UC senior Jake Golic fights back for football
Tom Groeschen, tgroeschen@enquirer.com 8:56 p.m. EDT August 12, 2014
UC SPRING GAME 0406 10
WEST HARRISON, Ind. – Jake Golic is a proud member of one of America's best-known football families, and the University of Cincinnati senior is fighting hard to continue his career.
A chronic back ailment seemed to terminate football for Golic in August 2013, when constant pain prompted the Notre Dame transfer to retire from UC preseason camp.
Yet, the son of former Notre Dame and NFL defensive lineman Mike Golic (of ESPN radio's "Mike and Mike" show) was not ready to quit entirely. One year and one successful stem cell procedure later, Jake Golic has rejoined the Bearcats here at Camp Higher Ground and has a chance to be the No. 1 tight end.
"Coming from my family background, it means an awful lot to me," Golic said. "I have a brother (offensive lineman Mike Golic Jr.) trying to make an NFL team right now, and he's in the same position I am. I'm trying to get a job for myself here. For both of us and my entire family, it means a heck of a lot to us."
Jake Golic says his family background makes his battle for his football career all the more meaningful to him. The Enquirer/Tom Groeschen
Along with his father and brother, Jake's uncles Bob and Greg also played football for Notre Dame. Bob Golic also was an All-Pro defensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns. The Notre Dame family tree hardly ends there, as Jake's sister, Sydney, is a swimmer for the Irish.
Jake Golic battled arm and back injuries while playing sparingly at Notre Dame. He also sat behind such future NFL tight ends as Kyle Rudolph (Vikings) and Tyler Eifert (Bengals).
"It hasn't been an easy road for Jake," Jake's mother, Christine Golic, said in a telephone interview. "I often say Golic somehow means in another language that we take the longer road, not the easy road. We get there eventually."
The road for Jake wound through Loveland, Colorado this past January, when spinal stem cell pioneer Dr. Kenneth Pettine performed a procedure on Jake's back.
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Quarterback race continues as Bearcats take field
Medically speaking, the therapies utilize adult mesenchymal, multipotent stem cells, taken from a patient's own bone marrow concentrate, and then injected back into the same patient, directly into the injured, damaged, or painful area. In Golic's case, his back.
As he recovered earlier this year, Golic discovered the pain had gone. Jake and his father then turned up at UC's spring football game in April, with news that Jake felt better than ever. The NCAA soon granted Jake a sixth year of eligibility and here he is, wearing jersey No. 10 and trying not to smile every minute of ultra-serious football drills.
"I feel better than I have since my senior year of high school," Golic said. "It's been great, no pain. Nothing."
Mike Golic Sr. helped hatch the idea for stem cell theraphy, having undergone some himself on his knee and shoulder.
"They were doing a study for the NFLPA (NFL Players Association) and doing test cases for stem cell research for retired players," Mike Sr. said in a telephone interview. "They asked me if I wanted to be one of the test subjects. It's been great for me, so we wanted to try it for Jake."
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Five questions with UC coach Tommy Tuberville
The Golics paid out of pocket for Jake's procedure, into the thousands of dollars. Well worth it, the family agrees.
"It's a pretty good chunk of cash, but luckily I'm in a position where we could do it," Golic Sr. said. "Coach (Tommy) Tuberville has been great in giving Jake a chance there at Cincinnati, and he loves it."
Tuberville has several tight ends competing to replace last year's departed starter, Blake Annen. Sophomore D.J. Dowdy and redshirt freshman Tyler Cogswell emerged 1-2 on the depth chart after spring ball, but Golic is right in the mix of a five-man group of tight ends.
"He'll have a very good chance to possibly be our starter," Tuberville said. "It just depends on how he handles the two-a-days with his back. It's a new type of stem cell injection, so time will tell."
All Golic wanted was a chance. He didn't want to spend decades brooding about what might have been.
"Growing up, it was great having my dad as a teaching tool on the field and having a mother like I have who did everything off the field for everybody in our family," Golic said. "It was a blessing having both of them. … I'm hoping to compete for that starting spot, and just taking it day by day."
JAKE GOLIC FILE
Ht: 6-4
Wt: 250
Position: TE
Year: Senior
Hometown: West Hartford, Conn.
COLLEGE CAREER
At Notre Dame
2009, Fr. - DNP
2010, So. – Played in 3 games
2011, Jr. – DNP
2012, Sr. – Played in 2 games
At Cincinnati
2013, 5th-year Sr. – Injured, DNP
2014, 6th-year Sr. (medical hardship) – Planning to play full season
Tom Groeschen, tgroeschen@enquirer.com 8:56 p.m. EDT August 12, 2014
UC SPRING GAME 0406 10
WEST HARRISON, Ind. – Jake Golic is a proud member of one of America's best-known football families, and the University of Cincinnati senior is fighting hard to continue his career.
A chronic back ailment seemed to terminate football for Golic in August 2013, when constant pain prompted the Notre Dame transfer to retire from UC preseason camp.
Yet, the son of former Notre Dame and NFL defensive lineman Mike Golic (of ESPN radio's "Mike and Mike" show) was not ready to quit entirely. One year and one successful stem cell procedure later, Jake Golic has rejoined the Bearcats here at Camp Higher Ground and has a chance to be the No. 1 tight end.
"Coming from my family background, it means an awful lot to me," Golic said. "I have a brother (offensive lineman Mike Golic Jr.) trying to make an NFL team right now, and he's in the same position I am. I'm trying to get a job for myself here. For both of us and my entire family, it means a heck of a lot to us."
Jake Golic says his family background makes his battle for his football career all the more meaningful to him. The Enquirer/Tom Groeschen
Along with his father and brother, Jake's uncles Bob and Greg also played football for Notre Dame. Bob Golic also was an All-Pro defensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns. The Notre Dame family tree hardly ends there, as Jake's sister, Sydney, is a swimmer for the Irish.
Jake Golic battled arm and back injuries while playing sparingly at Notre Dame. He also sat behind such future NFL tight ends as Kyle Rudolph (Vikings) and Tyler Eifert (Bengals).
"It hasn't been an easy road for Jake," Jake's mother, Christine Golic, said in a telephone interview. "I often say Golic somehow means in another language that we take the longer road, not the easy road. We get there eventually."
The road for Jake wound through Loveland, Colorado this past January, when spinal stem cell pioneer Dr. Kenneth Pettine performed a procedure on Jake's back.
CINCINNATI
Quarterback race continues as Bearcats take field
Medically speaking, the therapies utilize adult mesenchymal, multipotent stem cells, taken from a patient's own bone marrow concentrate, and then injected back into the same patient, directly into the injured, damaged, or painful area. In Golic's case, his back.
As he recovered earlier this year, Golic discovered the pain had gone. Jake and his father then turned up at UC's spring football game in April, with news that Jake felt better than ever. The NCAA soon granted Jake a sixth year of eligibility and here he is, wearing jersey No. 10 and trying not to smile every minute of ultra-serious football drills.
"I feel better than I have since my senior year of high school," Golic said. "It's been great, no pain. Nothing."
Mike Golic Sr. helped hatch the idea for stem cell theraphy, having undergone some himself on his knee and shoulder.
"They were doing a study for the NFLPA (NFL Players Association) and doing test cases for stem cell research for retired players," Mike Sr. said in a telephone interview. "They asked me if I wanted to be one of the test subjects. It's been great for me, so we wanted to try it for Jake."
CINCINNATI
Five questions with UC coach Tommy Tuberville
The Golics paid out of pocket for Jake's procedure, into the thousands of dollars. Well worth it, the family agrees.
"It's a pretty good chunk of cash, but luckily I'm in a position where we could do it," Golic Sr. said. "Coach (Tommy) Tuberville has been great in giving Jake a chance there at Cincinnati, and he loves it."
Tuberville has several tight ends competing to replace last year's departed starter, Blake Annen. Sophomore D.J. Dowdy and redshirt freshman Tyler Cogswell emerged 1-2 on the depth chart after spring ball, but Golic is right in the mix of a five-man group of tight ends.
"He'll have a very good chance to possibly be our starter," Tuberville said. "It just depends on how he handles the two-a-days with his back. It's a new type of stem cell injection, so time will tell."
All Golic wanted was a chance. He didn't want to spend decades brooding about what might have been.
"Growing up, it was great having my dad as a teaching tool on the field and having a mother like I have who did everything off the field for everybody in our family," Golic said. "It was a blessing having both of them. … I'm hoping to compete for that starting spot, and just taking it day by day."
JAKE GOLIC FILE
Ht: 6-4
Wt: 250
Position: TE
Year: Senior
Hometown: West Hartford, Conn.
COLLEGE CAREER
At Notre Dame
2009, Fr. - DNP
2010, So. – Played in 3 games
2011, Jr. – DNP
2012, Sr. – Played in 2 games
At Cincinnati
2013, 5th-year Sr. – Injured, DNP
2014, 6th-year Sr. (medical hardship) – Planning to play full season