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SALT LAKE CITY — Jake Murphy has been working for this moment since he was in elementary school.
The former Utah tight end decided to forgo his final year of eligibility to enter the 2014 NFL Draft. With his work at the NFL Combine and Utah Pro Day behind him he now waits to learn where his football career will continue.
“I never thought I would be here in this situation,” Murphy said. “I always dreamed about it and I always worked for it but now that it’s actually here you kind of get really excited. Even right now I get a lot of sleepless nights just because of how excited I am.”
It’s not a surprise that he is in this position. It’s in the genes.
His father Dale Murphy is a legend — a two-time MVP, seven-time all-star and five-time Gold Glove winner during 18 seasons in Major League Baseball. His older brother Shawn was selected in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins after playing college football at Utah State.
Jake loved baseball, but football is his passion and he has worked hard to make his own name as an athlete and put himself in a position to play in the NFL.
The tight end caught 63 passes for 830 yards and 10 touchdowns during his three years at Utah. Now he’s ready to take his game to the next level.
“I bring a lot of versatility to the tight end position,” he said. “Football-wise and skill-wise I think I’m an excellent receiving tight end.”
I never thought I would be here in this situation. I always dreamed about it and I always worked for it but now that it's actually here you kind of get really excited. Even right now I get a lot of sleepless nights just because of how excited I am.
–Jake Murphy
While playing for three different offensive coordinators at Utah, he played different variations of the tight end position. He showed he has soft hands and could be a dependable target for an NFL offense.
There is one more thing about him that NFL teams will find appealing: his values.
“My family and my faith, I think, are the most important things to me,” he said. “Some people will be surprised when they hear that football is not the No. 1 thing you care about. To me it’s all integrated, whereas, my family and my faith motivate me in football.”
While some draft hopefuls are motivated by fame and fortune Jake is different. Not only has he learned how to play tight end in college, but he’s also learned how to balance football with being a husband and father.
“It can be crazy sometimes,” his wife Arianne said.
She tells stories of Jake coming home at 2 a.m. after a football game and instead of going straight to bed or going out with friends he stayed up late with his infant daughter Remi.
“It is hard with all the things going on right now, but if you keep your priorities straight, stay disciplined, stay hard working that it pays off in the end when you get home at the end of a long day and just hang out with your family," he said.
As crazy as it might seem, Jake believes the responsibility that comes with caring for a family has made him a better football player.
“Being married and having a daughter has been something that has taken my game to the next level and I think something that’s helped me improve as a person and an athlete.”
The Murphys are eager to continue their football journey and Jake takes comfort in the fact that his family will be there with him along the way.
“This has been his dream,” Arianne said. “I’ve known him a long time and I’ve known this has been his dream for a long time. We’re excited to go and be in a new place and see what’s there for us and all the opportunities that are there for us. It’s fun to have a daughter to bring with us, too.”
Jake and his family will learn the next stop in their journey during the NFL Draft May 8-10.
