VERMONT SPORTS HALL OF FAME

(Photo Courtesy: Jake Eaton)

Rutland

Multi-Sport/Football

Inducted 2023

A multi-sport standout at Rutland High, and a tremendous all-around youth sports athlete, Jake Eaton went on to a very successful collegiate career at the University of Maine where as a three-year starter, he quarterbacked the Black Bears to two conference titles while setting several school passing records. He also played professionally in arena football before returning to Vermont to embark on a successful high school coaching and administrative career.

The only two-time Vermont Gatorade Football Player of the Year, Eaton was also a standout in basketball and baseball.  As a three-year starting QB, Eaton had 5,042 in passing yards for the Raiders, which reached the state D-I title game three times, winning won the state championship in 1996 and 1997. In basketball as he tallied 1,582 career points the most in program history, and was a two-time first team all-state selection.

Eaton was heavily recruited and ended up at NCAA D I-AA power Maine, where as a rare three-year starting QB, he threw for 7,145 yards and 58 touchdowns – both fourth highest in program history- and set single-season and career records for pass completion percentage. He led the Black Bears to the 2001 and 2002 Atlantic 10 Championships, was the team co-MVP both seasons and was the third-team Atlantic 10 all-conference quarterback in 2002. He started for Maine in two NCAA tournaments with first round wins in 2001 and 2002, setting five school single-game postseason passing marks. 

After graduation, Eaton went on to play professionally in the Arena Football League 2 (AFL2) for the Cape Fear Wildcats in 2004, the Manchester (N.H.) Wolves in 2005, and the Orlando Predators until 2009.  

Eaton returned to Vermont to become a teacher at Proctor High in 2009.  A year later he added the title, high school athletic director (or activities director).  He was the JV boys' basketball coach in 2011 and when the legendary Dick Wilcox retired in 2012, Eaton took over the varsity.  He has directed the Phantoms to five Division IV state hoop titles in seven years from 2015 to 2021, including a three-peat (2015-17).  Proctor has won 23 D-III and IV state titles since Eaton became AD. 

UMaine inducted Eaton into its Athletic Hall of Fame in September 2016. He was inducted into the VPA Hall of Fame in 2017.