Dental Arts of Westwood Athlete of the Month: Charlie Jessup

On a crisp October night as the Class of 1975 began its 50th Reunion weekend, the Westwood football team held up its end of the bargain by putting 50 points on the scoreboard against Norwood. In the win, Charlie Jessup, celebrating his 18th birthday, delivered one of the greatest performances in Wolverines history, finishing with three touchdowns, two interceptions and two kick recoveries – all in the first half of a 50-7 win over the Mustangs.
 
Jessup, who had missed a pair of games with an injury, was ready to explode when he took the field.
 
“I can’t tell you how excited I was to play, being out two weeks,” said Jessup. “I only get three home games and this was one of the three, because I was out for two of them. I really had to make the most of it,”
 
His first touchdown came on a 43-yard pass from Ty Pindel on 4th-and-8, which gave the Wolverines an 8-0 lead after the two-point conversion. Jessup recovered the ensuing kickoff and Westwood struck immediately with Pindel and Jessup connecting again for a TD, this time from 25 yards away.
 
Incredibly, Jessup recovered the next kickoff as well, and before Norwood had taken an offensive snap, the Wolverines were in the end zone again and the score was 22-0.
 
The Mustangs finally gained possession, but the onslaught wasn’t finished. Jessup intercepted a pass, giving Westwood possession again. The drive that followed ended with Pindel throwing his third TD pass of the night and the Wolverines leading 29-0.
 
All of that happened in 5:38 of play.
 
“I wasn’t surprised after that first quarter,” he said. “I knew what was going to happen. I was ready to play. One of my cousins came to watch, a few of my brothers, so it means a lot.”
 
Charlie wasn’t done. In the second quarter, he stepped in front of another Mustangs pass at midfield, wove his way through traffic, then showed off his state champion track speed by breaking into the clear and streaking to the end zone for his third touchdown of the game.
 
“I’ve been thinking about that,” said Jessup. “Getting a pick, I know I’m faster than everyone. I can reverse the field – everyone’s flowing the other way.”
 
Whatever you call it, The 50 Game or The Charlie Jessup Game, this birthday performance will go down in the history books as one of the greatest of all-time.
 
Congrats to Charlie for being our Dental Arts of Westwood Athlete of the Month. If you’d like to nominate a future athlete to profile, send an email to dbezdedeanu@bestversionmedia.com.