Yukica Profile: Jack Grogan

By rbrown
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Updated: June 5, 2020

NOTE: The 2020 Joe Yukica New Hampshire Chapter of the National Football Foundation Scholar/Athlete banquet was cancelled this year because of COVID-19. Each Scholar/Athlete will be recognized with a commemorative program, a plaque and a personal profile that will appear in the program, on the New Hampshire Football Report, the Joe Yukica/New Hampshire Chapter web site (joeyukicafootballfoundation.org) and the Joe Yukica/New Hampshire Chapter Facebook page. This is one in a series of 39 profiles. Once published, each profile can be accessed by clicking on the athlete’s name at the bottom of the page.

JACK GROGAN
Bedford High School

Linebacker Jack Grogan was named Bedford High School’s Defensive Player of the Year following the 2019 season, when he recorded 108 tackles (58 solo), three sacks and eight tackles for loss. Bedford coach Zach Matthews called Grogan the team’s most physical player, so it’s no surprise that Grogan plans to pursue a career in … nursing?

“That’s probably the most interesting thing about Jack,” Matthews said. “Most people have this idea of what a linebacker and fullback is supposed to be — they’re supposed to be these big, physical, intimidating kids who are monsters, which he was when he put his football helmet on. Off the field you’re talking about a kid who was tremendously driven — tremendously focused on being able to care for other people down the road.”

Grogan was as productive in the classroom as he was from his linebacker position. He’s a member of the National Honor Society and the Math Honor Society. His rare combination of athletic and academic success earned him the Scholar/Athlete Award from the Joe Yukica New Hampshire Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

“Very dedicated to his academics,” Matthews said. “He’s a kid who really waited his turn at Bedford. Last season was really his first chance to get some significant playing time. He was waiting at linebacker behind kids like (Ryan) Toscano, and (Zach) Garron and some of those guys and really didn’t get his shot to get on the field significantly until his senior year.

“He was a physical presence for us on defense. Our leading tackler and really just set the tone for us as far as being that leader in the center of the football field on the defensive side of the ball.”

Grogan was a captain of the Bedford football and lacrosse teams. He also participated in indoor track and volunteered at “BeBold,” a non-profit drug awareness, education and prevention coalition in Bedford.

Grogan was part of the Bedford football team that defeated Pinkerton to win the 2018 Division I championship.

“Off the football field he’s an extremely quiet kid,” Matthews said. “That’s the nice piece that Jack showed our team: You don’t have to be the guy who gives the motivational speech as long as you’re doing things the right way. He was setting the example by doing it the right way whether it was the weight room, the classroom or on the practice field. Whatever it was he was showing the guys, ‘This is how we need to go about it.’

“He’s going to Sacred Heart to study nursing and I think he’s going to be great at it.”

Q and A with Jack Grogan

Q: Please describe the most memorable moment of your high school football career.

A: Winning the state championship in the fall of 2018 was the most memorable moment of my high school year. It was one of my high school dreams. Despite being a junior, my involvement throughout playing in that game was the most incredible moment in my football career. The celebration immediately afterwards — hugging and crying in joy — has become timeless and will never be forgotten throughout my life after high school.

Q: Tell us about someone who has had a significant influence on your life.

A: While my parents have had the most significant influence on my life, my mom was the one who started me into football. Her constant support and involvement in the organization, whether it was helping at the Bedford Athletic Booster Club or helping out at our weekly pasta dinners, truly inspired me to develop and improve my work ethic and performance on and off the football field.

Q: What is your favorite subject in school and why?

A: Despite being one of my weaker subjects academically, science was my favorite. My favorite subject, however, was sports health and exercise. As I pursue the medical field as a nurse in college, sports health and exercise science was by far the most interesting and fascinating class. Learning about the body and other organisms was so interesting, and I believed focusing on science would be the most direct way to help people to the best of my ability.

Q: What life lessons have you learned from football?

A: Leadership, how to sacrifice, there are no shortcuts, becoming selfless, perseverance, learning from failure, focus on the now, doing your job.

Q: What is your dream job?

A: Nurse Practitioner

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2020 Scholar/Athletes: Keith Albergo (Winnacunnet), Thatcher Allen (Exeter), Cole Ames (Lebanon), Mason Belsky (Windham), Patrick Brust (Bishop Brady), Jaedon Cliche (Exeter), Riley Desmarais (Windham), Bobby DiCicco (Windham), Jared Dyer (Merrimack), Casey Gladu (Portsmouth), Owen Gormley (Salem), Jack Grogan (Bedford), Steven Guerette (Bow), Evan Haskins (Pelham), Samson Hodges (Milford), Ethan Holt (Bishop Guertin), Jack Jones (Bedford), Charlie Kneissl-Williams (Bedford), Hunter Lassard (St. Thomas), Joseph Lupo (Bishop Guertin), Jake MacInnis (Pinkerton), Braden McDonnell (Nashua South), Will MacLean (St. Thomas), Hayden Moses (Bishop Guertin), Riley Mulvey (Salem), Kyle O’Connor (Nashua South), Nolan Pafford (Portsmouth), Wade Rainey (Lebanon), Ismael Rivera (Bishop Brady), Oceanne Skoog (Newfound), Caleb Smith (Lebanon), Rolando Sylvain-Stott (Newfound), John Thibault (Trinity), Zach Twardosky (Merrimack), Gavin Urda (Milford), Carter Vedrani (Campbell), Jacob Wenger (Trinity), Jon Willeman (Lebanon) and Devin Wood (Merrimack).