Each week one Watch Lister sits down with us for a quick chat we like to call the "Two-Minute Drill". This week, TCU's Jake Kirkpatrick talks about expectations, accolades and dunking basketballs.

You’re entering your final season with the Horned Frogs and the accolades are rolling in. Talk about how satisfying it must be to see years of hard work finally beginning to pay off.

"It is definitely satisfying to see all of the hard work paying off. I had only played one year of high school football so when I showed up to TCU I knew I had a lot of work to do. My first couple of years were hard, but it was definitely good for me to sit back and learn from the older guys how important it is to work hard on the field, in the weight room, and in the film room. I love football and it is very important to me, so I feel very lucky to be able to play for a head coach like Gary Patterson and for an O-line coach like Coach Williamson (who I believe is the best O-line coach in the nation), and I am so thankful they have given me the opportunity to play for such an amazing program. Receiving all of the accolades is satisfying personally because people are noticing the hard work and dedication, but it is not something that I focus all of my energy on. I want to do everything in my power to help our football team reach our goal of playing for a national championship, so whether I am watching film or working out, my ultimate personal goal is to be the best center in the country."

These are exciting days for TCU football. Coming off a nearly perfect season last year, your team has its highest pre-season ranking and is expected to make some serious waves this season. Talk about how your team is dealing with a bar set even higher this season.

"It is very exciting to see how much support we have around the community, and it is nice to see that the rest of the country is taking notice. As a team, we are excited to be ranked so high in the pre-season, but we realize that it is more important to have people talking at the end of the season because that is when it really matters. Coming so close to an undefeated season then losing it at the very end has left us with a bitter taste, but it has given us so much motivation throughout the off-season. While the bar has been set higher this year, our team knows that we cannot focus too much on the rankings because all of that is out of our hands. All we can do is continue to work hard and focus on the task at hand. Everything else will take care of itself."


Has married life helped entrench your role on the team as a leader, or do your teammates give you grief about it sometimes?

"Being married has definitely made me a better leader, but my teammates are always willing to give me a little grief about it. Most of the players won't say too much though, because my wife is really close with a lot of them. I have loved being married to such a supportive wife that keeps me focused on my priorities. It has also allowed me to concentrate more of my free time on family, football, and being the best player I can. My wife and I found out around our one year anniversary that she was pregnant, and we recently discovered that we are having a little girl. That has become even more motivation for me to be a great leader on and off the football field."


Give me a guy you look forward to blocking the least.

"Other than our own defensive tackles, I would have to say Stephen Paea from Oregon State, who we played in our season opener. While watching film on him it seemed like he was in the backfield on every play last year blowing up guards and centers, so going into the Oregon State game we knew we were going to have a major challenge on our hands as an offensive line. I heard from my coaches all off-season about how dominant he was, so I could not wait for our opener at Cowboys Stadium and the opportunity to play someone like that."


You played baseball & basketball in high school. Do you get a chance to catch either of TCU’s teams? Did you get an opportunity to cheer them at the College World Series?

"My teammates and I always love showing support to the other athletic programs here at TCU since they show us so much love. I made several of the basketball games last year and most of the home baseball games. Some of my teammates and I piled in a van and drove all the way to Omaha for the first game of the College World Series, and it was one of the most amazing and memorable trips of my life."


Can you still dunk a basketball? Have you tried dunking a football over the goalposts yet?

"I have not played basketball in a while, so the last time I dunked was last summer; but I know for sure I can dunk a football over the goalposts."