From Air Force Special Operations to Arizona special teams

Many great stories flood the sports pages on Veterans Day, and some of the most intriguing are those about athletes who have also served the country. Such is the case with the story of Jason Sweet, a former Air Force Special Ops pararescue jumper now playing football at the University of Arizona. 

AZCentral's Scott Bordow gives an intimate look at Sweet, a "fighter" in every sense of the word. After having to give up his dream of being a professional baseball player, Sweet endured two years of grueling Air Force training, served in Afghanistan, then came back to the States with the newfound goal of being a doctor after helping save the life of a nine-year-old boy.

But first, Sweet had to answer the call of the gridiron. Even when he was cut after his first UA tryout. Bordow said:

“That should have been the end. He was too old and too slow. In August 2014, Sweet left for Cocoa Beach, Fla., to take the pararescue jumpmaster course. But as he trained, he kept thinking about football and about failing. 

“I started telling myself, ‘Why would you quit now? You’ve never quit. You’re not a quitter,' ” Sweet said. 

He returned to Tucson after completing the jumpmaster course and again began training. In September 2014, he had a second tryout. This time, he ran a 4.67 40-yard dash and made the team. 

Several weeks later, he played special teams against USC.”

The 26-year-old doesn't just contribute to the Wildcats' special teams, either.  He is also a full-time student working towards a major in molecular and cellular biology. Add that immense work ethic to a dynamic personality, and you have a guy that his teammates "gravitate" towards.

UA special teams' coach Charlie Ragle reportedly told Bordow that other players "want to spend time with him outside of football. They look at him kind of like a big brother. He gives them guidance and wisdom, but he’s also young enough to relate to them. That speaks to his leadership characteristics.”

Despite his incredible story, Bordow reveals, Sweet doesn't want to be seen as any more "extraordinary" than anyone he served with:

“I’ve been in some big-time situations, but if there’s anything my leadership would have wanted to take away from my job it would be to be humble,” Sweet said. “I have guys on my team that have been on missions that are just so much more heroic than the missions I have been on. They’ve done amazing things, and you won’t ever know about it. So, I cannot take credit for anything I’ve done over there when there are heroes like that walking around. They deserve the credit, not me."