At 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds, wide receiver Jesse Zalk has never been the biggest guy on his football teams, but that hasn’t stopped him from being a successful player.

Zalk, a double major in communication studies and business, takes pride in playing football for Central on Saturdays.

“Being on a team where you go to war with everyone and everyone is your brother, you stick up for each other,” Zalk said. “It is fun to be a part of a winning program.”

Zalk has already had a big impact in his Wildcat uniform.

In 2014, Zalk made First Team All-GNAC. But for Zalk, it is not about him; it is about putting the team first.

“Looking back at the legacy that other guys have left through the decades and hearing different stories of speakers that we have had come in and give us a pump up speech or motivational speech,” Zalk said. “To hear that legacy and Wildcat pride it means a lot because it is not just about you.”

Being a part of the Central’s football team is very important to Zalk, and he doesn’t take being a part of the brotherhood for granted.

Zalk, with a strong Christian faith, has been able to share with the team that there is more than just football.

“It is really important,” Zalk said. “I care for each and every guy on the team. Life is more than just football…so we talk about that and that there is more than just this life.”

Zalk being such a vocal leader, whether it is about football or his faith, and his impact on the football field has earned him the respect of his teammates as they named him one of the four captains of the team.

“It meant a lot,” Zalk said. “I was really honored. It is a cool thing because it just shows that the team respects the four guys that were chosen.”

Zalk, a 2012 graduate for Prairie High School in Vancouver, Wash., really enjoyed playing high school football. His coaches at Prairie helped guide him as a player.

“They definitely helped me realize the potential to get to the next level and doing things that would set you apart,” Zalk said. “A lot of it was the mental side. Ever since I was little I always wanted to play college football.”

Whether it is on the football field or off, Zalk has always had a great support system to help lead him.

“Biggest supporters are my wife Emily and my family too,” Zalk said.

Outside of playing football, Zalk enjoys spending time with his wife Emily. They got married in July of 2014. He also enjoys throwing the football and playing catch.

For head coach Ian Shoemaker, it is a luxury to have a guy like Zalk on the team. Zalk is a leader not only on the field, but off the field as well.

“He is one of those guys that quietly goes about his business but the guys look at him as a leader,” Shoemaker said. “He leads by example and goes out and plays his tail off. He is a smaller guy, but guys look up to him in the way that he prepares and plays.”

For coach Shoemaker, what makes Zalk stand out as one of the leaders on the team, is his play on the field.

“The playmaking ability,” Shoemaker said. “His willingness to put himself out there and go make a play.”

Zalk only being a junior, he has already established himself as one of those guys that is the face of the program here at Central.

“When you get voted captain and go out for a flip and kind of do those things, obviously he is going to be a high profile guy especially when he scores touchdowns,” Shoemaker said. “He is definitely going to be one of those guys that leads you off the bus.”

Since Shoemaker became the head coach in 2014, Zalk has exceeded Shoemaker’s expectations.

“He is a tough kid and he is pretty tenacious when it comes to playing the game,” Shoemaker said. “We knew in our offense that we were going to have a spot for him to make a lot of plays.”