Being a student athlete can be difficult. Being one with more than a 4.2 GPA as well as a starter and captain of the football team is a little more difficult but that's exactly what Springdale Bulldogs senior Austin Jarrett has been doing.
"I start my days, I'm getting to school at seven in the morning," said senior tackle Austin Jarrett. "On long practice days I'm not leaving till eight, so I'm at school for a very long time."
With classes like AP calculus, AP physics, IB computer science and IB history of the Americas, nothing is easy but Austin makes it look that way.
"There used to be thoughts that you couldn't do IB and be a part of football or a part of cheer leading or any kind of extra curricular activities," said International Baccalaureate Diploma Program Coordinator Carrol Turley. "Austin is proving that is not a true statement."
"Not only is he a good football player," said Head Coach Shane Patrcik. "He sets the example and sets the bar extremely high as a student."
That bar Austin set for himself is a result of his upbringing.
"My parents are really straight forward," said Jarrett. "They say, 'You know son, you're probably not going to go to the NFL, but you're a pretty smart kid, you need to stay on this. My parents did a really good job of discipline."
He is even a better person and leader to his teammates and friends.
"I don't have an office but I have an open door policy," said Jarrett. "If you ever have something you need to talk about, they always know they can come up to me."