POCATELLO, IDAHO – His path has been unorthodox to say the least. The barriers that Jeff Weimer has had to clear include injuries, the pandemic and a program going in another direction.
Through all the uncertainties, which included thoughts of giving up football, what hasn’t changed for Weimer is the vision.
“With how my journey has gone so far, it’s about taking advantage of each 24 hours I have in a day,” Weimer said. “My end goal is to look back and know I put everything into the game.”
Granted another year of eligibility due to the pandemic four years ago, Weimer is exercising the option, having signed with Idaho State to chase a dream.
“I’m not changing my outlook or the process,” the 23-year-old receiver said. “I have a vision of what the end will be like.”
A 2018 Salinas High graduate, Weimer is in his seventh year of college, using his redshirt year last season when he left UNLV and entered the transfer portal during the spring of 2023.
Before that, Weimer was granted a medical redshirt year when he was at Hartnell College, and an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA for all athletes during the 2020 pandemic.
“It (UNLV) just wasn’t the right situation for me with the changes,” Weimer said. “I was looking for a better opportunity for myself and my family.”
While a scholarship offer ensued from San Diego State and talks with Utah surfaced, Weimer decided to take the redshirt year and re-evaluate himself.
“It was a pretty good window that opened up after spring ball in the portal,” Weimer said. “I had to figure out what I wanted. Part of that was asking myself, ‘Do I want to keep playing?’”
While productive in his only season at UNLV in 2022 with 26 receptions for nearly 300 yards and a touchdown, a change in the coaching staff meant a change in direction.
“I allowed a bad experience at UNLV to sway my love for the game,” Weimer said. “I had to have a conversation with myself. I had to clarify my visions.”
What Weimer was searching for was honesty. He wasn’t looking for promises, just a chance to play in an environment that he trusted.
A conversation with Nick Holz, his former offensive coordinator at UNLV, convinced him to reach out to Idaho State head coach Cody Hawkins.
“My friend, who is now with the Tennessee Titans, told me he’s got a shot to be an NFL guy,” Hawkins said in a press conference. “But he also said he’s a top five guy. That’s what put a smile on my face.”
Hawkins talked to Weimer about his visions of creating a culture of excellence while developing young men.
“As soon as I started to talk to coach Hawkins, listening to his perspective on coaching, I felt a sense of appreciation,” Weimer said. “He was honest about what the school had and didn’t have.”
What the Bengals were lacking was a sure-handed receiver who is fearless in traffic, as evident by Weimer’s performance in the spring game on April 6.
Weimer, who had few reps with the starters in spring practice, ended up in a press conference after the spring game for his aerobatic-type receptions.
“I was just coming down with the ball,” Weimer said. “The quarterback gave me the opportunity to make a play. It was reaffirming that hard work is paying off.”
Weimer has had success at each stop during his journey, catching 56 passes – 10 for touchdowns – during Salinas’ Central Coast Section Division I title run in 2017.
He earned all-conference honors in his first year at Hartnell College, garnering All-American honors at City College of San Francisco two years later, combining for 153 catches for 1,283 yards and 28 touchdowns in two community college seasons.
While Weimer still isn’t listed on Idaho State’s 2024 roster online, his impact in the spring game put him in the spotlight, as one of four players at the press conference.
“I was running with the twos and threes in the spring,” Weimer said. “That was something I wasn’t worried about at all. Playing time will come when it’s earned.”
Hawkins talked about Weimer during the press conference about his work ethics and values as a player and human being.
“He has my keys and is turning the lights on in the facility at 5:30 a.m., getting others to join him,” Hawkins said. “He didn’t go into the game as a starter. You have to earn it. But Jeff is special.”
When training resumes in early summer, Weimer will be joined by Alvarez lineman Messiah Johnson, who committed during the winter to be a Bengal.
There is a built-in connection to Salinas High and Idaho State, as former lineman Evan Smith spent his college career playing all five line positions, spending 10 seasons in the NFL with Green Bay and Tampa Bay.
“Part of reaching my full potential is seeing if I can reach that level,” Weimer said. “Right now I’m just putting in my time in my craft, building some chemistry and focusing on having a dominant year. I’m invested in doing what it takes to win.”
