“Good is the enemy of Great”

St. Mary's was proud to welcome back one of her own at the 2010 Athletic Banquet. Jake Peetz, a 2001 graduate of St. Mary's, spoke to students, coaches, parents and faculty about the competitive environment he works in everyday as a scouting assistant for the Jacksonville Jaguars.  "It's easy to be average, but anybody can be average," Peetz said. Reminding students not to settle for just being good because "good is the enemy of great." 

Peetz, who has worked for UCLA and the Indiana Pacers prior to joining the Jaguars, noted that at St. Mary's there are so many opportunities that other larger schools don't have.  "Capitalize on your opportunities here at St. Mary's...it was made by great people." Peetz graciously praised his former coaches and teachers who obviously impacted his life. He shared some of the lessons he’s learned over his young career that began at St. Mary's such as "You can outsmart some people some of the time, but you can outwork them all of the time." 

After high school Peetz ended up in Lincoln and graduated with a degree in Exercise Science at the University of Nebraska.  Playing a backup role for the Cornhusker football squad, Peetz found he had a passion for community service, twice being named to the Brook Berringer Citizenship Team. 

Telling the crowd of 250 that even though things have changed around St. Mary's, it still feels like home.  He wanted to remind the student athletes that they are part of something larger; they are part of the St. Mary's family. "We (alumni) do care about what's going on."  Peetz feels blessed to have had the opportunities he had at St. Mary's.  "St. Mary's is not average; you are not cut from average cloth."