William McAtee '17 Recruiting Profile

My goal as a student athlete is to gain the education needed to find a career and succeed in it, but also to excel in football which has been a part of my life since I could first hold a ball. What sets me apart from other athletes, that I have known and met, is I don't play for myself and I won't give up on myself or the team.  I never have and never will. I have been on a team that never has had any real success and my teammates have always blamed one another, coaches, or refs. This ultimately has been a real motivator for me as a player to play to contribute what I can and do whats best for the team and not what is best for myself and to not give up on them or myself. I experienced a a couple bad situations that caused me to miss a couple games this past season. I was sent to the hospital during a game when I was targeted going after a pass, and me fracturing my hand. I didn't let either of those things phase me one bit. I fractured my hand in the first quarter of a game and continued and played through the entire game and even finished with a couple touchdowns. After receiving my cast I continued to play as I knew my team needed me. It took a lot more work to get used to it and I had to change my usual game but still finished with a pretty successful season receiving an honor mention all conference. Academically I am also set apart as academics are a huge priority to me and always put in the time to study. I have received the Illinois Principal's Association Award for my grades, how teachers saw me in the classroom, how I treated other students, and my participation in three sports and the scholastic bowl team. I also coach younger kids in football to help develop their skills as well as I help coach flag football teams for kids 4th grade and younger. This not only helps the kids develop skills at an early age but helps me by giving me responsibility of a team and ultimately makes me a better individual. I am different from other recruits through my athletics, character, and academics and it is my hopes that it shows both on and off the field.