Attached to the back of Jake Silverman’s shoulder pads is a back plate with wording printed in upper case letters, “I FEAR NO MAN.”
Every good linebacker follows the same commandment, because otherwise you’d never be able to play a position that requires sacrificing your body and opening your mind to disrupt plays, confront bigger linemen and make tackle after tackle even when exhausted.
That’s what the 6-foot-1, 215-pound senior from Torrance High has done for four years. He makes plays. Wherever the ball is headed, count on him to find it like a magnet attracted to a metal object.
“He’s instinctive,” coach Raymond Carter said. “That’s what he’s best at. He knows where the ball is. We put him where we believe he can dominate and create mismatches.”
Jake Silverman’s message on the back of his Torrance High football jersey.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Committed to Nevada, Silverman is a true hometown hero.
“He’s a homegrown Torrance kid,” Carter said. “He’s been sticking it out.”
There’s a level of maturity, confidence and toughness that Silverman exudes when talking and playing. His mother died from cancer when he was 10, and he uses her memory as motivation each and every time he steps on a field.
“She was the nicest person,” he said. “She was a big sports fanatic and always said I’d do special things, and I wanted to make her proud.”
He doesn’t try to be ordinary in anything he does. He’s a two-time 110-meter hurdles champion in the Pioneer League and will also play baseball this season. Anyone who tells him to just focus on football 12 months a year in high school has no idea what they are talking about. He’s a newly turned 18-year-old who wants to have fun with his friends and classmates.
“I think it will better my football abilities,” he said. “I believe if you’re athletic enough, you should play as many sports as possible to show off your athleticism. My dad taught me to be an independent man.”
With Silverman playing defense and catching passes as a tight end, Torrance (6-1) started the season 5-0 before losing to Redondo Union. He had 14 tackles and three catches for 97 yards against Rio Hondo Prep; 14 tackles against Redondo Union; 15 tackles against West Torrance; 20 tackles and an 80-yard touchdown reception against Peninsula. He also has five touchdowns rushing, all inside the five-yard line.
His speed comes in handy trying to help teammates deal with running backs and blockers.
“I believe he’s one of the best players in the state,” Carter said. “He can play sideline to sideline.”
Silverman is the perfect example for “trusting the process” at his neighborhood school. He stayed for four years, has his college scholarship awaiting him and has made friends for life.
“My thing is loyalty,” he said. “Even if things weren’t working out, I wasn’t going to give up on the school.”
He’s the captain of the defense and a teenager to admire for his determination and old-school values.
“You have to be smart and nasty,” he said.
He represents Torrance to the best of his ability and is proud what he has accomplished.
“He’s just a dude,” Carter said.