Jack Bech is not only in competition against opposing defensive backs on Friday nights, but he is also competing to become the best athlete in his own family.
The St. Thomas More junior wide receiver gives plenty of credit to a lot of his success with the Cougars to his uncles Blain and Brett Bech. The two men have been fixtures in Jack’s life and served as the primary reasons he got into football in the first place.
“I credit my uncles for giving me my love of football,” Bech said. “They were the ones that taught me and pushed me early on.”
Blain Bech played wide receiver at LSU in 2003, while Brett Bech is currently an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at LSU and he played for the New Orleans Saints from 1997-99.
While Jack is immensely grateful to what his uncles have done for him in his development as a football player, the younger Bech believes he can be even better than them one day.
“I definitely think I can become better than both of them,” Bech said.
His performance last Friday night against the Barbe Buccaneers could serve as an indication of that one day becoming true. STM won 56-17 with Bech leading the way after he recorded four touchdown receptions and close to 200 yards receiving.
Bech went into the Barbe game looking to improve from his game one performance against Holy Cross. It’s safe to say he did just that.
“In my first game, I only had 30 yards after the catch. So that was something I wanted to improve against Barbe and I believe I had 110,” Bech said. “So I try to find something each week that I can improve on. I feel like I’ve done that so far.
In order to improve each game, Bech said that STM is different from other Louisiana high schools when it comes to their preparation.
“I feel like other high schools aren’t as detailed as we are,” Bech said. “If we mess up one time then we will start it all over again. It’s about perfection and that’s the bar we set for ourselves.”
It’s not only his uncles, though. Bech also credits STM wide receiver coach Lance Strother by saying he is “one of the best coaches in the country.”
It also doesn’t hurt when Bech plays alongside quarterbacks Caleb Holstein and Walker Howard.
“Playing with Caleb and Walker is great because there’s never a bad ball,” Bech said. “Bad passes isn’t in our vocabulary.”
Bech said he has gotten faster, stronger and increased his vertical since his freshman season. The combination of preparation in the summer and practicing after hours has helped Bech become an impact player. Bech said he and Caleb work together every Sunday to improve their chemistry.
And it’s hard to fail when you model your game after the likes of Odell Beckham Jr. and Calvin Johnson.
“I know it’s cliché but I’d say Odell and Calvin Johnson are the receivers I look at,” Bech said about the receivers he models his game after.
While still a junior at STM, Bech said he knows he wants to play football at the next level.
“I want to play at the next level,” Bech said. “I love what I’ve seen from the two schools that have offered me in UL (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) and LA Tech. I love what I’m seeing from what Napier is doing over there. It’s something we haven’t seen in a while.”
Whether it’s the lessons from his two uncles, the rigorous training off the field or watching NFL players, it has all accumulated to make Bech an impactful wide receiver for the STM Cougars.