Bear Insider Video: Cal WR Jacob De Jesus

The Bears picked up veteran receiver Jacob De Jesus‍ last month through the portal to bolster their somewhat depleted wide receiver room. De Jesus came up big in UNLV’s LA Bowl win last month, hauling in two catches for 38 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown, three punt returns for 75 yards, including a 38-yarder that led to a score and a kick return for 25 yards to help lead the Rebels to the win.

"It was a great experience to be able to go out there at SoFi stadium and just end my season with UNLV that way and with that team," De Jesus said. "You know, I love those guys. Those guys are all my brothers. And just to finish off that season with everything that I just been going through this past year, with all the adversity that we went through as a team, that I went through personally, it felt good to end season that way and just to do that on a big stage like that."

The game was a family affair for the future Bear, with his fiancee and daughter featured prominantly in the stands during the game.

"Mimi, she doesn't shy away from the camera at all," the new Cal receiver said with a smile. "She loves being in the spotlight. And it's cool to have them showcase my family so they really get to see who I am and the people who support me. And it's awesome seeing her out there having fun, singing and dancing and talking to the camera and stuff like that. So it's awesome to see my family also being put on the spotlight as well." 

De Jesus grew up in nearby Manteca and followed the Bears a reasonable amount growing up, eventually hoping to earn an offer out of high school or Modesto JC.

"I would say I had come to a couple of Cal games while I was in high school and things like that," the senior receiver said. "And obviously, it was always been a dream to play here, but really to play for any California school. You know, I wasn't really highly recruited out of high school or even out of junior college so I was just hoping that a California school, would take a chance on me. They never did. UNLV took that chance, but I'm glad Cal took that chance the second time around."

De Jesus’ lack of prototype size hindered his recruiting aspirations but he’s done nothing but prove himself everywhere he’s gone.

"Definitely, I always carry that chip on my shoulder being the little guy," the senior receiver said. "You can't do this, you can't do that. I just take it as motivation to show people that it doesn't matter how big you are, how small you are, if you want to accomplish something, you could do it. It just takes hard work and and dedication."

As dangerous as the senior transfer is in the passing game, he may be even more deadly in the return game, something that enhanced his value in Cal’s eyes and their decision to extend an offer.

"I love that being part of my game," De Jesus said. "A lot of people say that's my ticket to the next level and I love doing that. I love being a part of special teams any way I can to help my team out. I want to be able to do that. And it gives me a chance to showcase my explosiveness and twitchiness and things like that. So any way I could, I just love getting the ball in my hands and making a play. So any way I could do that, I'm down for it."

Though he came to Cal as a frosh rather than originally throught the JC route, there are similarities for De Jesus to another recent Cal receiver on the diminutive side - former Cal, Fresno State and current Kansas City Chiefs receiver and returner Nikko Remigio.

"I actually don't know him personally, but I remember when I came to a few Cal games and Cal practices when I was in high school," De Jesus recalled. "When I was a kid, I asked him, 'Hey, Nikko, can I have your gloves?' And he actually gave me some of his football gloves that had Cal on and everything like that. I used to wear them to my high school football practice all the time. Just to see him on at the biggest stage, making plays, at the Super Bowl, making plays. And that's just amazing.

“Even when he was at Fresno State, I also went to Fresno State camps and he would talk to me and things like that. Like, we didn't really know each other on a personal level, but we always saw each other and just had that and he's like a player to always look up to, you know? I mean, especially because he's Filipino too. I'm Filipino, so it's really cool just to see him making plays. I hope I go following his footsteps."

De Jesus arrived at Cal not long after his new position coach, with new WR coach Kyle Cefalo and the new WR coach was a big reason why Cal was the right destination for the new Cal receiver.

"Coach Cef is awesome," De Jesus said. "That's really a big part of the reason why I wanted to come to Cal because of him and his record that he's had with past receivers and things like that. He's coached four All-American receivers in the past five years. And just to see that and just showing me where he sees me at in the offense fitting, it made me really want to come to Cal and be a part of that."

For the season, DeJesus had 36 catches for 512 yards (14.2 ypc) and 3 TDs. He was also named All-Conference as a punt returner and to the All-Mountain West Academic Team.

"I'm really just looking forward to getting out there and starting doing football again," De Jesus said of spring ball next month. "I've been missing it these past few months. But we've just been training and working out, not really doing football specific things, just running and lifting. And I'm just excited to go out there, start running around, getting getting the chemistry with quarterbacks and everything like that."

Stay tuned for more from Cal’s newest arrivals.

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