Ishan Metts '24 Recruiting Profile

The throw data was captured by Wilson Sporting Goods. Metrics were collected through a variety of drills during the Wilson QBX camps where players threw footballs using Wilson X Connected QB tracking technology embedded in each ball. More information can be found here - https://www.wilson.com/en-us/explore/labs/connected-football-system

Elite HS/College QB Averages | Ishan Metts Data

Throw Release Time (s):  0.45 | .48

Throw Velocity (mph): 44 | 42.2

Throw Spin Rate (rpm): 612 | 650

Throw Spiral Efficiency (%): 80 | 80

Imagine you have just been named the starting QB for your JV team as a 9th grader and suddenly, over the course of a summer, you lose all your hair. As excited as I was to play the game I love most, I suddenly had to think about losing my hair as I was diagnosed with advanced Alopecia. It is not a broken bone or an injury.  I have been there, but with alopecia, I felt isolated and different from everyone around me despite the fact that I am different.  I am half Indian.  We are all different.  That always brought us together on my different teams and among my friends.

My coaches were supportive, but there were guys in the locker room that teased me quite a bit. To make it worse, we were playing during the pandemic.  During games, I would keep my helmet on to hide it even when I came to the sideline to get water.  However, every time I left the field, we had to remove our helmets so they could be sprayed with disinfectant.  Some people thought I had a terminal illness.  My dad offered to shave his head but I told him we would look ridiculous. I knew I had to find a way to understand what was happening to me and grow from it.  I was determined to let my play on the field speak for itself, and that is exactly what I did as we made it to the region finals. When I was on the field with my helmet on, I was at my happiest.  Fast forward to my sophomore year and earning the starting spot on the varsity team and I had a full head of hair and gained more confidence than ever before. Even though I have my hair now, I learned that my hair does not define me. My relationships with my friends, family, teammates and my coaches have helped define who I am. To me, football is a privilege and never a grind.  Every moment on the field, in the weight room or the film room is what I live for.

Before alopecia, I was one of those kids who traded soccer for football. My parents saw football as a violent sport and directed me to soccer from the age of 3. One day when I was 9, we were waiting for our turn to take the field for soccer practice, and I saw the last 5 minutes of a flag football game.  I was hooked. I turned around and told my dad "I want to play this game." I played quarterback from the first practice. Flag transitioned to tackle and by the 9th grade I was starting for our JV team.

Ultimately, I credit my family with giving me balance to survive the ordeal with my hair and the motivation to help others that may have similar issues. It could be hair loss or anything else that makes us different. Regardless, our differences are a chance to bring us together in the locker room.  My mother is from India and my father is from the US. I have seen and lived their differences constantly bringing people together. The difference in their skin color and in their religion bring people from all walks of life into our home where we celebrate diversity. We are all different, but we can all come together at home, the classroom, the locker room, and on the field.  I believe these lessons will make me a better teammate and a better and more empathetic leader as I pursue and play the game I love.