Olson.
"When I first saw Jake, we started walking around. Just basically telling him how practice goes, introducing him to everybody. I just really tried to kind of show him around. I told him everything we did with practice, all the situations we did, when we did special teams, what we were doing in the team meetings and all that. He just started snapping in pads today, so I just tried to work on setting him up. He said it felt kind of weird. But he’ll get used to it soon. ...
"The last time he had pads on was last fall. He said it was just surreal being out here, being in the pads. And then he said it’s awesome to wear the Trojan helmet. He was really excited about that."
--Budrovich explained the proccess:
"What he does is, he’ll just put his hand on my shoulder, and I’ll basically lead him around. Other people will walk around with him (as well), and we’ll basically show him where he needs to go. In the game situations, he’ll walk with his hand on my shoulder, and then we’ll set his hips up. That’s how he snaps it. He snaps it straight. They were great snaps today. He’s definitely not out of shape right now. He’s right in his prime."
--Olson is having a great effect on the team.
"I think it’s really inspirational for the team, just seeing him out here. We weren’t sure if he was actually coming out. We heard he was coming to the team. But during camp we never saw him. So we were kind of worried. But hearing the news, Coach Sark brought him into the meeting, we saw him two weeks ago. It was just awesome seeing him here, and it’s just really lifted spirits."
--Olson wants as little help as possible.
"He got dressed himself today. We just put his pads in his pants. He put on his shoulder pads. It was awesome seeing him do that. He does everything himself."
--He only worked on field goal snaps today.
"He can do punts. He brought up today, that if we ever need help, he’ll do punt snaps with us. It’s just harder because you have to get his hips perfect. … But it’s a thing of its own just to see him do football snaps."
Long snapper Zach Smith
--Olson brings great energy to the team.
"A good attitude really helps a lot. … He’s extremely positive. Big USC fan growing up, so it’s a big dream come true coming out here. He’s just really fun to hang out with. It makes us appreciate the blessing we have to be out here."
--The other specialists are working together to help Olson.
"Reid did a great job today of lining up his hip with the holder. That’s pretty much all you need. Once he lines up his hips, then he’ll snap it straight. We’ve just been assisting him with his snaps and telling him if he misses inside or outside, just giving him little pointers. He’s been doing a great job."
Cody Kessler
--Having Olson on the team has been “awesome.”
"It’s really cool. I’ve known Jake for a while, since my sophomore year. We’ve kept in contact through text and then on the phone. It’s really cool to have him here now, to see him on campus and walking around. I walked with him the other day and we had a great talk. We just talked about everything, how excited he was. And I told him the feeling’s mutual. This team is s welcoming to him. Its great having him in the locker room and guys getting around him. It’s a different perspective. It kind of puts a different perspective on things, how much we really appreciate the game. I respect so much what he’s doing. He never makes excuses. He never complains about anything. He’s out here working his but off. It’s cool. It’s cool for me to see and he’s a great kid."
--He reiterated Olson's insistence to prove himself.
"That’s how the guys treat him, that’s how guys are around him, that’s how we want him to feel, a part of the team, and that’s exactly what he is. It doesn’t matter his circumstances, even though they’re different than ours. No one treats him that way. He’s an awesome kid and I’m excited to have him on the team, motivation, everything Guys see that, guys come out to practice and they retired and maybe they don’t want to work hard that day and you see him out here not complaining. That should be motivation. The impact he can have, just a single person can have on a team, is pretty cool. And Jake definitely has that."
--He hasn't imagined playing blind.
"No, he’s a better man than me. I couldn’t do it. It's tough. That takes a special type of person and Jake is that. A quick story, I remember when he came in and talked to us the first time I’d never met him, I didn’t know who he was. He had been with Pete Carroll and everything and he came in and spoke to our my sophomore year. I’ve never seen, and I thin at the time he was 17 or 16, I’ve never seen so many grown men just completely silent. You could hear a pin drop, so much respect, listening to him and keying in and focusing on every word he said. That’s the impact he has. Whether he likes it or not, he’s a leader. I’m pretty sure he likes it. He’s a great kid."
Su'a Cravens
--Having Olson around gives the team perspective.
"You got to be grateful and thankful that you can step out on this field every day and that’s what I do. I thank God every day. Everybody has different situations and you got to be thankful for the one that you have."
Steve Sarkisian
Opening statement:
"He did a good job. I’m proud of the work that he put in. It’s a real credit to a lot of people to get this done. It’s a credit to our compliance office to work with the NCAA. It’s a credit to the NCAA to understand this is a special situation, to allow Jake to be part of our football team. (yellow jersey/non-contact “right now”) As we continue to grow with him, it’s a great story for us. It’s a great story for Swim with Mike, which you have seen our players be a part of. … All in all, it’s a great story. I know you guys all wanted to talk to him. I thought he needed a day or two just to get somewhat acclimated. We love having him our team. It’s very inspiring to all of us."
--He didn’t make a “grand announcement” to the team about Olson joining.
"Jake’s just part of the team like the other freshmen. He doesn’t really want to be treated any differently, and that’s what I appreciate about Jake. He comes to every meeting. He’s there. He’s attentive. He’s on time or early. He came out to practice. He had on the proper attire. And he practiced. Our guys have enjoyed having Jake around, because it puts things into perspective for them. Everybody’s kind of done their part. Obviously somebody has to lead him, whether it’s up the tunnel or down the tunnel, to practice, locker room, things of that nature. And everyone’s just kind of taken their turns. He’s just part of the team with us now, which I think speaks volumes to the types of kids and the characters of our kids we have on our roster."
--Sark wouldn’t divulge what the plans are moving forward with Olson.
“Tomorrow is practice No. 2.”
Holder Conner Sullivan
--He said Olson was announced to the team a couple weeks ago but was just cleared by the NCAA.
--They played together in high school at Orange Lutheran. Sullivan actually worked with him privately last year while Olson was still in high school and Sullivan was at USC.
"We all knew he wanted to be a Trojan since he was a kid. Now he’s finally made that dream a reality. ...
I’m a real good friend of his. He went to my high school. I have practiced with him already from there. He’s doing well. All we do is just position him – line his feet up. He does the rest."
--Olson didn't show any nervousness.
"He was stoked. He’s been waiting for this his whole life. He’s been around this team since Pete Carroll welcomed him here. Sark’s done the same thing. It’s good to see him out here, finally, in pads. ... He’s been doing it since he was in high school. He started at Orange Lutheran. We’ve been working on it since then. When he was out there today, he felt good. We were welcoming him to the team. He’s comfortable out there."
--Teammates are "ecstatic" for Olson.
"We know what it means to us as players. It’s a big deal to play on this team, especially all he’s been through growing up. When he’s out here, we feel it for him, the excitement that he has."
--They've discussed what it will be like in a game.
"He knows, but he’s definitely talked to me. From high school, me and Jake are good friends. I told him I’ll be holding for him. I’ll set him up. All he has to do is snap it; I’ll catch it. He feels confident in that."
--Olson has taught him "anything’s possible."
"It was a dream of mine to play college football. I realize it’s a tough road. When he said he wanted to do it, I believed him. And today, it’s becoming a reality. And it’s a good thing."
Reserve punter Reid Budrovich
--It was his responsibility today to assist Olson.
"When I first saw Jake, we started walking around. Just basically telling him how practice goes, introducing him to everybody. I just really tried to kind of show him around. I told him everything we did with practice, all the situations we did, when we did special teams, what we were doing in the team meetings and all that. He just started snapping in pads today, so I just tried to work on setting him up. He said it felt kind of weird. But he’ll get used to it soon. ...
"The last time he had pads on was last fall. He said it was just surreal being out here, being in the pads. And then he said it’s awesome to wear the Trojan helmet. He was really excited about that."
--Budrovich explained the proccess:
"What he does is, he’ll just put his hand on my shoulder, and I’ll basically lead him around. Other people will walk around with him (as well), and we’ll basically show him where he needs to go. In the game situations, he’ll walk with his hand on my shoulder, and then we’ll set his hips up. That’s how he snaps it. He snaps it straight. They were great snaps today. He’s definitely not out of shape right now. He’s right in his prime."
--Olson is having a great effect on the team.
"I think it’s really inspirational for the team, just seeing him out here. We weren’t sure if he was actually coming out. We heard he was coming to the team. But during camp we never saw him. So we were kind of worried. But hearing the news, Coach Sark brought him into the meeting, we saw him two weeks ago. It was just awesome seeing him here, and it’s just really lifted spirits."
--Olson wants as little help as possible.
"He got dressed himself today. We just put his pads in his pants. He put on his shoulder pads. It was awesome seeing him do that. He does everything himself."
--He only worked on field goal snaps today.
"He can do punts. He brought up today, that if we ever need help, he’ll do punt snaps with us. It’s just harder because you have to get his hips perfect. … But it’s a thing of its own just to see him do football snaps."
Long snapper Zach Smith
--Olson brings great energy to the team.
"A good attitude really helps a lot. … He’s extremely positive. Big USC fan growing up, so it’s a big dream come true coming out here. He’s just really fun to hang out with. It makes us appreciate the blessing we have to be out here."
--The other specialists are working together to help Olson.
"Reid did a great job today of lining up his hip with the holder. That’s pretty much all you need. Once he lines up his hips, then he’ll snap it straight. We’ve just been assisting him with his snaps and telling him if he misses inside or outside, just giving him little pointers. He’s been doing a great job."
Cody Kessler
--Having Olson on the team has been “awesome.”
"It’s really cool. I’ve known Jake for a while, since my sophomore year. We’ve kept in contact through text and then on the phone. It’s really cool to have him here now, to see him on campus and walking around. I walked with him the other day and we had a great talk. We just talked about everything, how excited he was. And I told him the feeling’s mutual. This team is s welcoming to him. Its great having him in the locker room and guys getting around him. It’s a different perspective. It kind of puts a different perspective on things, how much we really appreciate the game. I respect so much what he’s doing. He never makes excuses. He never complains about anything. He’s out here working his but off. It’s cool. It’s cool for me to see and he’s a great kid."
--He reiterated Olson's insistence to prove himself.
"That’s how the guys treat him, that’s how guys are around him, that’s how we want him to feel, a part of the team, and that’s exactly what he is. It doesn’t matter his circumstances, even though they’re different than ours. No one treats him that way. He’s an awesome kid and I’m excited to have him on the team, motivation, everything Guys see that, guys come out to practice and they retired and maybe they don’t want to work hard that day and you see him out here not complaining. That should be motivation. The impact he can have, just a single person can have on a team, is pretty cool. And Jake definitely has that."
--He hasn't imagined playing blind.
"No, he’s a better man than me. I couldn’t do it. It's tough. That takes a special type of person and Jake is that. A quick story, I remember when he came in and talked to us the first time I’d never met him, I didn’t know who he was. He had been with Pete Carroll and everything and he came in and spoke to our my sophomore year. I’ve never seen, and I thin at the time he was 17 or 16, I’ve never seen so many grown men just completely silent. You could hear a pin drop, so much respect, listening to him and keying in and focusing on every word he said. That’s the impact he has. Whether he likes it or not, he’s a leader. I’m pretty sure he likes it. He’s a great kid."
Su'a Cravens
--Having Olson around gives the team perspective.
"You got to be grateful and thankful that you can step out on this field every day and that’s what I do. I thank God every day. Everybody has different situations and you got to be thankful for the one that you have."
Steve Sarkisian
Opening statement:
"He did a good job. I’m proud of the work that he put in. It’s a real credit to a lot of people to get this done. It’s a credit to our compliance office to work with the NCAA. It’s a credit to the NCAA to understand this is a special situation, to allow Jake to be part of our football team. (yellow jersey/non-contact “right now”) As we continue to grow with him, it’s a great story for us. It’s a great story for Swim with Mike, which you have seen our players be a part of. … All in all, it’s a great story. I know you guys all wanted to talk to him. I thought he needed a day or two just to get somewhat acclimated. We love having him our team. It’s very inspiring to all of us."
--He didn’t make a “grand announcement” to the team about Olson joining.
"Jake’s just part of the team like the other freshmen. He doesn’t really want to be treated any differently, and that’s what I appreciate about Jake. He comes to every meeting. He’s there. He’s attentive. He’s on time or early. He came out to practice. He had on the proper attire. And he practiced. Our guys have enjoyed having Jake around, because it puts things into perspective for them. Everybody’s kind of done their part. Obviously somebody has to lead him, whether it’s up the tunnel or down the tunnel, to practice, locker room, things of that nature. And everyone’s just kind of taken their turns. He’s just part of the team with us now, which I think speaks volumes to the types of kids and the characters of our kids we have on our roster."
--Sark wouldn’t divulge what the plans are moving forward with Olson.
“Tomorrow is practice No. 2.”
