There’s a deep family football history that has always drawn Job Kralik to compete in the sport as its highest level.
Kralik’s dreams began in the sixth grade, one year before he would play the sport for the first time. Family tradition is to start football in the seventh grade.
The dreams came to fruition Thursday when Kralik contacted Army defensive line coach Sean Cronin with his commitment to the Black Knights.
“It (his commitment) was a special moment because of all of the time that he (Cronin) had invested in me with all of the calls and taking a full day showing me the campus,” Kralik said. “He was the first to offer me and he believed in me from the start.
“The coaching staff was my biggest draw…Obviously, the big-time football, facilities, Army-Navy and degree are all massive draws to anyone but the staff was really the biggest draw.”
Kralik, an Eatonville (Wash.) senior wide receiver, plans on following Division I path of his father and high school football coach, Gavin, and his uncle, Joe Kralik. Gavin Kralik played at Missouri, Tennessee and was a captain at Liberty. Joe Kralik played in three Rose Bowls for the University of Washington and played in Canadian Football League in 1995-96.
“Outside of football, I’m big into hanging out with my family,” said the 5-foot-11, 165-pound Kralik, who is the oldest of six children. “They are very important to me.”
Kralik felt a family-type atmosphere during his first West Point visit. Cronin spent hours with Kralik explaining a clearer picture of his West Point future.
“Every coach came up to me and shook my hand and told me how excited they were that I was coming to look at West Point.
Army is getting a versatile athlete in Kralik, the first commit from the state of Washington in the Black Knights’ 2023 class. Kralik has played wide receiver, quarterback, safety, cornerback and kicked for Eatonville. He caught 34 passes for 833 yards and eight TDs and rushed for 193 yards and five scores as a junior. Perhaps, Kralik’s most impressive stat is 10 blocked kicks in his high school career. He placed third in the 100 dash with a time of 11.1 seconds.
Kralik will be the first in his family to serve in the military.
2023 Army commits (29)
WR-CB Malcolm Anderson, 5-10, 185, Andress HS, El Paso, Texas: Other offers – Navy, Texas State, New Mexico State
RB Myles Arterberry, 5-9, 185, Klein (Texas) HS: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Texas State. Army visit – April 16
TJacob Benjamin, 6-5, 265, Cherokee Bluff HS, Flowery Branch, Ga.: First offer – Army. Other offers – Air Force
CB Isaiah Birl, 6-1, 185, Walnut Hills HS, Cincinnati, Ohio: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Akron, Miami (Ohio), Toledo
RB Ty Brown-Stauffer, 5-10, 200, Danville (Pa.): Army visit – June 23
DE Nick Buchys, 6-3, 240, Neshaminy HS, Langhorne, Pa.: First offer – Army. Army visit – April 14
RB Travion Dickens, 5-10, 180, Prescott (Ark.) HS: First offer – Army. Defensive MVP at Army All-Academic camp in June.
DE Sean Donovan, 6-2, 230, Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, Conn.: First offer – Army
OL Cole Evans, 6-2, 300, Archbishop Wood HS, Warminster, Pa.: Other offers – Temple. Army visit – April 22.
RB Brennan Fisher, 5-11, 190, Pennridge HS, Perkasie, Pa.: Army visit – April 9
DL Matt Gemma, 6-3, 280, Delbarton School, Morristown, N.J.: Other offers – Navy, Temple, Buffalo, Bowling Green, Kent State, Rice
DL Caleb Graham, 6-2, 255, Maryville (Tenn.) HS: First offer – Army. Other offers – Navy.
CB Jaxon Hammond, 5-11, 160, Christian Brothers HS, Memphis, Tenn.: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Memphis, Marshall, Buffalo, Bowling Green, Arkansas State, UConn. Army visit – April 14
OL Andrew Hardwick, 6-3, 260, Boyle County HS, Danville, Ky.: Other offers – Navy. Army visit – April 2
DE Aiden Jones, 6-3, 225, Covington Catholic HS, Park Hills, Ky.: Army visit – March 26
DL Patrick Kendall, 6-5, 270, Cathedral HS, Indianapolis, Ind.: Other offers – Navy
WR Job Kralik, 6-foot, 165, Eatonville (Wash.) HS
S Jake Lindsey, 5-11, 190, Camden County HS, Kingsland, Ga.: First offer – Army. Second offer – Air Force. Third offer – Navy
LB-S Kharles Ngansi, 6-3, 200, Oakland Mills HS, Columbia, Md.: Other offers – Akron (COMMITTED, July 1)
QB Hayden Oviatt, 6-1, 200, Wamego (Kansas) HS: Other offers – Kansas, Colorado State, New Mexico State
S Anton Pierce, 6-3, 202, Mills University HS, Little Rock, Ark.: Army visit – April 16
DE-LB Zane Poulter, 6-3, 215, Chico Hills (Calif.) HS: First offer – Army. Other offers – Air Force
LS Drew Prieto, 6-foot, 210, Marist School, Atlanta, Ga.: Army visit – April 22
RB-LB Kyon Simonson, 6-1, 200, Hillside (N.J.) HS: Other offers – UMass. Army visit – April 9
QB Will Smiley, 6-foot, 167, Bay HS, Panama City, Fla.
RB Carson Smith, 6-1, 220, Middletown (Md.) HS
OL Broden Sobolewski, 6-2, 260, St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: Army visit – April 22.
LB Khaled Waliagha, 5-11, 205, Franklinton (La.) HS: 2021 stats – 123 tackles
RB Bill Young, 5-10, 180, St. Andrew’s School, Boca Raton, Fla.: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Central Michigan, UMass. Army visit – April 22
Commits by state – Pennsylvania (4); Florida (3); Georgia (3); Arkansas (2); Kentucky (2), Maryland (2); New Jersey (2), Pennsylvania (2); Tennessee (2); Texas (2); California; Connecticut; Kansas; Louisiana; Ohio; Washington
