Union Mine’s best lineman vote winner: 6-foot-8 and growing, size 16 feet
Jaxon King saw the boxes in a coach’s office and dug in.
Union Mine High School’s towering left tackle was as giddy as a kid on Christmas morning, tearing into the goods, pulling out jersey No. 77 to admire. And then pulling it on, followed by the helmet, mouthpiece and gloves.
All he needed was a game and someone to crash into.
King is a door-frame-filling 6-foot-8 and 300 pounds of determination, potential and off-the-field charm. He also has quite a following. He earned the most votes to win The Bee’s online poll of the region’s top lineman, and certainly one to watch for a rising program in the foothills town of El Dorado.
King is motivated to compete in honor of two teammates who died in car accidents and his beloved coach, Chic Bist, who died of cancer just over a year ago.
“I got too excited when I saw the football gear and put it on,” King said. “Football means everything to me, because it not only got me through tough times, but opened me up to new opportunities and meeting new people and making the best memories.”
A straight-A student, King will hit the field running when games kick off in January. The season was pushed back to the winter to give state high schools time to prepare amid the coronavirus pandemic.
King has a strong family backing, too. His 5-11 sister Timmi is a fan, and he of her. Timmi is the starting center for the women’s basketball team at Hope International University in Fullerton. She once competed in the Junior Olympic in water polo.
King is still growing into his body, and still growing.
“Once Jaxon gets more strength and conditioning and experience, he’ll be big-time,” Union Mine athletic director Matt Ray said.
King eats like a bear, making his nickname of Big Grizz all the more fitting, and he aspires to open a deli shop some day. He would call it “King’s Clubs.”
“A sandwich with everything on it, the works,” King said. “The best kind.”
This story was originally published November 6, 2020 at 11:53 AM.