Confidence at an all-time high for Norwin grad Jack Salopek at Western Michigan

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, July 22, 2023 | 11:01 AM

Quarterback Jack Salopek has never been a rah-rah screamer — in the huddle, at practice or otherwise.

You might say he is like a vault emotionally with the way he carries himself and how he plays football.

The Norwin alum has always let his game do the talking, and he intends to do that again as he begins his redshirt sophomore year at Western Michigan.

“I am feeling more confident in myself and in my game than I have in a long time,” Salopek said. “I think that comes from all the work that I have put in so far this offseason and my coaches instilling that confidence in me.”

Salopek looks to be the favorite to start under center for the Broncos (5-7, 4-4 MAC in 2022), who open the season against a local foe, St. Francis (Pa.) at 7 p.m. Aug. 31 at Waldo Stadium.

He made his college debut in 2021 against Pitt. Since then, he has made nine career starts, putting up career numbers last season.

Salopek (6-foot-3, 186 pounds) completed 104 of 212 passes for 1,287 yards with seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his first full-time action.

“I was able to learn so much from last season,” he said. “There was obviously a lot of ups and downs, but I just took it as a learning experience and grew from it.”

While quarterbacks have been known to tweak their delivery and overall approach in the offseason, Salopek is content with status quo.

“The way I play the game has got me to where I am today,” he said. “I always try to improve my mechanics and techniques, but completely altering my style is not something I think about.”

When Salopek played at Norwin, he spent many games scrambling for yardage, a product of line issues and situations.

Last year, he ran for 52 yards, including 61 against Michigan State.

He threw the first touchdown of his college career at Ball State.

“My goal is to lead my team to a MAC championship,” Salopek said. “By being able to do that, I will have to play at an All-MAC level each and every weekend, so I’m confident that if I can achieve my No. 1 goal, all of my individual goals will (then) take care of themselves.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Norwin