Jake Thieneman is lifting weights in his parent’s basement in Carmel, Ind. Not an ideal set up for the former Purdue safety who is trying to forge a career in the NFL. But, the coronavirus pandemic has forced all of us to find alternative ways to carrying on with our lives and careers.

“I have a weight room with a very basic squat rack, some dumbbells and bands,” said Thieneman. “Weight room-wise, I have enough to get by. Running outside, doing speed and agility stuff. I definitely am in better position than most people.”

And soon, little brother and current Purdue safety Brennan Thieneman will be home to train with Jake, who signed a two-year contract with the 49ers this offseason after joining the franchise late last season as a rookie free-agent following stints with the Giants and Colts. Youngest brother Dillon—a standout freshman at Westfield High—also will be working out with his older brothers.

But the 6-1, 215-pound Thieneman is doing more than just training for the NFL. He’s also trying to help the nation deal with the coronavirus pandemic by working with The Ventilator Project, which is non-profit based in Boston that wants to produce low-cost ventilators to help those dealing with COVID-19.

"People afflicted badly with the virus start needing a ventilator to breathe and survive," said Thieneman. "Without that, it leads to a higher chance of dying. Currently, the demand for those ventilators will out pace the supply by as much as 30 times the next couple of weeks. This company is designing a very easy-to-make and cheap ventilator to be built with easily sourced parts that they can start manufacturing quickly."

Major ventilator manufacturers are struggling to build enough ventilators. And hospitals are struggling to assemble enough capital to buy the expensive ventilators needed. Time is of the essence.

A co-founder of the project is Tyler Mantel, who is a Purdue graduate and entrepreneur who has shifted his focus from startup Watertower Robotics to The Ventilator Project. Thieneman got drawn into the project by Mantel’s younger brother Preston, who is a friend of Thieneman. Both Preston Mantel and Thieneman have mechanical engineering degrees from Purdue.

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