Joseph Berg '15 Recruiting Profile

My name is Joseph Berg. I was born in Freehold, New Jersey, and I moved to North Carolina when I was in the third grade. I live with my mom, my dad, and my younger sister. I attend a small Charter School, Pine Lake Preparatory (PLP), which is located in Mooresville, North Carolina, about thirty minutes North of Charlotte. I chose a small Charter School because my education is more important to me than athletics offered at bigger local public schools.  PLP was founded in 2006, and I have been attending since 2008. After my graduation from High School, I would like to study Broadcasting, Sports Management Sports Medicine, Criminal Justice, or Statistics.

My junior year was my first year playing Varsity football. It was also the first year in my schools history that we fielded a varsity team. I was the starting wide receiver and the starting strong safety. We ran a spread offense and our offense relied heavily on the passing attack. As a receiver, I led my team in touchdown (6; all receiving), receiving yard (587) and yards per catch (20.24).  I personally accounted for 45% of my teams total points, if you include points scored as a place kicker.  On defense, I had an interception, a fumble recovery and was one of the team leaders in tackles. I was named to the All-Conference team and served as an alternate team captain.

In my senior year, the offensive coordinator changed gears completely to a Delaware Wing-T offensive scheme and relied heavily on the run game. On offense, I was moved to a tight end, and occasionally lined up as a split end. However, the lack of passing by our offense decreased the number of opportunities for me to showcase my receiving ability. I worked very hard at the defensive aspect of my game. My hard work paid off, and I became the leader of our defense, calling the defensive alignments and changing the plays based on the other team’s offensive alignment at the line of scrimmage. I was second on my team in interceptions, and I returned two for touchdowns. Along with those statistics, I was one of the leading tacklers on the team.

On special teams I was the punt returner, and I returned a punt for a touchdown. As a kicker, I was responsible for the onside kicks and squib kicks, although I was also used as the regular kicker and also did some place-kicking for extra points.

My senior year was very exciting. I developed my skills and I was able to excel on both offense and defense, as my offensive statistics from last year and my defensive statistics from this year will show. I consider myself an athlete because I am comfortable on both sides of the ball, and my ability to play both offense and defense makes me a valuable asset.

I believe participating in school athletics helps a person learn about competition and teamwork, which makes for a well-rounded student.  I know the lessons I will learn in the classroom, as well as on the playing field will make me a better candidate for a job when I am ready to enter the workforce.  I hope to be part of a college that offers a good education and the ability to play collegiate sports to help me succeed in my eventual career.