David Guekguezian '17 Recruiting Profile

My goal is to play college football at an institution with high academic standards.  I believe I have the talent, work ethic and desire to accomplish this goal.  This is evidenced by my sophomore season on varsity, where I made 41 out of 41 kicks in my first full year as a kicker.  It is also evidenced by my grades in the classroom, where I carry a 3.5 GPA in an honors curriculum.  

I want to play football in college because I love to play.  I love being part of a team, I loved the camaraderie with my teammates and the strong friendships that develop as we all work towards the same goal, facing challenges together, celebrating success, and supporting each other through losses.  More specific to my position, I love kicking.  I welcome the pressure and, to be honest, the spotlight that is on the kicker. I look at kicks as an opportunity for success rather than a chance at failure.  

I love the process involved in being a football player.  My father has always told me that the journey is more important than the destination.  That means that you need to focus on working, every day, to be a better player and teammate. If you do that, then you will end up at the right destination.  So, football has taught me that work ethic. That you only get out of it what you put in.  It has also taught me how to be a good teammate. To make sure that the team goals are the focus and the priority. And sometimes those team goals are different than my own individual goals.  If that's the case, the team goals take priority...always.  But it all tends to work out in the end.

For my individual goals, I currently consistently hit from 41 yards and in.  I need to add to this range, as well as add to my range for kickoffs.  I am also working on punting.  My high school team has an excellent punter, but you never know what might happen, so I would like to be ready if the team needs me.

As to academics, my priority is to find a school that fits my academic criteria, but also places some emphasis on the "journey" and goal of creating a winning football program.  Both of my parents were Ivy League athletes. That mix of academics and athletics is attractive to me and I know it is present in many programs from Division III to Division I. 

Where this journey will take me, I don't really know, but I am excited to find out.  I will keep my end of the bargain by continuing to work hard every day in the classroom and on the field and in the weight room.