For some players, they may take the field with a chip on their shoulder, looking to quiet doubters or having something to prove.
For Indiana University redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Jonathan King, each time he takes the field, he plays for his family, according to those who know him.
It has been that way since the Tampa native lost his mother during his sophomore year at Tampa Bay Tech High School, where he played alongside Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
According to his former high school coach Jayson Roberts, King was always one of the hardest workers he coached, starting as a freshman and having an immediate impact.
“He was addicted to getting better. We used to have to kick him out of the weight room and make him go home in the off-season,” Roberts told TheHoosier.com.
However, as a sophomore, his resolve was tested when his mother had an aneurysm and suddenly died. Roberts said King played with a heavy heart and decided to do everything for his family.
“He does it all for his family. He has two disabled, younger siblings and during the spring of his sophomore year, his mom had an aneurysm and suddenly died, so he has played with a heavy heart for a while. It was really rough on him after his mom passed. At the time, he lived literally two minutes from my house, so I would take him home a lot. He struggled with grades that semester his mom died, but he had a lot of coaches on our staff that gave all the support and tough love he needed. He eventually got through hanging onto the past and focused on his future. He and I had a bond through that and I was able to start conversations with him about it because I was five years removed from losing my mom unexpectedly myself at the time John lost his mom,” Roberts said.
King would let his personal loss push him to excellence on the gridiron, as he was named First Team All-County as a senior after recording 60 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 17 stops for a loss, nine quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. For his high school career, he finished with 20.5 sacks, 44 tackles for a loss, 29 quarterback hurries, six fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles and two blocked field goals. He would commit to Oregon University, but when then-coach Willie Taggart left for Florida State University, King decommitted.
That’s when Indiana coach Tom Allen met King, as the Hoosiers were heavily recruiting Penix.
