How incoming Nebraska lineman Jason Maciejczak built himself into a 320-pound force

As a 3-year-old, Maciejczak was learning stretches with high school football players. As an eighth grader, he played an entire season of varsity football. And despite weighing 320 pounds these days, Maciejczak is still athletic and flexible enough to do the splits.

One of Nebraska’s incoming signees in the class of 2023, the South Dakota lineman has spent his entire life around football. Jason’s father, Dan, has coached arena and high school football for decades. Jason was there for every step of the journey.

From painting locker rooms to sorting equipment, sitting in on meetings and attending practices, that football education has led Jason from a curious toddler all the way to a dominant teenager.

“Ever since I could walk, I’ve been taking O-line steps, and it was one of those things where I was always around it and I just fell in love with it,” Jason said. “It’s not just the physical side of things, it’s the mental side, too. I feel like I have a very good understanding of the game of football no matter where I play.”

Jason has played every offensive and defensive line spot, in addition to trying fullback, and inside and outside linebacker. But, it was quickly clear that the big, strong player was best as a lineman — and that he needed better competition.

Then the head coach at Douglas High School, Dan felt his son was ready for high school football as a 14-year-old. Considering he missed his entire seventh grade season due to injury, Jason went from playing against sixth graders to high school seniors in just two years — a challenge that he enjoyed taking on.

“You could tell how much he loved it because you could see him do it every day and never get upset or sick of it,” Dan said.

Since he was often bigger, faster and stronger than his competition growing up, Jason’s focus on technique was often secondary to his physical aims. After seeing the increased level of competition, Jason’s sophomore season was the catalyst for his future success.

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maciejczaks turned to a family friend and local trainer, Dante Dudley, for programs that would help Jason keep training his all-around athletic profile. Running, lifting and going through mobility drills five times a week wasn’t easy — but Jason soon saw and felt the results of the program.

“The difference from my sophomore season to then was just crazy; I went from like 260 (pounds) to 310 or 320, and I was even quicker and faster despite all that weight,” Jason said. “That was the realization that, ‘Hey, I have the body for this and I can move like this,’ so let’s keep working and developing into the player I know I can be.”

With goals of playing high-level college football, a change of high schools put Jason into a new situation with new expectations. Dan took an assistant coaching job at T.F. Riggs High School in Pierre, South Dakota, whose football team had won five consecutive state championships.

A two-way starter for his team, Jason helped lead Riggs to an undefeated season and sixth consecutive state title — and he even secured his collegiate future with a commitment to FCS school North Dakota.

Offensive line coach Donovan Raiola had been recruiting Jason for several months, but there was no room for him at NU in the fall. Things changed when Nebraska’s new coaching staff picked up the phone in December. Recruiting staffer Omar Hales first called the Maciejczaks with a scholarship offer, followed by a lengthy conversation with Raiola.

Faced with a tough choice, Jason was conflicted. Playing for a school like Nebraska was his dream, but should he stick with the program that stood by him for longer?

It didn’t take long for the answer to come. Immediately, Jason called the North Dakota coaches to let them know of his decision, making it public a few days later — he was going to be a Husker.

“As a parent, I just wanted my son to go to a place where the people around him would make him a better person,” Dan said. “It was hard because it was so fast, but we knew in our hearts that Coach (Matt) Rhule, Coach Raiola and the whole Nebraska staff were so honest and trustworthy.”

As he prepares to report to NU’s summer program in less than two weeks, it’s been a busy May for Jason.

This weekend includes his graduation from high school and some tough goodbyes. After falling short of state champion finishes in shot put and discus the last two years, Jason will be searching for state gold next weekend at the state track and field meet. Since the state meet runs through Saturday and Jason is expected on campus Sunday, he’ll say goodbye to home a few days earlier than expected.

“We’re packing up everything into my truck on Wednesday before we leave for state track, going to Sioux Falls for the state meet and leaving for Nebraska from there,” Jason said.

While Raiola played a major part in getting him to Nebraska, Jason will join the program as a defensive lineman. The door is open to a move back to the offensive side of the ball, but Nebraska is in need of athletic, mobile players along its defensive line — and Maciejczak is happy to fill that void.

“This has been my dream to play big-time football for my whole life,” Jason said. “It doesn’t matter what your name is, where you’re from or who your parents are — it all depends on getting there and proving yourself. I just can’t wait for that moment and to get there.”