Jimmy Lake has held the belief that the cream of the crop will rise to the top, at least when it comes to his defensive backs.
Over the last six seasons at Washington, half a dozen players have signed with the program, grown under Lake’s tutelage and gone on to be selected in the NFL Draft. That success is derived from the importance he places on competition.
From a young age Lake has made his life about being the best through competing. His twin brother, Jayson Lake, experienced it first hand.
“Growing up with Jimmy was always one big competition,” Jayson said with a laugh.
“From board games, pick up hoop games in the driveway to video games… you better bring your A-Game. Jimmy cannot stand to lose. At anything. That’s what it was like growing up with Jimmy as your twin brother.”
Lake came to UW with Chris Petersen after the 2013 season and immediately made an impact, both on the recruiting trail and with the players that were already on the Huskies roster.
He has the ability to get the most out of what already exists while elevating the talent in the room each season. In a way Lake is the quintessential chess player, thinking ahead while others focus on only the move in front of them.
“A chess player at all he does,” Jayson said. “Literally thinking two steps ahead but patient like a poker player. He has a strategy and it won’t waver.”
At his introductory press conference Tuesday morning inside the Don James Center at Husky Stadium, Lake reiterated the importance he places on competition and noted with that comes a certain level of aggressiveness.
“For the guys that know me, I’m a very aggressive, attack mode personality,” Lake said. “And that’s where we’re going to take this thing. Coaching the defensive backs, coaching the defense I always want to be aggressive. I always want to be on attack mode.
“And that is going to be bled all the way through now into our offense and into our special teams. But also, how our students will attack their academics.”
Lake lasted less than a minute before he continued to note his competitiveness.
“Jen kind of mentioned it, but for the Dawg fans that don’t know me and the recruits out there that don’t know me, I am extremely competitive. My family can attest to that,” he said.
“I have this weird way of always turning everything into a competition, and I want that to be what our program is all about. We’re going to try to win at everything. Whether it’s a ping-pong matchup in the recruiting lounge, or definitely on Saturday afternoons out here at Husky Stadium.”
