Personal Statement
My goal is to attend a university where I can excel in academics, athletics, and have an overall positive impact on my teammates, classmates, and community. In college I am interested in pursuing a science degree as part of a pre-medical emphasis. I think some of my strongest attributes as part of a team, are my work ethic, competitiveness, and the energy I bring to a field. As a captain on my team this year and recently being voted All Conference, I try to lead by example on the field, in the weight room, and in the classroom with respect to how I treat my fellow classmates and teachers. There are no statistics or rankings for the intangibles of being a quarterback, like leadership and being someone that your teammates will follow into battle on game day. I rushed for over 800 yards and threw for over 1400 yards in my senior season this past year, with signature wins over 8A Top 20 at the time, Lake Park, 7A playoff team Moline, and beating 6 time state champ in the playoffs, Montini Catholic. I am a left handed quarterback that needs no extra coaching or adjustments to run the offense, but opposing coaches must game plan to account for my quickness, size, and ability to throw to both sides of the field with equal efficiency, as well my capacity to attack a defense once I am out of the pocket. I feel very comfortable outside of the pocket, running a zone read, spread offense, and moving around in the pocket as well. I think my rushing and passing yardage would classify me as a true dual threat and I also led my team in yards per carry, almost 6 per carry. In the off-season I am training 5x a week either speed work or lifting. I ran a 4.62 "40" and a 4.12 pro-agility drill at my last combine on May 13, 2017, where no wide receivers ran a faster 40 and I was 4th overall in the pro agility drill out of 105 participants. Because of my speed, power, and running style I could also work well as a slot receiver or even running back to contribute right away on a college team. I humbly could compare my cutting ability, speed, size, and vision of the field to a Christian McCaffrey, which is why I feel I could be used in the offense both as a QB or involved in the running/receiving game. My back squat is 350 lbs, front squat at 250 lbs., and hang clean of 200 lbs, currently with my body weight between 185 and 190 lbs. My off-season QB Coach for the past 3 years has been Don Beebe, formerly of the Bills/Packers, and he has been a big part of my inspiration, work ethic, and commitment to get the most out of my talent. His emphasis on attention to detail and making daily improvement in my footwork, throwing mechanics, and strength/conditioning have been key to becoming the starter for my team that was one game away from the 6A State Championship in 2016. My record as a starter after my senior year now is 23-6, having spent my junior season(Academic All Conference) behind our Dartmouth bound and Air Force offered, D1 quarterback. This was a good learning experience, not just in football, but in learning patience, staying the course, and understanding that getting something you really want will require sacrifice. In my spare time, I value my friendships, many of which have been forged through sports, as well as time with my family. In the community, I have donated time to Hope Haven and Save My Starving Children in food drive efforts, as well as building relationships with our special needs group of students at DeKalb High School, called the S.O.U.L Program. I hope to find college coaches who believe in my ability, recognize my passion for the sport, and want to win as fiercely as I do. My off-season coach, Don Beebe, is available for reference, as well as my head coach at DeKalb, Coach Matt Weckler. Thank you.
