Mike King finally had to tap out.
The consistent summer poundings he received at the hands of son Jason eventually took their toll.
Jason King, a senior linebacker at De Smet and one of the top defensive players in the state, honed his trade by taking on dad in one-on-one drills summer after summer.
"I'd pad up and we'd go after it," the elder King said.
Mike, a former linebacker at East ºüÀêÊÓƵ High and the University of Memphis, took on the role of offensive lineman and dared Jason to get past him.
Jason, who lost the early battles, picked up plenty of pointers along the way.
He became so good at the little contests that Mike finally threw in the towel this year figuring he would be unable to put up much resistance.
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Jason, who is bound for the University of Missouri, was just too tough and too strong. He simply overpowered dad time and time again.
"It was good to get reps in like that," said Jason, the No. 13 recruit on the Post-Dispatch Super 30 football countdown of the area's top senior college football prospects.Â
"I enjoyed it and I definitely learned a lot."
Last summer, Mike would be wrapped up like a mummy with several layers of padding. He also carried a hand shield while helping Jason sharpen his moves.
This year, Mike didn't even try. He knew he was outclassed.
"When we started doing it, I wanted to make sure his butt and hands were doing the right things, little stuff like that," Mike said. "I told tell him, 'You're not going to hurt me, go ahead and attack like you're in a game.' "
Jason would cut loose and try and blow by his father.
"We had a lot of good times, just honing his craft," Mike added.
The 6-foot-1, 220-pound King does not need any more help, although he gleaned a lot from his family including brother Ryan, who attended Northern Illinois University after a solid career at Chaminade.
King is happy to uphold the family tradition of successful linebackers and is quick to give credit to his dad and brother.
Ryan, who is four years older, served to sharpen Jason's skills with advice more than hands-on training.
"He helped me prepare for everything," Jason said. "When he was a senior in high school, I was in eighth grade and he helped me get ready. Then, when he was in college, he got me ready for what high school (football) is all about."
Jason learned his lessons well.
He is in line to become a rare four-year starter at De Smet and all eyes will be upon him as the Spartans carry high hopes into the upcoming campaign.
King, who also plays running back out of the wildcat formation at times, recorded a team-best 90 tackles last season including 15 for losses. He had four sacks and recovered three fumbles.
Most importantly, King saved his best for last with double-digit tackles in his final three games including a season-best 14 tackles in a 31-28 loss to rival CBC in a state semifinal.
"He's everything you could want in a defensive player," De Smet coach John Merritt said. "The kind of kid that's so good he could be bragging all the time. But he's so humble. It's hard to get him to talk about himself."
Explained De Smet senior quarterback Dillon Duff, "When I go up against him in practice, he's all over the field. He's like that gnat that never gets off of you."
King, who sports a 4.0 grade point average, took up football at age 6. He began as a running back before focusing on the defensive side of the ball once he got to De Smet.
He immediately turned heads in his first two games as a freshman. Although fairly small in stature at the time (5-11, 199), he was able to make noise with a combined six tackles in games against Cardinal Ritter and East ºüÀêÊÓƵ.Â
King blossomed as a sophomore and led De Smet with 90 tackles. His performance grabbed the interest of NCAA Division I college coaches across the nation.
"I just felt like I was learning more and getting better and better," King said.
King chose Mizzou among 19 offers, 14 from Power Five Conference schools.
"Being able to stay home and compete for a national championship is something that you can have pride in," King said. "They started (watching) me pretty early, and when it was time for me to commit the pieces starting falling together.
"So I decided to pull the trigger and stay home."
Arkansas and Kansas State were among King's other final choices.
A versatile athlete, King also competes on the track and field team where he runs the 100- and 200-meter dashes along with anchoring the 400 relay team.
King has a built-in desire to succeed. Despite the competitive fire, he is quiet and reserved off the football field.
"He's super polite," Merritt said. "Except for on Friday night when it time to go."
These are the top high school football players in the ºüÀêÊÓƵ region.