High School and College
While in high school, Varitek was involved in many school activities and a model student. In addition to outstanding academic performance, Jason was Lake Brantley High School's third baseman and relief catcher. LBHS Patriots baseball team is located in Altamonte Springs, FL. Brantley's first line catcher was Jerry Thurston, himself a pro prospect. In 1990, the Patriots won the state championship. He was also a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team and won the Dick Howser Trophy for National Collegiate Player of the Year.
Varitek was drafted in the 23rd round of the 1990 amateur draft by the Houston Astros, but opted to attend college instead of pursuing professional baseball at that time.
Varitek attended Georgia Tech, where he helped lead the Yellow Jackets baseball team to the 1994 College World Series title game, along with teammates Nomar Garciaparra and Jay Payton (they would lose to the University of Oklahoma). He was also named Baseball America's 1993 College Player of the Year. Varitek graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in management and is the only Tech baseball player to have his number (33) retired.
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