Jessen chooses WSU

Mead High running back Skylar Jessen has committed to attend Washington State University next year.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound senior picked the Cougars over his other finalists Boston College and Oregon State, announcing his decision Tuesday on KHQ-6’s 5 p.m. news broadcast.

“When I was down there (at Pullman) the last time it just felt right,” Jessen said. “I’ve become really close with (running back) coach (Kelly) Skipper. Plus, it’s close enough so my family can come down and watch me play. That was important.”

Jessen was a first-team All-Greater Spokane League running back as a sophomore, when he rushed for 1,616 yards, the third-best total in GSL history.

Last season, dogged by an ankle injury that required surgery the week after the season ended, he missed two full games and parts of two others, but still gained 826 yards.

“A lot of schools backed off me,” Jessen said during his announcement, alluding to the effects of last season’s injury. “A lot of colleges told me they wanted to watch me during my senior year because they didn’t know if I still had it because of the ankle surgery, so I wanted to work twice as hard to get back to where I was.”

Jessen enters his senior season eighth on the all-time GSL rushing list, 1,495 yards behind leader Tyree Clowe, who played at Central Valley from 1996-98. He is also second in career points scored, trailing Clowe by 92 points.

“I feel 100 pounds lighter,” Jessen said. “Everything is off my shoulders. Now I don’t have to play my senior season trying to look good for the colleges. I can just play with my teammates and concentrate on winning.”

Jessen becomes the third Mead player to commit to a NCAA Division I school this month, joining linebacker Paul Senescall (the University of Idaho) and defensive back Andy Mattingly (WSU).

“Andy’s decision didn’t affect me at all,” Jessen said. “I had to decide what was best for me. But it will be nice to be able to play with my best friend since first grade. We’ve played football together since first grade flag football. Now we get to keep playing together.”

High school football recruits cannot sign a binding letter of intent to accept a scholarship until Feb. 1.