This feature originally appeared in the 2024 Fall edition of the Cal Sports Quarterly. The Cal Athletics flagship magazine features long-form sports journalism at its finest and provides in-depth coverage of the scholar-athlete experience in Berkeley. Printed copies are mailed four times a year to Bear Backers who give annually at the Bear Club level (currently $600 or more). For more information on how you can receive a printed version of the Cal Sports Quarterly at home, send an email to CalAthleticsFund@berkeley.edu or call (510) 642-2427.
 

The evolving landscape of intercollegiate athletics may be increasingly encouraging a grass-is-greener approach, but Cal star running back Jaydn Ott has embraced and dedicated himself to his current surroundings.
 
Ott, who emerged as one of the nation's top running backs last season, hasn't followed many college superstars by leveraging the transfer portal to maximize Name, Image and Likeness or seek out the holy grail of publicity and exposure. Cal was the place for Ott from his first official recruiting visit, and his bond to the football program and the greater campus community has only strengthened as he sets his sights on rewriting the Golden Bear record book during his junior season in 2024.
 
"This has always been the right place for me," Ott said.
 
Berkeley isn't your typical campus, and Ott isn't your typical college football player. The highlight-reel-waiting-to-happen spent seventh grade at a performing arts school in Riverside, where he learned ballet, played the ukelele and took a class in cirque. During his first week on campus, he contacted the Cameron Institute to see how he could make an impact on the surrounding the community. He's also on track to earn his degree in legal studies after just three years at Cal.
 
"He genuinely carries this idea that he has an opportunity and a responsibility to give back, and to use his platform to make a difference," said Jessie Stewart, the Director of Community Engagement & Partnerships for the Cameron Institute. "He's basically famous now but he has not lost his humility and desire. He genuinely enjoys showing up and collaborating with our community – especially with local schools."
 
The outsiders who hypothesized Ott may leave Cal for supposed greener pastures haven't seen him show up unannounced at the home of running backs coach Aristotle Thompson to hang out with his son Bryson, who suffers from epilepsy. They didn't watch him work with Stewart to develop a partnership with KIPP Bridge Academy in Oakland, establishing an ongoing collaboration to support recess that now engages Cal student-athletes across several teams throughout the year. They didn't know he would raise his hand to help continue the football program's popular Summer Reading Challenge, initiated originally by one of his running back predecessors at Cal – Patrick Laird.
 
"For a freshman to do that, it's pretty uncommon," Stewart said. "It's unique for a freshman to take it upon himself to figure out the resources and take the initiative. Jaydn is the best kind of leader. He leads with example and is a positive peer influence."
 
Ott verbally committed to Cal early, immediately following his first recruiting visit. He ended up decommitting simply to visit some other schools to make sure he was making the right decision. It turns out he was, and graduated from Norco High School early to enroll at Cal for the spring semester of 2022.
 
Like so many Cal football players, Ott cited the family atmosphere the coaching staff creates, as well as the academic opportunity and uniqueness of the campus culture as the reason he wanted to become – and remain – a Golden Bear.
 
"When I came on my visit, I knew immediately that Cal was the place for me," Ott said. "I think the kind of guys Cal attracts are very similar – blue collar, hard workers – so I feel like we all come here with the same mindset. That can probably make everyone feel like it's a family.
 
"It's a 40-year decision; not a four-year decision. That was also kind of in the back of my mind when I was deciding where I wanted to go. I thought a Cal degree was priceless."
 
Ott's loyalty and affection for Cal can be seen in the way he interacts with and treats players, coaches and staff. When he was invited to throw out the first pitch at a San Francisco Giants game as part of Cal Day in April, Ott refused to do it unless he could include his offensive line and quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Sure enough, the offensive line created a formation behind the pitching mound and Mendoza "handed off" to Ott, who jogged to the pitching rubber to deliver the first pitch.
 
Ott will also regularly take his offensive linemen out to dinner to show his appreciation, understanding he couldn't pile up his impressive rushing numbers without them.
 
"Doing things like he does like bringing us to the Giants game or taking us out to dinner – that says something about his character," Cal offensive lineman T.J. Session said. "Not everybody is going to do that. Jaydn is a family guy. He's a team guy. He's a brother. Jaydn Ott is all in."
 
There were multiple times last season that Thompson got home from work and Bryson was watching a video that Ott had made for him, wishing him a better day because he found out he had a seizure. Thompson has also arrived at his house and Ott is there, shooting baskets or watching television.
 
"Jaydn is at the pinnacle of football, but he's also a light in a lot of lives," Thompson said. "And he doesn't want the attention. It's not like, 'Hey, I'm Jaydn. Look what I am doing.' He doesn't tell me that he's coming over to the house to see my kids. He just does it. I find out about it when I get home. It's not about him."
 
Keeping in character, Ott isn't caught up in the multiple honors he could be in contention for this season. The Bears reached a bowl game last year for the first time since 2019 after winning their final three regular-season games of the season, and Ott has his eye on a conference championship this year as Cal plays its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
 
He does allow himself to think about the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the top running back in college football. No Cal player has ever captured the honor.
 
Ott also has a strong chance to leave Cal as the program's all-time leading rusher.
 
"Jaydn really puts in the hours – not only into planning but behind the scenes work that nobody sees," Stewart said. "He's not doing it just because he has Heisman potential and wants a photo op out of it. Nobody forced him to do it. He stepped up his first week here and has maintained that all along."
 
Ott gave Cal fans a brief scare when he filmed a video for Instagram the day before last year's Independence Bowl announcing he would be entering the transfer portal. After leaving the frame of the video for a few excruciating seconds, Ott stuck his head back in with a grin and said it was just a joke and he would remain at Cal.
 
"I love to surround myself with things that are outside of football," Ott said. "Football doesn't last forever, especially the money from football. My goal when I came here was to step outside of my comfort zone and be passionate about some other things outside of football – really just embracing Berkeley and everything it has to offer."
 
As it turns out, what he has offered others has become even more important.