FORT COLLINS — Jayden Fox does everything fast. But talk.
A few days before his last high school game, his final chance to turn defenders into traffic cones, Cherry Creek’s standout running back is methodically explaining the importance of practice, of narrowing focus, of remaining grateful.
“The feeling of being with my teammates here, it is like a family,” Fox said. “As seniors, we want to win for each other. It will be emotional. Coming to Creek, it has such a good culture, and it means so much to have friends that have my back.”
Opponents recognize Fox by the back of his jersey. He is a red and blue vapor trail. He boasts 1,517 yards rushing on 106 attempts this season. That registers as a mouth-agape 14.3 yards per carry. Those are the kind of prep numbers associated with Baltimore Ravens bruiser Derrick Henry.
“He takes advantage of every play he gets,” Bruins quarterback and Louisiana Tech commit Brady Vodicka said. “No matter what, once he gets the ball, his goal is to score.”
Fox does that a lot. His 22 touchdowns lead a Bruins team seeking its sixth title in seven years, while outscoring opponents 571-134. He will be leaving soon, this walking first down, to play college football. It might be at UNLV or possibly even at UCLA, which means we should be able to see him on TV at some point soon.
But we won’t see many players like Jayden Fox again at the 5A level.
By every measure of what sports has become at the highest level of competition — me or we, personal brand over team — Fox should be talking in the third person as a first option for a school on a dynastic run.
Instead, here he is at the CHSAA state news conference, previewing the 5A title bout with Ralston Valley on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Canvas Stadium, hanging out, laughing, comfortable blending in when his statistics do not.
“He is a humble young guy. There were some games where he had 10 carries, and if I had run him 25 times, he could have been that guy saying, ‘I want that, want to lead the state in yards.’ But he’s a guy who understands the process,” Cherry Creek coach Dave Logan said. “He looks at what is best for the team, which is kind of unique these days in football.”
What is fascinating about Fox is that modesty might not be his best attribute. Despite his 5-foot-11, 175-pound frame, Fox’s toughness is on the same level as his character, if not better. He takes punishment, whether in game or practice, and always pops back up like a Rock’Em Sock ‘Em Robot.
“I watch it firsthand on the field. It feels like it takes four or five guys to bring him down. I have never seen a person get hit like him and stay out there,” said Bruins’ 6-foot-6, 305-pound right tackle Oliver Miller, who signed with Kansas State this week. “He is a playmaker who plays his heart out.”
For Fox, this week matters more than most. And not for the obvious reason you might think. He wants another title, of course. But he is also seeking to contribute in a more meaningful way than last season. He entered the state championship against Legend with a sprained right ankle and re-injured it on his first carry.
“When I got hurt I tried not to show it as much because I knew the opponent would attack it, which they should. I did my best to recover. It felt good going into the game. I played all the way until the third quarter before it gave out on me,” Fox said. “So, yeah, I am really excited and happy to be healthy for this game.”
Even on a team with more stars than a planetarium, Fox demands attention. Watch his Hudl video, and what sticks out is his acceleration. He exhibits patience on handoffs out of the shotgun, allowed the freedom to pick his hole, and then shows uncommon burst. Once at the second level, a lonesome safety or linebacker gets put on skates, left in helpless pursuit after Fox makes a nasty cut or drops a hesitation step.
“He has the unique ability to stop and start,” Logan said, “and instantly be back at full speed.”
Fox atoned for a pair of fumbles in a semifinal victory over Valor Christian with two scores. His reaction to failure is why so many believe he will succeed at the next level.
“He loves adversity, embraces it. When something doesn’t go his way, there are times I will hear him next to me in the backfield saying, ‘This next play is mine. I’ve got this,’^” Vodicka said. “He has that motor. But he is also very resilient. He won’t stop until he gets it right.”
Pause comes at a pond. Fox explained that he and his teammates, many of whom have played together since grade school, like to chill out by fishing after workouts. And with winter arriving, they moved inside to the movie theatre.
“A couple of weeks ago we saw ‘Zootopia 2’ as a team. We like to do things together,” Fox said. “I know some people think we get everything given to us at Creek. We work really hard and we stay together. I feel like the bond with us is really strong.”
Fox has grown up in the Cherry Creek program, literally and figuratively. He arrived as a freshman weighing 140 pounds, leaving the coaching staff briefly envisioning him as a slot receiver or cornerback. But he rolled up his sleeves, added muscle, and became the heartbeat of a powerful run game, if not his team.
“Coach puts us in the best position to become our best as a player and a person,” Fox said. “He teaches you to play football, but also teaches you outside of football of how to be a man. He is like a second dad.”
Logan has watched proudly as Fox has developed. He has averaged 10 yards per carry in his career, collecting more than 4,000 yards. It is hard to find other Colorado prep players at the 5A level who have done this.
And it says so much about Fox that he will remembered for everything but that.
“He is a small back, but his mindset and physicality are that of a much bigger back,” Logan said. “I have just been so blessed to coach a player of his caliber who is so humble and unselfish when it comes to the team.”
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