By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Pace’s Jonathan Ojeda is ready for the next step in his football career.
The Vikings center will continue on the gridiron at Texas Lutheran University, a NCAA Division III school in Seguin. Ojeda made his decision official during a signing ceremony Thursday at Pace.
“It was a real warmth, that ‘home’ feeling that you get when you go somewhere you just know it feels like home,” Ojeda said about Texas Lutheran. “It was a good fit.”
Ojeda felt that initial comfortable and knew it was the right place to continue playing football.
He leaves Pace with a handful of accolades, including being named a first-team selection for The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro football team and for District 32-5A during his senior year.
Ojeda wasn’t one to shy away from hard work. He often was the one making sure the rest of his fellow lineman were putting in the work during the summer months to get ready for the next season.
“His work ethic is like no other,” Pace offensive line coach Joe Espinoza said. “He’s a kid that will come in the morning and put extra work in the weight room. After practice, he’ll put in extra work too.”
Ojeda didn’t stop working after football season. He was also a powerlifter and qualified for the state meet this year.
He credits his coaches with helping him get to this point, including former head coach Bill Deen, now the offensive coordinator at Porter. Deen, and Espinoza, helped him learn the basics of stances or techniques and how to use those angles to be effective and how to visualize the play before it starts to be ready before the snap.
The Vikings center kept sharp by watching film and looking for subtle advantages against opponents. He was the leader in the trenches and made sure everyone was on the same page.
“They see me and get what I do,” Ojeda said. “I’d make my calls and they’d pick up what I’m saying. I hope I left that (example) behind (for the underclassmen).”
Espinoza said Ojeda was one to take control during a drill or at the beginning of a practice, helping instruct his fellow linemen.
“He made my job easier,” Espinoza said. “The offense calls go through the center, the work load goes through him. He’s exceptionally bright. He makes everything easier for everyone else.
“All they had to do was emulate him. He’s leaving big shoes to fill.”
Ojeda earned an academic scholarship and plans to pursue a degree in education to be able to coach and teach history.
Espinoza said he set a great example for the Vikings and knows he’ll continue his success at the next level.
“He’s a great role model for our other kids, he stays out of trouble,” the Pace linemen coach said. “He’s going to do great at Texas Lutheran. I see him starting in the near future.
“We wish him the best.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.