Daniel Zietek '19 Recruiting Profile

I am a high school junior and three-sport athlete (Football, Wrestling, Track and Field) at Niles North High School in Skokie, IL (2019).  I want to focus on playing Football in college.  My primary position is Center and my secondary position is Defensive Tackle.  I am looking to play Fullback in college because I don't think that I have the proper size for a Lineman in college.  I am easy-going and flexible.  I am very coachable and I am very determined.

Freshman year, I started off doing Track and Field. Out of nowhere the Head Varsity Football Coach noticed me and convinced me to play Football.  I actually thought about it and I was really excited because I believed that I would fit right in with my well-built body structure.  Sophomore year was where it all began, I went to the Varsity Football Summer Camp to learn how to play and to getting myself better before the Sophomore Camp that started late in the summer.  It was just my mom and I, she always worked every day so I couldn't get rides to school, which was located 5 miles away.  None of my teammates lived close by.  I couldn't let this stop me so I would ride my bike to practice every day along with the heat.  I became very committed to Football and I wanted to work harder and become better than my teammates each and every day.  I would always be the first one in the weight room and the last one out of the weight room.  After the season (0-9), I learned a lot, we would always face difficult situations and we would always be there to watch each other's backs, I also found out that I am very determined and want to become great.  I want to prove it to everyone, to the people that don't believe in me, I want to prove them wrong and show them that I can be successful.  I actually surprised everyone when I hit 500lbs Barbell Squat for 1 rep, only weighing 195lbs and they couldn't believe their own eyes.  I gained a lot of respect from everyone and I become very well known.  Junior Year, I actually improved from last year and I learned a lot.  I went to NATIONAL U.S.A. DEVELOPMENT CAMP and LAKE FOREST FOOTBALL CAMP.  Our season wasn't bad at all (2-7), we had a lot of close games.  Surprisingly when we were at ELK GROVE HIGH SCHOOL, we came back from 0-21 and ended the score with 35-34.  It was the best feeling I felt like we were the like the Patriots when they came back and won the Super Bowl.  After a meeting with my school counselor, he was talking to me about college and what I wanted to do.  I realized that I don't know what I want to do yet, but I also started thinking about getting myself out there and trying to get recruited.  I am trying out for MIDWEST BOOM TRENCH WARFARE that will help me get the exposure I need.  My biggest academic goal this year is to strive for a 3.0+ GPA.

Football means a lot to me.  I want a chance to go to the next level.  I would like to play football at any level, at a school that offers a good education, an exciting sports environment, and is not too far from Illinois.