By Brandon Judd
The collegiate road didn''t run straight to Provo for one BYU golfer.
Freshman Jake Ellison, who hails from St. George, instead decided to take the longer road to Georgia Tech out of high school.
'When I went to Georgia Tech, I wanted a new experience,' Ellison said. 'I wanted to get out of Utah. They were the best team in the nation that year, and I just thought it would be really good for me to go there.'
After a season of learning at Georgia Tech, Ellison served a mission to Taiwan for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Upon returning home, he chose to go to BYU rather than Georgia Tech because it was closer to home and he liked golf coach Bruce Brockbank. Ellison has had an immediate impact for the Cougars, providing a consistent competitor at each tournament.
Ellison redshirted his only year with the Yellow Jackets, sometimes feeling he didn''t fit in with the rest of the team. His confidence suffered.
'When I was at Georgia Tech, my roommate was the best player in the nation,' Ellison said. 'My other roommate was right there close to him. It was almost like, ''I don''t fit. I don''t belong here.'' I didn''t think I was that good.'
Not everything was bad at Georgia Tech for Ellison, however.
'It gave him a feel of what one of the top programs is like,' said Ellison''s father, Ron, who is the golf coach at Dixie State College. 'It was also very beneficial academically.'
Ellison said it was a learning experience.
'I saw the best golfers and played with them,' he said. 'I picked up the little things from my roommates and from the guys on the team. I saw what it takes to win. I think the big difference between those schools and the schools that aren''t quite as good is just their reputation and the confidence that they have. You expect to win when you play for Georgia Tech.'
When he arrived at BYU, Ellison was still a little unsure about if he could play at the collegiate level.
'I didn''t even know if I was the best player on the team here, or if I could even play with the guys at this school,' Ellison said.
That uneasiness didn''t stay around for long.
'When I started out, things just kind of built,' Ellison said. 'And now that I''ve done really well, I know that I can play with anybody.'
Ron Ellison said his son now provides the Cougars with a consistent, confident force.
'He is not outwardly confident,' Ron said. 'But in competitive situations, he is calm and has composure.'
That confidence has led Ellison to a successful freshman year. Other than one tournament he missed with a strained muscle in his arm, Ellison has competed in every tournament this season. Ellison''s best finish was a tie for third at the Morris Williams Invitational in mid-March, a tournament the Cougars won.
'For our team, he''s brought consistency,' teammate Todd Miller said. 'He''s shot low scores for us of late, and he pretty much won the tournament for us in Texas. He pretty much brought us our first win. He fired a 65 in the first round on a really tough course. He''s given our team a lot of confidence also.'
Ellison said while BYU players weren''t as confident in themselves at the start of the season, they have developed more as the season has progressed. This has helped the Cougars finish third or higher in seven of the 10 tournaments they have competed in.
'When we go out, we expect to win,' Ellison said. 'When I carried the Georgia Tech bag, it''s like, you know you''re good. And that''s how it''s starting to get with BYU. Our confidence is getting better and our reputation is getting better.'
Miller - one of the other Cougar regulars in tournaments this season - said the fact Ellison is a freshman doesn''t intimidate the upperclassmen.
'I don''t look at Jake as a freshman,' he said. 'He went to school for his freshman year, he went on a mission for two years, so he feels more like a junior or sophomore to me. I don''t really mind getting beat by a guy like that if he plays well.'
Ellison said he plans to try taking his golf talents professionally after he leaves BYU, with the PGA being his top choice for future competition.
'He''s got the talent to make it,' Ron said. 'But he has to work hard. It depends on how much he wants it. We''ll see where it takes him.'
For the time being, however, Ellison still has goals he wants to accomplish as a Cougar.
'This year, I hope that I can make the all-conference team,' Ellison said. 'Of course, I want to be an All-American.'