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Jake Bernhardt

#83 WHIPSNAKES MIDFIELD

 

   

HOMETOWN: LONGWOOD, FL 

ALMA MATER: MARYLAND

Why I Use STX

I wanted to be a part of a company that shared similar values and beliefs for myself. STX continues to perfect and develop new technology to its line to put its players in the best position to be successful on the field. The STX Excalibur was my first stick I ever used so it's only fitting.

Accolades

  • 2019 PLL Champion
  • 2019 PLL All-Star
  • 2018 FIL World Champion (Team USA)
  • First player from the state of Florida to be drafted to pro lacrosse

JAKE'S SETUP

  1. STX ScTi alloy lacrosse handle X profile platinum close up

Q&A

Q.  HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU STARTED PLAYING?

A.  Around five or six years old. I was introduced to box lacrosse at first and wasn’t introduced to field lacrosse until my junior year of high school.

Q.  WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE ATHLETE (ANY SPORT) GROWING UP?

A.  Bryan McCabe, who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs. I was a huge hockey fan growing up and I loved the way he played. He was a defenseman who was very physical and got under his opponents' skin, which I always respected.

Q.  WHAT WAS YOUR PLAY HUGE MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER?

A.  I would have to say my redshirt Senior year at Vermont. We were in the America East semifinals against Stony Brook and I was able to produce a five-goal game. Not only to help us get to the championship, but I also broke the Vermont school record for goals in a career with 149.

Q.  WHAT SONG IS ALWAYS ON YOUR PREGAME PLAYLIST?

A.  Sandstorm by Darude. No matter where I am or what I’m doing, it always gets me going

Q.  WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE?

A.  Step Brothers. All-time classic and always get a good laugh. Anything Will Ferrell really.

Q.  WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNGER VERSION OF YOURSELF?

A.  Trust the process, put the time and full effort into everything you do, especially academics. Something good will come of it.

Q.  WHO IS ONE PERSON YOU (PAST OR PRESENT) WITH WHOM YOU’D LIKE TO HAVE DINNER?

A.  Nelson Mandela. To sit down and just pick his brain about everything he went through and did would be an incredible experience. One of the most inspirational and influential people to ever live.

Q.  WHAT’S THE ONE THING YOU’D LIKE TO SEE CHANGED IN YOUR SPORT?

A.  I think the addition to a shot clock is huge for the game. I wish I had that in college and really liked having it in the MLL. It will be interesting to see the PLL rules when they come out and how the game will be played.

Q.  WHO’S YOUR FAVORITE TEAMMATE YOU’VE EVER PLAYED WITH?

A.  I would say one of my favourites to play with was Cam Milligan at Vermont. He was a righty attackman and I’m a lefty and we worked very well of each other. I was primarily a dodger and he was very slick and sneaky and was able to find the gaps in the defence and catch anything I threw at him.

Q.  WHO IS OR WAS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON IN HELPING YOU ON YOUR WAY TO BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE?

A.  My uncle, Jim Moss, has been very influential on me. He has played professional lacrosse and has been a very helpful outlet for me to go to when I need any kind of advice. Also, my college coaches Ryan Curtis and Chris Feifs. They put a lot of trust in me as a player and helped me throughout college to improve my field game and help me get to the professional level.

Q.  DESCRIBE YOUR PLAYING STYLE IN THREE WORDS.

A.  Physical. High-Tempo. Shooter.

Q.  WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE EXERCISE OR DRILL TO DO WHILE YOU’RE TRAINING AND WHY?

A.  I really enjoy working on shooting. I do a lot of shooting from the wing. If I have someone with me, I’ll set up a chair just inside the wing a little outside where the football hash would be and have someone feed the ball to me. From there, I work on different shooting variations. You can hitch and go, you can hitch and roll underneath, catch and face dodge, there’s a lot of variations and it’s good for trying to mimic an approaching defender that’s out of control and the different ways to be deceptive.

Q.  WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PRE-GAME MEAL?

A.  Any kind of chicken and pasta combination, especially chicken parm add alfredo sauce.

Q.  TELL US YOUR FAVORITE MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE.

A.  “No one is interested in something you didn’t do,” from The Tragically Hip and “I am the master of my fate the captain of my soul,” from Nelson Mandela.

Q.  IF YOU COULD PLAY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD IT BE?

A.  I love playing in Canada because it’s where I grew up, but I’ve always wanted to go to Sweden and playing lacrosse there would be a fun experience.