Shelly Gill knew that her son, Westerville South 2018 prospect Jaelen Gill, might be special pretty early on in life.
"This sounds funny, but probably around 7 or 8 (years old)," she told Eleven Warriors when asked at what point she noticed his athleticism might separate him from his peers. "He played soccer and scored 40 goals in a season, dominated in football and basketball. He taught himself to pop up slide at about three-and-a-half. He could show us each MLB batters batting stance. It sounds even (funny) saying we knew he had something at that age. I think Rodney (Gill's father) spotted it even earlier."
Having talent is one thing, cultivating it and developing it is another. The Gills, knowing that Jaelen could be different, had to be careful to not push too hard, but also to help guide him to use his gifts.
"Mainly work ethic," Gill's mother said, saying that was the biggest thing that she and her husband tried to instill in Jaelen. "(The thought) that you have to bring it in practice as much as in a game. Rod coached him in football and was tough on him. He always knew his spot wasn't guaranteed just because his dad was coach. (He had) to say humble and play team ball."
The work began paying off early.
As an eighth-grader in Westerville, people began to notice Gill's effortless stride and as he entered South, the questions about his eventual recruitment shifted quickly from if he'd become an Ohio State target to when.
Urban Meyer, prior to taking the job at Ohio State, made a promise to his kids. In fact, he signed a contract letting his two daughters, and his son Nate, a soon-to-be junior at Columbus' Bishop Watterson, know that his family, his kids, were always going to be the first priority in his life. That the kind of love, that dedication to a family–his own–was necessary and vital for a man who had, at times, let himself get carried away, diving so far into his work that he could barely escape.
Nate, who plays baseball and football at Watterson, certainly knows his father loves him, but Gill could be closing that gap. Their first face-to-face interaction, as the Buckeyes were preparing to offer (before his sophomore season, almost unheard of in Ohio), was the moment Gill knew things were going to change.
"The first actual meeting I had with (Urban Meyer)," the Westerville South two-sport star told 11W, "He told me 'there's only one kid I love more than you that's your age.' I asked who it was and he says, 'my son.' That's when I knew things would get crazy (in my recruitment)."
For Shelly, who wasn't on hand when the offer came, it was still an emotional day.
"Rod and Jaelen met (Meyer) first. I wasn't available on the day he got the offer because the original date had been backed up a week and I had to work. I was nervous at work that day wondering if this was an offer coming," she said. "When I got the call, I got off the phone and told my coworker and cried. We were scheduled to go to Michigan State the next day and I remember thinking 'this is going to be for an offer too.' You always kid and say 'one day you'll play college ball.' but you always keep the stats in the back of your mind about how few go on to (actually) play at that level."
The Buckeyes' head coach joked with both mother and son about a shared interest: baseball.
"The first time I was able to meet Coach Meyer was after camp a few weeks later," Shelly said. "It was surreal that I was meeting him because they were interested in my son playing for them one day. We had a discussion about Jae as an athlete and I told (Meyer) that his most natural sport was baseball. His reply was 'No Shelly, football is his natural sport."
When she mentioned to Meyer that baseball may have been his natural sport?
"He said 'So natural that I'm coaching football," she added. "I still laugh about that."
There are plenty of reasons for Meyer, or any other coach around the country to be so fond of Gill, one of the nation's most talented 2018 recruits. At 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, Gill lines up at tailback for the Wildcats, but he could play wide receiver or defensive back. His versatility makes him appealing, but his feet and hips, the fluidity with which he moves through defenses and his blazing speed, are what make him one of the country's most sought-after sophomores.
The Buckeyes are the hometown school and the family loves and roots for Ohio State, but when it comes to recruiting, being a fan is quickly surpassed in importance by the long-term benefit of your child. The choice will always be Jaelen's, and while the Scarlet and Gray are up on his list, it's not a slam dunk at this point that he'll stay home. Gill is looking closely at Michigan State, Tennessee, UCLA, Michigan and others. He was at Virginia Tech this weekend and has a host of visits he'd like to make during the spring and summer. He says there's no leader in his recruitment because there really doesn't need to be: he's got two years left of high school and plenty of time for he and his family to put the pieces together.
"What will determine everything," the four-star athlete said. "Is it a place I feel comfortable, a place where I can see myself living at for up to five years. A place that I know for a fact will set me up best for life after college, whether it's NFL or not."
As a parent, one of the hardest things to do is to watch your child grow up, to see them learn lessons about dealing with people whose words and actions may not jive. Being involved in the recruitment of her son, Shelly knows that there are some areas she and Rod will have to be included, but overall her "job" is to help Jaelen collect information and make the best possible choice for him.
"Sometimes you feel it in your gut if something doesn't seem right or genuine, sometimes you uncover things or catch wind of things that don't sit well," she said. "There are a couple of schools that we have a lot of trust in. Ultimately, it's Jaelen's decision where he goes, with guidance from us. I never want him to look back and feel that he missed an opportunity because we made the decision for him."
For the Wildcats' tailback, the pressures of recruiting are offset by just realizing that his life is one many covet. He's not going to let the unscrupulous sides of the athletic business change his perspective.
"I've dreamt about things like this," Jaelen said. "Sometimes, yes it is a little stressful, but I just try to do things on my own time. I do my best to stay positive and smiling through everything no matter how much it may annoy me because it'll only get worse."
It got worse in 2015. South's season was a struggle, Gill was beaten up week in and week out, taking more hits than he'd ever taken in his life on a very talented but underperforming team. The losses and physical nature of them took their toll on his body, but he kept his mind and focus on the positive, as usual.
"He watched a lot of film at home, he was frustrated, but the whole team was. I know he spent time talking to his coaches and teammates. The injuries were tough for him. He spent a lot of time icing and seeing a chiropractor," Shelly said about the rough 2015 season. "He's never been banged up like that before, but he learned how to slow things down some to try recover quicker and that he's not invincible. He had moments where he was down, felt like he was letting his team down, but his support system is great and helped him work through it."
As an early four-star prospect, Gill is ranked by most as a Top 20 player in the 2018 class, so clearly the hard work and challenges he's faced have begun paying off, but it's hardly over. There was some debate following the 2015 year if Gill would transfer out of South in an attempt to change his circumstances. He's decided the best way to change them is to do that with the people who've made him who he is: his family, friends and teammates.
"At South, everyone is family. No matter what happens, everyone at South has each other's back. The teachers are great and just everything in general. I chose to come to South for high school and I'm staying. I'm a Wildcat for life. I can't see myself anywhere else," Jaelen said. "I feel like our accomplishments as a football team would mean more to me here at South. What keeps me motivated is that success and making my family and friends proud. I'm making sure I do everything I can to make them proud."
