Jack West spent the last two years of his undergraduate career as arguably the most critical member of the Washington University men’s soccer team. From 2014 to 2015, he tallied 14 goals and 10 assists in 37 games; in total, 17 more points than any other member of the team over the same time span. He could have left Wash. U. and the sport of soccer behind with plenty to show for it.
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Stephen Huber | Student LifeJack West, then a senior, handles the ball in a game against Rochester on Oct. 4, 2015. West has returned to the men’s soccer team for a fifth year because of a medical redshirt from 2013.
Instead, West is back on the Danforth Campus for one more year in uniform – law textbook in hand.
West is about to begin his first year as a student in the Washington University School of Law. He is a fully fledged graduate student. But through a quirk of the NCAA bylaws, the midfielder-forward hybrid gained an extra year of eligibility.
Here’s how it happened:
As a sophomore, West suffered a broken foot during the Bears’ final exhibition match of the preseason. The injury forced him out for the entire regular season and the playoffs. Because he never played an official match during his sophomore year, NCAA rules state that West could theoretically play another season at Wash. U. to make up for that missed time. It’s the same concept when college football players voluntarily sit out their freshman or sophomore years to ensure more playing time down the road. By breaking his foot, West essentially redshirted himself.
There was only one condition: in order to take advantage of his extra year, West would have to keep attending Wash. U.. West already knew long before he graduated in Spring 2016 that he wanted to go to law school. The reputation of Wash. U.’s law school plus the prospect of another year with the Bears made staying on the Danforth Campus a priority.
“Wash. U. Law was my top choice – partially because of soccer but also because it’s a great law school,” West said. “Last year, around December, I started getting acceptances … and once I was accepted to Wash. U. Law it was like, ‘Wow this is going to really happen.’”
Now in late August, West is back and already juggling Bears’ pre-season with law school orientation. The second day of orientation was Aug. 23. That day, he had orientation from 9 to 12, took lunch with the soccer team at 12:45, sat through a team meeting from 1 to 1:45 and was back at the law school by 2. West could probably use a degree of logistical acrobatics.
If anyone has any idea what West is going through it’s his head coach, Joe Clarke. Clarke earned his law degree while playing for the California Surf – a team from the now-defunct North American Soccer League.
“He understands the balance of athletics and working towards your JD,” West said. “We’ve already talked about if I need to take time off to study more, especially when we get into November-December, which is finals season for me.”
The setup might not be perfect. West is already missing an Aug. 25 scrimmage against North Central College because of orientation. He believes, however, that once the academic year starts the schedule will smooth out.
“Once [I] kind of get into the swing of things, it will more be law school during the day, practice, then studying at night,” West said.
One added benefit of law school is that West will not have class on Fridays. That will help with weekend road trips.
As it turns out, West isn’t the only Wash. U. varsity athlete doubling as a grad student. He isn’t even the only one on his team. Midfielder Ike Witte is pursuing a five year engineering degree at Wash. U.. When an injury sidelined him for his junior season he gained the same fifth year as West. Now the two are roommates, taking advantage a critical opportunity for the soccer team.
The Bears return essentially their entire starting lineup, including the big sophomore forward Ryan Sproule, who put away seven goals in his freshman year.
“For this team, this is certainly not a rebuilding year, this is a year where we’re going for everything,” West said.
If that means a couple of late nights having to occasionally wear a full suit to team meetings, West thinks it’s worth the ride.