St. Rita Catholic high school junior Jahwon Akui had a breakout year as a wrestler and as a running back.
St. Rita Catholic high school junior Jahwon Akui had a breakout year as a wrestler and as a running back. He won the Illinois High School Association state wrestling championship at 171 pounds, and in football he rushed for 1,829 yards and 30 touchdowns. In addition, he recently won the National Folkstyle Wrestling championship at 171 lbs, and went 5-0 at the Pennsylvania Duals for Team Illinois. Akui is standing on the verge of true superstardom, even though he only stands 5 feet 5 inches tall.
Akui is a gifted athlete, and has been for a long time. He’s been a nationally ranked wrestler since middle school and he was an excellent running back in Pop Warner football. He grew up, and still lives in the Austin community near Oak Park and he decided early on to use his athletic gifts to help him reach his goals in life, which include going to a good college, and hopefully a professional sports career.
Choosing a high school was an important decision for Akui, and he decided to attend St. Rita, located on the South Side and enjoys a tremendous sports reputation. He felt that succeeding in the highly-regarded Chicago Catholic Blue conference would earn him the respect he needed to draw the attention of college scouts.
“I was a smaller back at 5-foot-5. If I wanted to be the best and get recruited by the top schools I had to go to a big name school who plays the best competition in the state. I felt like coming to St. Rita would give me a great opportunity to improve my talents,” Akui said.
And he has a nice skill set: He’s performed well in wrestling and football, and he works equally hard at both sports. But it’s the game of football that really gets him psyched up. Especially in prime-time clashes with Catholic League rivals.
“I just try to enjoy every minute of it. I try not to take a play off. I try to bring excitement to my fans and to my teammates. I like putting on a show and performing in front of big crowds,” Akui said. “When I’m out there for those four quarters it’s an unbelievable feeling.”
Of course the crowds aren’t as big in wrestling, but it still might be considered his best sport. He’s ranked as the No.1 junior in the entire nation at 160 pounds by the WUSA, and No. 2 in the state by Illinois Matmen. “Wrestling is great,” Akui said. “I won a state championship this year and it was one of the best feelings in my life. “It’s incredible because it’s a one-on-one sport.”
But long practices and the weight control required for wrestling do take their toll as the season wears on. “In wrestling there are no days off no matter how sore you are, and it’s tough losing weight. Training and staying in shape for wrestling is tougher than football,” Akui said.
The grind of practice, matches and games is tough on any level, but it’s a little tougher in the no-nonsense Catholic league. There is a proud tradition of excellence, and every contest can test an athlete’s mettle. This high level of steady competition is what gives the Catholic League the edge over the Public League when it comes to football, said Akui.
“Public League teams have a lot of great athletes. It’s always a tough test to compete with the great athletes that the Public League has, but I think that maybe as far as work ethic and the all around preparation and competition – that’s what makes a difference,” he said.
And coaches at St. Rita do expect a lot out of their athletes. Practice is hard, and they also expect you to get the work done in the classroom. It’s not an easy road for a young man to travel, but Akui thinks the experience is preparing him to succeed at the next level.
“Every one of my coaches gives me a chance to succeed,” he said. “In football Coach Kuska pushed me from day one, so I’ll have no excuses when I leave here. And Coach Manzella (wrestling) taught me not to just depend on my abilities to get me through, and that you need a tough work ethic.”
Akui is using his raw talent and acquired work ethic to keep moving forward as a student/athlete, and not fall victim to the pitfalls that have derailed so many in the Austin community where he lives.
“A lot of people make bad decisions that can affect the rest of their life. I feel like I’ve got to be smart and keep myself around the people who’ve helped me get to where I’m at. I’ve got to be humble and keep my mind on one goal and I’ll do anything to get to it,” Akui said.
“When I walk around the community I think about how it can always be worse. I feel blessed and I try to make the right decisions, but I’m far from perfect,” he said. “I just want to take advantage of all the opportunities I have here at St. Rita and the athletic ability God has given me.”
“Being self motivated is the main thing. I’m self motivated to be an NFL football player – that’s what I dream about.”
Copyright 2010 Chicago Defender.