By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
CENTRE – Jacob Kelley remembers the moment when he knew he had something special in running back Jacob Cornejo.
The Warriors were hosting Piedmont in their season opener in 2022. It was Cornejo’s first regular-season game with the Warriors after he transferred from Sand Rock.
“I’d just got done giving the pregame speech,” Kelley said. “I always go out of the weight room and the kids go through the locker room and I high-five them as they get in the tunnel ready to run out. He looked at me and said ‘Coach, I’ll let you know.’ I was like ‘Let me know what?’ He said ‘I’ll let you know when they quit.’ I got chill bumps throughout my whole body. I was like ‘Oh yeah.’”
That was the first of many ‘oh-yeah’ moments for Kelley and Cornejo.
The then-junior back had 72 yards on 11 carries as the Warriors ended a 10-game losing streak to their Highway 9 rivals, 21-14.
A school-record 5,583 yards, 69 touchdowns, 25 victories and two state runner-ups in two seasons later, Cornejo has certainly left plenty of special memories in Warrior football history. The Class 4A Back of the Year added another special moment on Thursday when he signed a scholarship with the Cumberland University Phoenix in Lebanon, Tenn.
“It feels good,” Cornejo said. “It’s always been my dream to play college football. I feel very blessed for it. I really appreciate my team because I wouldn’t have got this opportunity without them.”
Kelley said the past two years with Cornejo have gone by so fast. From rivalry games and record-setting performances to playoff battles and state title games, Kelley hopes the people in Cherokee County cherish just how special a player the 6-foot, 210-pound Cornejo is.
“He’s a generational player,” Kelley said. “He’s got so much talent and raw ability. His tenacity when the lights are on I think is what sets him apart. There’s no stage too big for Jacob. He just does what he does and competes.”
It’s that talent and competitive nature Cornejo will be taking with him to the NAIA Phoenix this fall.
“They’re a running team. They love to run the ball,” Cornejo said. “(Head coach Tim Mathis) said if I work hard enough I could be their one (running back). I want to be able to work for that. I want to know I can get there before it’s given to me.”
Cornejo has certainly worked for everything that’s been given to him at Cherokee County. Kelley recalls the first time Cornejo set foot in the Warrior weight room and witnessed how hard his teammates were working.
“The bar was set so high,” Kelley said. “Those kids had been in our program for a couple of years and he wasn’t. He was kind of out of place. All of this weight was flying around and he was like ‘I’ve got work to do.’ That’s exactly what he did. He learned fast. He’s the most coachable kid you could ever ask for. It was only a matter of time before he competed and was right there with it.”
The hard work required never intimidated Cornejo. As he got bigger, faster and stronger, defenses began to dread tackling him.
“Jacob is a true testament of just mauling defenders. People got tired of hitting him,” Kelley said. “When it was bang, bang, bang, it was one of those things where as the game went along, these guys were starting to get out of the way.”
Cornejo just wasn’t a threat running the ball either. He was also one of the Warriors’ top defenders, and he filled in behind center during the Warriors’ playoff run last season when quarterback Carson Tittle went out with a knee injury.
“There’s nothing he can’t do,” Kelley said. “He’s played inside linebacker, outside linebacker, safety, punted, played slot receiver and played quarterback. It doesn’t matter with him.”
“Anywhere they needed me I was ready to play,” Cornejo said. “I love this team and love this coaching staff. I’m willing to go to war for them anytime, anywhere, anyplace. I will do anything for them, and I know they’d do the same for me. That’s why I was able to do the things I did. They trusted me as much as I trusted them.”
That’s something the Phoenix will come to learn about Cornejo in the next few years.
“I’m glad he’s found a great fit for him,” Kelley said. “He’s going to get his education paid for and at the same time keep playing football. He deserves this. There’s nobody more deserving than him. It’s a great day for this program and definitely for him and his family.”
“I’m blessed that I’m wanted,” Cornejo said. “It means everything to me.”
