Jarvis West isn’t a talker.

When West is on the field, Courtney Messingham, ISU offensive coordinator, joked that he is thankful for the ability for wide receivers to use hand signals to communicate the plays, otherwise West would not be able to communicate. But why use words when his performance can say all he won’t?

The junior wide receiver has been instrumental in kick starting the ISU special teams this season, including his 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown last week against Texas Tech. West likens his approach to returning kicks to another aspect of football.

“It’s like running routes, too. The whole game, you’ve got to be patient,” West said of how he scored on the play. “You can’t just rush everything. Nothing in the game works without patience. If you’re not patient, it makes the game that much faster for you.”

In addition to return kicks, West also returns punts for Iowa State and totaled 46 yards against Texas Tech on four carries with the longest being 38 yards last week. He also got involved in the ISU passing game and tallied three receptions for 36 yards including a crucial third and 9 situation in the second quarter.

West caught the 15-yard pass from ISU quarterback Sam Richardson for a first down, setting up Aaron Wimberly for a touchdown run.

“Jarvis is playing with a lot of confidence right now and I truly believe he’s playing with more speed right now,” Messingham said. “Obviously it’s easy to say that on the kickoff return on the offensive side of the deal, I feel like he’s playing with more speed down the field and in a short space. He’s always been quick and right now I think he has a lot of confidence.”

ISU coach Paul Rhoads has also noticed a positive spike in the improvement of the return game and credited West’s role in each facet.

“Jarvis is an electric player. This is the player we recruited. He’s stop-and-go quick,” Rhoads said. “He made some exceptional cuts on that kickoff to make it into the end zone and is definitely a weapon that kept us in the football game.”

Last season against Baylor, West had arguably his best performance as a Cyclone and tallied seven receptions for 99 yards and three touchdowns. Rhoads obviously would like to see more of what West did against Baylor last season and Texas Tech last week, but West understands that patience is a virtue and remaining even-keeled is a big asset.

For West, having success in the return game is a big help for West on the offensive side of the ball. It opens up more opportunities, not just for himself, but for the team as a whole.

“It gives a boost for the offense,” West said. “Being on the field and being able to contribute, it helps the team and gives the team a little boost.”