Nick Connelly, a 6-foot-6 rising junior defensive end from Red Wing (MN) High, shined at Minnesota Gopher football camp earlier this summer. Connelly is a multi-sport athlete for the Wingers who plays both sides of the field and has already attended several camps this summer. He is expected to make a return visit to Dinkytown Friday for the Minnesota Gopher Junior Elite camp.
Connelly talked to GopherHole.com about summer camps and his early recruitment.
Gopher Hole: You attended the Minnesota camp earlier this summer and the Iowa and Iowa State camps recently. Do you feel that you pick a lot at these camps that you can incorporate to make yourself a better player?
Nick Connelly: Yes. I feel that I pick up a bunch. More here than anywhere else. It is just great learning from college coaches that know the best and are the best in the country, so it was great learning from them.
Gopher Hole: You were at the Minnesota camp last year. Can you tell that you have added a lot to your game in that year?
Nick Connelly: Yes, I can (laughing). Last year, I was kind of here and there. This year, I am starting to do better and hopefully, I’ll do better next year. Keep on progressing.
Gopher Hole: The Iowa State camp was a no-pad camp. Is there a big difference between those type of camps or do you have a preference?
Nick Connelly: I don’t like it. It’s annoying. It’s like you are playing football, so you might as well put the pads on. The University of Iowa camp was pads. This is pads. The Junior Elite is pads. Winona is pads. That is the only one that is not. I don’t like it all.
Gopher Hole: You are three-sport athlete at Red Wing. Do you think that helps compared to other kids who play just one sport? Do you think that playing basketball and throwing in track and field and the foot work thing you do helps you as a football player?
Nick Connelly: Definitely. It keeps me in shape, for one and for basketball, there is so much foot work and so much quickness, it moves right on to the football field. I do track and you lift all the time for track. I throw and do a little bit of sprinting, too and that just helps me quicker and quicker. I just become more powerful and explosive.
Gopher Hole: What do you see as your strengths as a football player?
Nick Connelly: My speed. Mainly, my speed and my quickness with my hands. My feet. I am good at getting around people. The board drill, I am not as good at, but when it comes to pass rushing, I am great at it. I am good at quickness and speed and being able to people without them hardly touching me.
Gopher Hole: What things are you working on like any kid to continue to improve yourself as a player?
Nick Connelly: Mainly, just staying low. I’m 6-6, so I am tall, so I have to learn to stay low, beneath my guy to get him up and back on his heels, so I can push him backwards.
Gopher Hole: You are one of the smaller schools in the Missota Conference and are switching to the Big Nine after this year. What are the expectations for the upcoming season?
Nick Connelly: This year, I am hoping that we can go .500 (They were 1-8 last year). I don’t think that we will do much better than that, but I definitely think that we can go .500.
Gopher Hole: I heard that you broke a backboard in practice this season. That had to be pretty cool. What was story behind that?
Nick Connelly: That was a pretty good experience. It was at the end of practice and the coach said “that if you can catch an alley-oop and dunk it, we are done with practice.” So, a guy threw me an alley-oop. I slam it down and shattered the whole thing. Glass fell everywhere. It was awesome. I was like “Whoa, I just did that.”
Gopher Hole: Are you playing any AAU basketball this summer?
Nick Connelly: No, I am just doing football. Football is my main sport. I just do basketball because it is fun. I don’t really put too much time in the offseason towards it, because I am so focused on football, so I am not doing any AAU stuff.
Gopher Hole: You are All-Conference in track and finished second in the Missota Conference discus. Did you make it to state?
Nick Connelly: No, I didn’t. (he finished seventh in the Section championships). I was about five feet away.
Gopher Hole: This is your second season of throwing. Luke Johnson of Red Wing, who throws for the Gophers was the one that got you interested in the sport, right?
Nick Connelly: Yes. He was the one who pretty much helped me through it. Got me into it and taught me a lot of stuff. He broke all the records, so he is basically the best in the state. He taught me quite a bit.
Gopher Hole: I know that it is still awfully early, but are you hearing much from the Gophers?
Nick Connelly: They told me to keep coming to different camps and they invited me to the Junior Elite camp, but nothing really beyond that.