Bentonville West (Arkansas) giant Lane Jeffcoat brings more to the table than just size
Standing at nearly 6-foot-10 and 300 pounds, Bentonville West’s Lane Jeffcoat hears all the adages, often showered on tall athletes.
“A lot of people telling me to be easy on the other guys, don’t hurt them, things like that,” he said with a smile. “Then all the comments with people saying, ‘If I was that tall, I would be doing this or that’.”
The senior left tackle literally stands out every time he is on the field, and has the honor of being the tallest football player in the state – including at the collegiate level – and is one of the tallest to ever play in the Natural State.
But it’s not all about the size for Jeffcoat, who has shined for the Wolverines as a three-sport athlete since his freshman year, including basketball and baseball. Although baseball was his favorite sport, growing up, he decided to hang up the mitt this season to focus on football and basketball.
“Baseball was the first sport I played when I was young,” he said. “I didn’t start playing football until I was about 8 or 9. But the friendships, and the coaching I have got from all these sports has been great.”
Bentonville West 6-foot-10 offensive tackle Lane Jeffcoat towers over Wolverines head coach Bryan Pratt. (Courtesy photo)
Not only did he play all the sports, but he also worked his way into the starting lineups for all three. He plays left tackle for the football team, center on the basketball team, and was a pitcher for the baseball team.
He is hoping to be an all-state performer and make a deep playoff run this season, in both, football and basketball. But he also knows a lot is riding on his broad shoulders.
“Knowing that I am a leader in all those sports kind of bumps my ego a little bit,” he said with a smile. “Knowing that the younger guys are looking up to me because they know that I am going to do the right thing.
“But I always know that I can get better. Like our saying here, ‘One percent better every day’. So that’s what I strive to do, on and off the field.”
Always the biggest kid in his class, Jeffcoat was already 6-foot-2 in the seventh grade. When he arrived at West his freshman year, he was 6-foot-6, 315 pounds.
His parents are not short, by any means – dad, Mike, is 6-foot-3, and mom, Laura is 5-foot-11 – but he seems to have gotten the extraordinary size from some grandparents down the line.
“Like deep in the family tree,” he added.
Other than dealing with sore knees and ankles, due to his size, his biggest problem is finding cleats that fit his Size 18 foot.
“Cleats are the hardest thing for me to find, then sometimes I have to find shirts that are long enough for my arms,” he said.
Although he has gotten taller during his high school career, he is about 15 pounds lighter than we he arrived four years ago. That is mainly due to harder workouts and weight-training, but also to a more rigid diet.
“I really try to stay away from a lot of sodas and sweets, especially during the season,” he said. “And just drink a lot of water.”
Bentonville West offensive lineman Lane Jeffcoat is committed to play football at Rice University in Houston. (Photo by Steve Andrews)
Playing sports year-round has also helped him stay in shape. Wolverine basketball coach Greg White’s workouts have played a major factor in improving his body and athleticism.
“The footwork that I have learned, and getting that conditioning, up and down the court,” Jeffcoat said. “Then just getting to know the game better from Coach White.”
He bench-presses close to 300 pounds and squats 380 with a regimen that generally includes two workouts a day, every other day.
“I lost like 70 pounds my sophomore year and gradually started gaining it back as more muscle,” he said. “I’ve obviously gotten a lot faster and quicker, with my feet, and gotten a lot stronger – put on more muscle. And just getting to know the games better.”
West football coach Bryan Pratt has known Jeffcoat since the youngster was in fourth grade, and has helped groom him into a Division I athlete.
“He was already a big kid at that time, so it’s been great to watch him grow and mature into what he is right now – not just as a football player, but as a great young man,” Pratt said. “I always knew he was going to be a Wolverine for us, so it’s been pretty special.”
Jeffcoat’s primary goal this football season was becoming a more physically dominant player, which he has accomplished, helping the Wolverines to 4-2 overall record. After last Friday’s 31-25 victory over Rogers, West is now 2-1 in the staunch 7A-West.
“We really challenged Lane with being more aggressive, heading into the spring and summer,” Pratt said. “He has definitely answered that. He is just a solid football player, and whatever we ask him to do, he does it. And that’s the kind of kid you want in your program.
“One of the things he was really worked on this year it just developing from a physical standpoint and becoming more of a dominant player. He knows that next year when he is up there with the big boys, he is going to have to play that way.”
Jeffcoat has verbally committed to Rice University in Houston, and is looking forward to his collegiate experience. That includes earning a degree in sports management.
“They’ve got the No. 1 sports management program in the country, so that was a big reason I chose them,” he said. “And then, ever since I started talking to them it has just felt like a family. When they invited me down for my visit, it was just great.
Lane Jeffcoat has lettered in three sports during his time at Bentonville West. (Photo by Steve Andrews)
“I can’t wait. I’m just looking forward to game days and being in that environment.”
As his high school career winds down, Jeffcoat still has some team accomplishments he wants to reach, but he is grateful for his time as a Wolverine and getting the guidance he has from some seasoned coaches.
Not only is the West basketball program poised for another successful season in the winter, but he has high hopes that the football team can finish with a bang.
“As long as we can keep growing and getting better every week, I think we will be in good shape,” he said. “We’ve got some talented guys on both sides of the ball, so I think we can compete with anybody.”
