Video: 2014 Junior - 4A champs
See Pine Creek's star safety JoJo Domann in action.Although
JoJo Domann has spent the majority of his life in Colorado, the
Pine Creek (Colorado Springs) uber athlete has never been the cliché Nebraska hater. Hating on the Big Red would almost be like hating on family.
Domann's father, Craig, is a longtime NFL agent and has represented a handful of Huskers.
"I've always been a big fan, because some of my dad's best players, Mike Minter and Eric Warfield, came from there," JoJo Domann said. "Then when my recruiting process started, I never even thought I'd make it to that type of big-time football. But the next thing you know, coach (Mike) Riley comes to the school to visit Avery (Anderson), ends up talking to me and we start the process there."
Domann made it official in June, when he chose the Huskers over Colorado, Colorado State, Wyoming, Kansas State and Nevada. Nebraska recruited the senior, who has played an integral role in Pine Creek's back-to-back Class 4A championships, as a defensive athlete. He excels as a strong safety but the Huskers believe he could grow into a linebacker.
Pine Creek standout JoJo Domann (12) is one of the state's most versatile athletes. The University of Nebraska-bound senior hopes to lead the Eagles to a third consecutive Class 4A state title this season.
File photo by Jeffery Tucker
Domann also plays wide receiver, kicks and punts for coach Todd Miller's Pine Creek squad.
"I've played with him since the sixth grade, and one thing Jo definitely brings to the table is he's usually the best guy on the field," Pine Creek outside linebacker
Kacin Nowlin said. "And he's usually the most competitive, too. He's a guy who goes out there and has fun with everything he does. He brings out the fun aspect of football."
In addition to producing seven interceptions and 61 tackles (6.5 for loss) from his safety position last season, Domann hauled in 49 receptions for 747 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also rushed for 205 yards (10.8 per carry) and added another of his 14 total touchdowns.
He drilled 59-of-60 extra points and went 7-for-8 on field goals. Add it up and he scored 166 points for the Eagles. Now, he'll have one more season in green to enjoy before he is seeing red on a full-time basis in Lincoln, Neb., where he'll be reacquainted with his former Eagles teammate Anderson.
"Really, it comes down to everything they had to offer football-wise and academic-wise," Domann said of his decision to sign with the Huskers. "Football-wise, it's a football town, a winning program with great facilities and the new coaching staff is going to have some new blood. I have some friends who go to Nebraska and they just absolutely love it.
"Academic-wise, I'm going to major in sports broadcasting and they by far have the best major for me in that aspect."
Domann has been in Colorado since about age six. Born in Chicago, he and his family moved to Utah in 2002 because his mother worked for the Winter Olympics, then it was on to Colorado, where the family has since been rooted. No anti-Nebraska vibes were picked up along the way.
Since joining the Pine Creek varsity directly out of middle school, Domann's timeline progression has been accelerating skyward. He was the starting punter as a freshman, a pedestrian 5-5 campaign by Eagles standards.
As a sophomore, he started all but one game as Pine Creek captured its first title by blasting Montrose 49-14 in the state title game at Sports Authority Field to cap a 12-2 season.
Then last year, he was one of the centerpieces of a 14-0 squad that procured a dominant 45-20 win against Longmont in the championship game.
"He had a huge role in those championships, because he's doing almost everything," Nowlin said. "He's playing wide receiver on offense, he's playing safety on defense, he's kicking, he's punting. He's just a huge aspect all around."
The Colorado Springs-based Eagles enter the season riding a 25-game winning streak, and it was paramount for Domann to get his signing out of the way in order to exhibit tunnel-vision focus on the season.
He is unwavering in his conviction that the Eagles can work their way back into the title mix.
"I'd definitely say so," he said. "We've worked our butts off in the spring and now the summer doing seven-on-sevens, getting in the weight room, running, conditioning, getting bigger, stronger, faster. I think we'll be really prepared for the season and I couldn't be more excited."
