Paintball’s Up & Coming player of the week: Jacob Edwards
This weeks ProPaintball.com Player of the Week goes out to Jacob Edwards. The last name says it all, the younger brother of Jason “FK” Edwards is out on the grind and quickly making a name for himself. At 14 years old, this week he will be making his Professional Debut with Tampa Bay Damage at the USPL Huntington Beach.
Name: Jacob Edwards
Age: 14
Hometown: Orlando, Florida
Hobbies other than Paintball?: Baseball!
Team & Home field: I play with Total Karnage Orlando in the PSP Division 1, and Tampa Bay Damage in USPL Pro 7-man. My home field is Paintball World Sports Complex in Orlando, FL.
Position on the field: Doritos and up the gut
Favorite Pro Team: Tampa Bay Damage (DUH!)
Favorite Pro Players: Jason “FK” Edwards, Brian Smith, Ryan Moorehead, Chad Busiere and all of Tampa Bay Damage
Favorite Tournament Accomplishment? Finishing in the Top 3
Advice to Any New Players? Give it a 110% every time you play because this might be the last time you see the field.
Life Mentors? My brother Jason, Mom and Dad, The Tampa Bay Coaches & Graham from Philly and Jimmy Nilsen. I wouldn’t be playing paintball if it wasnt for these people.
How is paintball different in Florida? Beautiful weather mostly, cost of paintball, and the talent thats always at the field.
Goal for this season? At least place in the top 3 every tournament.
What is your #1 Goal? I set my goal when I was 10 to be the youngest pro ever and I have reached it!
I want to thank everybody who has given me advise in the past including all of Damage players Ian Wooten, Jimmy Nilsen, Mom and Dad, Darryl from DLX, Dye Products, and mostly importantly my brother Jason.
This article was authored by Brandon Mason – who has written 35 paintball news and gear articles.
In 2002, Brandon Mason and Matt Wojdynski began tracking the internet activities of Kyle Johnson, aka V. Gnome, an 18-year old computer gamer. They monitored and recorded Kyle’s AOL instant messages and gathered information about his friends and family from other sources on the net. Blending this data with scenarios from videogames and sci-fi films, they developed a mythology in which Kyle is “singled out as the savior of the human race.” The story is told in Gem Missile: A Tribute to V. Gnome, a 40-page book that incorporates photographs of Kyle and excerpts from his personal correspondence. In August 2003, Mason and Wojdynski showed up on Kyle’s parent’s doorstep in Thousand Oaks. Mason introduced himself as “Z. Figiam,” Kyle’s “mentor from the future,” presented him with the book, and left without further explanation. The plot thickened several days later with Kyle posted a detailed description of the encounter to an on-line gaming forum, along with digital photos of every page in the book. Members of the forum quickly added their own theories and responses, which ranged from close readings of the text and speculations about the gender of its authors, to admissions of jealousy and accusations that Kyle had invented the story in order to get a high rating for his thread (which in a few weeks had received over 40,000 hits). A year passed after this initial contact. In August 2004, Mason and Wojdynski mailed Kyle a package containing a photograph of their meeting a year earlier, along with a note, a certificate, and a plane ticket to Minneapolis. Kyle was met at the airport by a man in a beat up Lincoln Town Car who identified himself as “The Gatekeeper.” For two days, Kyle was led around the city in search of robots, buried treasure and information needed to save the future. Mason and Wojdynski involved numerous actors and another on-line gamer who, equally baffled, was driven with Kyle to a forest and abandoned there. At some point, Kyle noticed that his new friend had mysteriously disappeared. “I stood there alone in the woods, in Minnesota, with a shovel and a large black locked box, more confused then I have ever been in my life.” Kyle survived the trip and posted a detailed account of his adventure, concluding, “it was a great experience, and I would not hesitate to save the future again, if the chance ever arose”. Today, V. Gnome believes he is the savior of Paintball. SIDE NOTE—– WANTED: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. P.O. Box 1122, Newport Beach, CA 92659. You’ll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.
28 Comments
i thought Edwards was a hole lot older
jason is my older brother,but I’m better looking (lol)
Jason is, I think this is his little brother.
Jacob is Jason’s younger brother
I give this kid props, for setting a high goal and being able to reach it at such a young age!
Peace of advice, you have a brother who is literally a bad ass in this sport! Dont take that for granted,you have been given a paved path and you need to work harder then most! Being in that program with TBD says a lot! Great coach and a great group of guys around you!
Dont get cocky but always be confident enough that you know you should be where you are! Keep your head high and work hard for every inch that anyone gives you!
thank you so much for the incouragement.. paintball is my drug, the adrenaline I crave and I have to give more than anyone on the field at all times not because of the love of the sport but my brother is always teaching me, pushing me to the next level,never letting me slack at any moment.He wants me to play my best at all times.And being where I am now will never go to my head, I have alot of friends and will stay that way. I feel I am a down to earth kind of guy.
Damn.That’s truly amazing.
congrats man you are lucky to have your older bro teach you the ropes
goodluck in hb :tup: haha
I like it alot to be playing with him and not against him anymore(lol), when it came to practices and drills. but it is also nice because we spend alot of time together, I love my brother, he’s my best friend too.
Ive known this kid since he was about 4. He has lived paintball his whole life. The best family you could ask for in paintball. This makes for a ridiculous duo on the field. Ive seen it first hand for years. Congrats.
thank you phil
Dido on what Phil said, Jacob is a amazing player and a amazing kid all around, i could not be any prouder for him, He gives every thing he has every time he walks onto the field. Look out to all he is a KILLER!!!
thank you ian
Not the youngest pro player ever. Tyler Harmon was 13 when he played for Oakland Assassins
What the frick! I’m also very proud of Jacob. This is what it’s all about. Working hard and being exermely deciated to the sport you love can pay off. Good luck in HB.
Thank You , Ron, Go TK good luck in Chicago
s/b “dedicated” sorry
thanks to every body who has supported me, thank you to all the people who said good luck. thank you darryl.
Congrats buddy. we shall smash out this season…
Good luck with your career and hope everything works out for you like it did for your Brother
Thank You
Congrats bro, looking forward to playing against you.
Thank You Ryan, Thanks for the support.
Darn dude, that’s amazing, though you make me fell really old… :)
Tyler Harmon was the youngest pro ever for Oakland assassains. I believe he was in the program at 13 but not considered pro until right after his 14th birthday.
I’ve got a 2 year old gunnin’ for you bro…keep up the hard work.
Well if you assume Tyler was younger that’s okay. But jakes first place win last weekend in chicago with us makes him the youngest pro event winner… So I’ll settle for
that….
grrr i was hoping this wouldnt come to it… Okay so ive been around the paintball scene for awhile. Jake is not the youngest pro player to have played. Tyler played his first event in 2004 Mardi Gras open with Oakland. He was (14) yrs old. So jake did not beat him cause jakes first event being HB 2010 he was 14…. Jakes accomplishment was that he won Chicago NPPL 2010 at the age of 14, making him the youngest pro player to win a professional event. Not to mention we only went with 7 so he played every game, and was more then beneficial to our success…
Here is the facts for those who wont let this down about tyler… Ps i like Tyler a ton, it wasnt a shot at him it was a goal jake set when he was about 10 so thats why he was excited to have succeeded in his pro debut at the age of 14
Tyler Harmon became the youngest professional player in history at 14 years of age Friday when he made his debut with the Oakland Assassins. All he did was shoot Ryan Williams, one of the game’s best players ten seconds into his first pro game. The game’s previous youngest pro play was Justin of Team Image, who played pro at age 15.