Friendly fire has a whole new meaning for University of Washington senior tight end Jack Westover, who's about to play his final football game at Husky Stadium.
Entering Saturday afternoon's Apple Cup against Washington State, Westover is one of the few local players who carries a prominent role for the Huskies and admittedly this conflicts in his interactions with some of his closest acquaintances.
"I'm in a group chat with probably 12 of my best friends and I'd say 10 of them are Coug fans," he said. "I can't lose that [game]."
Westover hails from Bellevue, Washington, played for Snoqualmie's Mount Si High School and came to the Huskies as a determined walk-on player in 2018.
The 6-foot-3, 248-pounder since has proved himself to three UW coaching staffs, hanging though the rampant turnover up top while earning a scholarship and a starting job.
And now he plays for the nation's fourth-ranked team that's unbeaten at 11-0 and headed for the Pac-12 championship game and more. He has 73 career receptions for 719 yards and 6 touchdowns, and rushed seven times for 26 yards and another score.
"The value and the work I've put in, to know i was doing the right things, I was making the right sacrifices," he said. "I think that's the biggest thing, was the sacrifices I've made and know it was worth it, and it's going to continue to be worth it."
Somehow he's managed to survive the week surrounded by people who are not only Westover supporters, but part of the Washington State fan base and continue to let him know about all of their conflicting allegiances.
He's come to grips with this unusual situation and just runs with it.
"I'd like it to be a bigger percentage [of Husky fans], but a large percentage of my friends are more Wazzu fans," Westover said. "I have to hear it."
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