CCHS Class of 2018 alumnus Jack Mangel, who returned to CCHS to teach and coach at the start of the 2024-25 spring semester, built his football career on toughness.
Jack Mangel walks the halls of Clarke Central High
School with a slight limp, the consequence of a decision to treat a knee injury with a steroid shot rather than surgery – one he doesn’t regret.
From starting as CCHS varsity football quarterback between 2015 and 2017 to his time at Concord University to his stint playing professional football overseas in 2024, Mangel pushed through pain, playing with injuries that would have sidelined many athletes.
His high school career was marked by a persistent ankle injury, swelling up to twice its size, but he played on. As long as he could walk, he’d be on the field playing the game he loved.
He had to be carried between plays during the last game of his senior season against Carrollton High School, but he played on. Sitting out was not an option.
And after playing college football at Concord University, where he broke program records for passing touchdowns and completions, being named a 2022
Division II All-American, Mangel knew he wanted to play on. He found this opportunity in the European League of Football, and left to play professionally in Hungary in 2024.
Here, he injured his knee early on in his first and only pro season. Doctors gave him two choices: knee surgery and recovery back home, or a cortisone shot and a return to the game.
Jack Mangel chose to play on.
He took the cortisone shot and completed his first and only pro season, but knew afterward that it was time to hang up his cleats, partly because of the lingering effects of his injuries.
“I definitely can’t move as much as I did six months ago, but that’s part of the decision I made. If I had to go back to do it again, I’d do it the same way,” Mangel said.
Back at CCHS, he’ll be the varsity football running back coach, hoping to impress the importance of enjoying the game while they have the chance on players.
“You only get so many games in your life, and a lot of people don’t even get the opportunity to play after high school,” Mangel said. “So don’t take it for granted.”
More from Cooper Jones
Clarke Central High School special education department teacher Jack Mangel, a CCHS Class of 2018 alumnus, stands in Billy Henderson Stadium. After being the CCHS varsity football starting quarterback from 2015-18, Mangel went on to play at the collegiate and professional levels. “I’ve known since I was a little kid that I wanted to play ball at the next level, whether it was football or basketball. There was never a doubt in my mind, that’s what I wanted to do,” Mangel said. Photo from the ODYSSEY Archives
Clarke Central High School special education department teacher Jack Mangel, a CCHS Class of 2018 alumnus, stands in Billy Henderson Stadium. After being the CCHS varsity football starting quarterback from 2015-18, Mangel went on to play at the collegiate and professional levels. “I’ve known since I was a little kid that I wanted to play ball at the next level, whether it was football or basketball. There was never a doubt in my mind, that’s what I wanted to do,” Mangel said. Photo from the ODYSSEY Archives
CCHS Class of 2018 alumnus Jack Mangel, who returned to CCHS to teach and coach at the start of the 2024-25 spring semester, built his football career on toughness.
Jack Mangel walks the halls of Clarke Central High
School with a slight limp, the consequence of a decision to treat a knee injury with a steroid shot rather than surgery – one he doesn’t regret.
From starting as CCHS varsity football quarterback between 2015 and 2017 to his time at Concord University to his stint playing professional football overseas in 2024, Mangel pushed through pain, playing with injuries that would have sidelined many athletes.
His high school career was marked by a persistent ankle injury, swelling up to twice its size, but he played on. As long as he could walk, he’d be on the field playing the game he loved.
He had to be carried between plays during the last game of his senior season against Carrollton High School, but he played on. Sitting out was not an option.
And after playing college football at Concord University, where he broke program records for passing touchdowns and completions, being named a 2022
Division II All-American, Mangel knew he wanted to play on. He found this opportunity in the European League of Football, and left to play professionally in Hungary in 2024.
Here, he injured his knee early on in his first and only pro season. Doctors gave him two choices: knee surgery and recovery back home, or a cortisone shot and a return to the game.
Jack Mangel chose to play on.
He took the cortisone shot and completed his first and only pro season, but knew afterward that it was time to hang up his cleats, partly because of the lingering effects of his injuries.
“I definitely can’t move as much as I did six months ago, but that’s part of the decision I made. If I had to go back to do it again, I’d do it the same way,” Mangel said.
Back at CCHS, he’ll be the varsity football running back coach, hoping to impress the importance of enjoying the game while they have the chance on players.
“You only get so many games in your life, and a lot of people don’t even get the opportunity to play after high school,” Mangel said. “So don’t take it for granted.”
