A two-time state champion in track who also starred in football and basketball at Harlan High School in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Duncan Jacobs is recognized as one of the school’s and county’s best all-around athletes.
Jacobs, who reportedly died last week, is remembered for his unique skill set.
Former Harlan teammate John Luttrell, who is now the football coach at Union College, called Jacobs one of the best athletes he’d ever been around as he asked the congregation at Harlan Christian Church to remember his family during services Sunday morning.
Jacobs was a running back, receiver, quarterback, punter and kicker on several outstanding Harlan teams, but rarely played defense until the situation called for a special play by a special player.
“We were playing Laurel County (a 4A team) in a close game and (defensive coach) Joe Bill Clark put Duncan in the game and told him we needed an interception,” said Luttrell, a star linebacker at Harlan and later Union. “He took it back for a touchdown and we won 14-7.”
Mike King, now an assistant girls basketball coach at Harlan, was also a teammate.
“He kicked a 45-yard field goal to beat Leslie County and he ran a punt and an interception back to beat Laurel County,” King said.
Harlan Independent School Board member Will Miler, a former cross country standout and son of legendary coach Leo Miller, said Jacobs is the only HHS male athlete to win two state championships as he placed first in the long jump in both 1981 and 1982 at the Class A state meet. He also holds school records in the triple jump (43-9.5) and high jump (6-4).
Jacobs was not only a star athlete, but also an artist who painted the Harlan Green Dragon that was on the wall for many years in the HHS gymnasium.
”Duncan Jacobs is probably the most multi-talented person I was around,” said J.B. Donahue, a former teammate of Jacobs’ at Harlan before going on to a long coaching career that included 24 seasons as the head coach at his alma mater.
Donahue was the Dragons’ quarterback with Jacobs at running back. Jacobs replaced Donahue at quarterback for his senior season after Donahue graduated a year ahead of him. Harlan posted a 39-4 record during Jacobs’ high school career with three losses to Cumberland and one to Paintsville in the regional finals in 1979.
“If he played in today’s football, he would have been even more incredible,” Donahue said, noting that most quarterbacks today are asked to do much more in the running game.
“Duncan was our quarterback, and he had injured his throwing hand during practice. Coach Clark didn’t expect to have much of a passing game for Friday night against Williamsburg. Duncan assured him we would and told coach he would just throw with his other hand,” King said. “Coach kind of laughed that off. During the game, we needed to change up the offense and a pass play was called. Duncan did just what he said he was going to do. Without using his dominant hand, he threw a 40-yard strike for a touchdown, which just happened to be my first touchdown reception of my career.”
Jacobs reportedly started playing varsity basketball for Harlan in the seventh grade and was a freshman on the 1980 squad that was the 13th Region runner-up.
“Duncan Jacobs was a three-star athlete and artist — quarterback, point guard, and school record holder in the triple and high jump. I was in the stands for the football and basketball games, but it was on the track where I was closest to some of the most amazing feats in school history. I can still hear the conversation he had with Doc about Bell County’s long jump pit being too short to land in,” Miller said. “Doc’s plan was to move his jump back further from the launch board. Duncan said he was still going to land in the river. Doc said, ‘Don’t worry about that. I’ll catch you.’ And that he did – catching Duncan before heading down the hill into the Cumberland River. I don’t believe his triple jump record will ever be broken.”
Services for Jacobs will be held Saturday at the Harlan Funeral Home with visitation from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with the funeral at 1 p.m.