The legacy that redshirt junior defensive lineman Jalen Thornton’s father John had during his time four years playing at West Virginia quite literally hangs over him.
That’s because in the defensive line position room his picture adorns the wall behind where the younger Thorton routinely sits.
The elder Thornton is a member of the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame after putting together an historic career with 162 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles and six passes broken up.
A four-year starter, Thornton was an all-American selection and was selected in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft and went on to play for ten years in the league.
That’s a lot to follow up and it put a lot of pressure on the younger Thornton who made the choice to come to Morgantown despite the obvious comparisons that would be made.
But Thornton isn’t his father, but that isn’t a bad thing either although it took him a while to fully appreciate and understand how to approach it.
“He’s everywhere in the hallway and In the position room he’s right behind me. I made it way too hard on myself at the beginning of my career and it took a long time to get past that,” Thornton said. “I’m just being the best version of myself but I appreciate everything he’s done.”
Thornton has come into his own in his fifth year in the program recording 8 tackles and 1.5 sacks playing a key role as a rotational piece up front. It isn’t the numbers that his father produced but he’s found peace in understanding his role on the team and how to best make an impact.
Related: National Statistical Rankings for West Virginia Football Week 11
And that’s good enough. In fact, it’s a talking point from his position coach AJ Jackson that despite the pressure, he doesn’t need to be his father. He can create his own path.
“You just have to be the best version of you. You just have to be the best Jalen Thornton you can be and it’s been working out,” Thornton said.
It’s a situation he is grateful just to be in after he had concerns his football career might be over after he sustained an injury last year which sidelined him.
“I put my all into it and regardless of what happens I'm going to put my all into it,” he said.
The fifth year defensive lineman has the option to return next season for a final year but hasn’t yet decided if he will take that opportunity. And while the path has been more difficult than he first imagined when he signed with the Mountaineers he wouldn’t trade the experience.
“Because I took so much more than personal accolades and having a chance at the NFL, being a starter, i thought all those things mattered but it really doesn't,” he said. “The lessons I learned from this game I'll take with me in my career path.”
Instead, he is solely focused on closing out this season strong and letting the chips fall. He does however, hope to follow in his father’s footsteps yet again by getting into a professional career in sports albeit as an agent or in scouting.
It hasn’t been the easiest path, but Thornton is grateful for the road he’s traveled and making his own name for the Mountaineers.
----------
• Talk about it with West Virginia fans on The Blue Lot.
• SUBSCRIBE today to stay up on the latest on Mountaineer sports and recruiting.
• Get all of our WVU videos on YouTube by subscribing to the WVSports.com Channel
• Follow us on Twitter: @WVSportsDotCom, @rivalskeenan, @zachanderson_11
