Crazy For The Game Idaho’S Offbeat Linebacker Matt Jasik Comes To Play, On And Off The Field

Some people indiscriminately label an eccentric friend or oddball acquaintance as “a piece of work.”

Trust us on this one: Idaho’s Matt Jasik might be the reason the phrase was invented.

He puts his pants on one leg at a time. He just doesn’t believe in underwear. “Don’t have use for it,” he says. “Waste of laundry.”

Jasik plays outside linebacker and occasionally defensive end - at 202 pounds. “Most of my teachers are bigger,” he says. He hasn’t cut his hair in at least five years, though an inevitable scissoring awaits. “I gotta start looking for a job,” he says.

He lives in a trailer, drives a truck and works over teammates with his locker-room pranks. Several years ago, Jasik and some other players relocated a blocking sled on a former assistant coach’s front lawn. Why? “We got tired of hitting it,” he says. “Coach got a kick out of it, actually. But we were still hitting it the next week.”

He is stress-free and smiles often. He hunts, fishes and can’t see any animal or trout 5 feet from his face without his glasses. In 10 years, he sees himself being an L.A. cop or in the Marines.

“My life,” he says, unhurried, “hasn’t been that tough.”

Study? Only when he has to. “I’m glad they don’t put your GPA on your degree,” he says. Party? Take a wild guess.

Nuts? “Nah,” he suggests, “everybody else is.”

In other words, he’s a perfect fit at Idaho.

“We get along real good because we’re both kind of different,” said senior defensive end James Durrough, one of five fifth-year Vandals who came in with Jasik. “Misfits, that’s who we are down here.”

“He’s kind of like (former Vandal/character Ryan) Skinner,” defensive coordinator Jeff Mills says. “Those kinds of guys play on defense, you know, you gotta be a little off-center.”

Oh, by the way, Jasik can play the game. Only four players in school history have made more tackles-for-loss than Jasik’s 41. He’s been a starter since he was a sophomore. Only injuries have kept him from loftier standing on all-time lists. He missed five games last season and still made second-team All-Big West.

“He’s had to rely on being a student of the game,” Mills says. “(Defensive tackle) Wil Beck was asking me, `Coach, Matt is always calling out what play it’s going to be when we’re out there. Should I do what he says?’ I told him, `Yeah, because he’s usually right.”’

Jasik is a full-throttle collision-seeker, despite being undersized. It’s led to a number of injuries - damaged neck ligaments in ‘97, knee ligaments in ‘98 and a neck stinger last Saturday. Trying to avoid a grounded Wyoming player, he went for an airborne roll. Good idea, bad execution.

“My head planted and everything down my back cracked and there was a big fire in my arm,” says Jasik, who expects to be ready for Saturday night’s game with North Texas.

“He’s been a great football player for us,” head coach Chris Tormey says. “He’s definitely an individual.”

Jasik says his relaxed demeanor is the product of a laid-back father and growing up in the breezy environment of El Segundo, Calif. Surfing, clowning around on the beach and sand volleyball were staples of everyday life.

Football wasn’t high on most of his buddies’ lists. Baseball was the sport of choice, but Jasik found his way in football.

El Segundo was horrible, winning two games in Jasik’s last two years. He played offensive line and defensive end, but caught the recruiters’ attention with 4.5 speed. “Back when I used to be fast,” Jasik laughs.

He’s gained some weight at Idaho, but he’s still lighthearted. He loves the Kibbie Dome. “It’s small, but it’s home,” he says.

He just switched his degree from general studies to sociology. “I’ve just been too lazy to switch before.”

He might be the only player on the team who has money invested in bonds and CDs. “When I get out of school, I’ll pay off the school loans and keep the interest.”

Jasik’s attitude rubs off on teammates.

“I’ll come into the locker room in a bad mood and he’ll take little balls of tape and throw ‘em at me,” Durrough says. “I’m like, `Who is doing this?’ When I catch him, he’ll just sit there and smile.”

One of the few times Jasik wasn’t smiling last year was after the Utah State game. He lost his Donald Duck T-shirt. Trivialize if you like, but he’d worn the ragged, seethrough shirt in every football game since he was 10.

“It didn’t really fit,” Jasik says. No, really? “You know, somebody around here probably has it and they won’t give it back,” he says.

Of course, Jasik can only hold a grudge for about 5 seconds.

“You don’t find guys around like Jasik every day,” Durrough says. “He pushes you, he’s joking and laughing, but when it comes down to playing, he’ll be ready.”

Ready or not, Jasik’s days in Moscow are short. He’ll graduate in May with a so-so grade point average and a mind cluttered with memories. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

Says Mills: “He’s one of those guys you’ll look back on in 20 years and say, “What a joy it was coaching him.”’

Ticket packages

Idaho has several ticket promotions for Saturday night’s football game against North Texas at Martin Stadium in Pullman.

Anyone attending the Washington State/Louisiana-Lafayette game at 1 p.m. can attend the UI-North Texas contest at 6 for free. Those who want to stay for the nightcap must exit the stadium through Gate G to receive a complimentary pass to re-enter.

WSU students will be admitted free to all UI games when they enter through Gate J. Idaho students, as always, will be admitted at no charge.

The cost of a WSU family ticket (two adults and two children) is $10, which can also be used at the Vandals’ game. The ticket-holders need to exit through Gate G and receive their complimentary pass to re-enter the stadium.