Pierre Walsh, a 6-foot-4, 214-pound junior from Lisle (IL) Benet Academy, announced Monday that he was committing to Minnesota. He played mostly wide receiver and defensive end last year, but is projected to play tight end for the Gophers.
Walsh caught 30 passes for 474 yards and three touchdowns this past season. He had 26 tackles, two sacks and four tackles for loss on the defensive side.
GopherHole caught up with Walsh Wednesday evening to learn more about his decision.
GopherHole: You committed to Minnesota Monday. What was the main reason that you decided that Minnesota was where you wanted to play college football?
Pierre Walsh: I really like the people. I really liked the atmosphere. The coaches are great and I think I’m a Midwest person through and through, so I think that came down to one of the biggest decisions why I decided. The other reason is the atmosphere and I think Minnesota is really trending upwards and I think that’s going to be a good fit for me and a good move, academically for me, too. It is a really good academic school, so the fit will be really good.
GopherHole: When did you first start hearing from the Gophers?
Pierre Walsh: I started getting recruited, I want to say, I think it was right after Christmas. They came to my school during the school year during football season like in November, whenever the dead period was. I saw Coach Callahan there for awhile and then I didn’t hear from them for awhile. They hit me up and then the tight end coach offered me a scholarship.
GopherHole: Had you thought that you might commit this early. I know that you had visited Minnesota recently? Was that what made you decide that now is the time?
Pierre Walsh: I did want to commit decently early, because at my position, I didn’t want to, in a sense, be bullied into committing somewhere else because I didn’t have an offer. That was one of the reasons, but I also just kind of knew that I wanted to go when I got on campus. I was like “I want to go to school here and I want to make this special.” I wanted to focus on my schooling and the rest of my senior year, I wanted to be done. The recruiting process was great, but I think that I found a home, that gave me an opportunity. They were one of the first people to come to my school. I took that into strong consideration among the schools. If other schools were jumping into it this summer, but they gave me the opportunity early and they believe in me since then, so I take that into huge consideration. I think Minnesota is a great place and they believe in me. The recruiting process was long. I wasn’t necessarily tired of it, but I kind of knew that I was going to make a decision. If it wasn’t going to be April, it was going to be in May, like I was going to make it in the next few weeks here and I just decided to pull the trigger on Monday.
GopherHole: I know that you just committed, but do you already feel a little bit of weight off your shoulder already, having got that done and now you can just relax and enjoy your senior season?
Pierre Walsh: I think so. I think that it hasn’t necessarily set in yet for me, if that makes sense. It hasn’t truly set in. It will probably set in, in a week or two, whenever everything starts to really die down and I really only have one coach talking to me and everything like that. It gets compressed. For the last six or seven months, it’s been constant communication with coaches. I think it will really set in, in about a week or two. I’ll be able to really focus on the summer and focus on my senior season and focus on hanging out with my friends and everything. It’s my senior year and I want to have fun so I’m excited for that. I’m excited for the summer.
GopherHole: What has the reaction from family and friends been since you committed?
Pierre Walsh: Great. I think that they all love it. They are all happy that I am going to play Big Ten football. I think a lot of them were really stoked. My family is really happy for me. They knew what I went through and how long this process has been. I think that they know that I made the right decision. It is a big decision for a seventeen-year old kid. Most seventeen-year old kids don’t make to make a decision this early, but I decided and it was the right fit for me. I think that my family and friends, I think that they are all supportive and they are all happy for me. They all love it. I think that they all love Minnesota.
GopherHole: When did you first start thinking that college football was a possibility for you?
Pierre Walsh: Probably after my junior year. I had offers before my junior year, but probably after my junior year, it really set in. When all these coaches came in to see me to play big time college football. I think it’s important that you’ve got to play to yourself, improve yourself. That is probably when I thought that this was going to be a reality after my junior football season.
GopherHole: What other offers did you have when you made your decision?
Pierre Walsh: I had offers to Rutgers, Army, Navy, Air Force, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Toledo, Miami of Ohio, Illinois State, Eastern Illinois, Bowling Green and Northern Illinois.
GopherHole: Do you know much about Minnesota’s tradition at tight ends? They have had some good tight ends like Matt Spaeth. He won the John Mackey Award for the best tight end in the country and they had Maxx Williams, who plays for the Cardinals in the NFL right now. Were you familiar with those guys or have they talked to you about the use of tight ends?
Pierre Walsh: I’ve heard of them. I’ve never talked to any of them, but everybody talks about Spaeth, because he won the Mackey Award. They talked about tight ends and how they are going to use them. They have Coach Ciarocca, who came back and said that tight ends are going to be a big part of their offense. One of the things that players have said that I have talked to, especially the tight ends is that they are going to use the tight ends a good amount and it shows that they are going to use the tight end and they are going to be a big part of the offense, which is another reason that I choose Minnesota. They can use them as a blocker, but you can also put passes in and make big plays as a tight end, so that is one of the reasons that I really choose the Gophers.
GopherHole: Last year, you played defensive end and wide receiver?
Pierre Walsh: I played the majority at wide receiver and I was starting both ways. I played defensive end and majority at wide receiver. I rarely had my hand in the ground. I was focused on a lot as a wide receiver and I also played defensive end, so I was splitting time. Whenever I could take a break, I took a break, but I was pretty much on the field the majority of the game.
GopherHole: Is that the plan as a senior, to continue to play both sides of the field as much as you did as a junior?
Pierre Walsh: I’ll play both sides. I’ll play defensive end and tight end this year. I’ll probably still be split out, but I’ll probably have a little more inline, now that I’m a little bit heavier. I think that will be good for me.
GopherHole: What do you see as your strengths as a football player?
Pierre Walsh: I think right now, my strengths are probably my speed and my ability to catch the ball. I think the pass game right now, for me, is my strength. What’s weak, that I’m going to have to work on, especially when I get to college is my blocking, for sure. I just have got to gain weight and be able to learn how to block.
GopherHole: Do you play any other sports in high school right now?
Pierre Walsh: Right now, no. I used to, but now I don’t play any other sports.
GopherHole: What did you used to play?
Pierre Walsh: My freshman year, I played lacrosse. We are known for basketball. That is probably the biggest reason that I didn’t play because the last two years, we had two absurdly insane transfer centers and I play center, so I wouldn’t even play. There was a 6-10 guy that came in. I’m not a shooter. I’m just a post, somebody who will body up people. I was thinking about maybe playing next year, but probably wouldn’t, because I would lose too much weight.
GopherHole: How many times have you been up to Minnesota?
Pierre Walsh: I’ve been up there twice.
GopherHole: Had you ever been to Minnesota before your visits?
Pierre Walsh: No. I’ve never been to Minnesota before that.
GopherHole: What all did you get a chance to see and do during your two visits?
Pierre Walsh: I saw all of the facilities. The campus. Academics. I talked to the academics. Saw the apartments and everything that I’m going to be staying in and I saw the football field. It was good. I saw pretty much everything. I haven’t been on my official, so it’s not like they went over and did everything.
GopherHole: Is the plan for you to come in June then or would you even think about graduating early?
Pierre Walsh: I’m not graduating early. My school doesn’t allow that.
GopherHole: What do you like to do away from the football field?
Pierre Walsh: I like to surf. We have a boat, so I like to surf. I like to fish. I like to hang out with my friends. Just be a kid. Play cards and just hang out. Play pickup basketball.
GopherHole: Has anyone talked to you about the fishing up in Minnesota?
GopherHole: No, but I’ve heard that it is really good. Lot of lakes up there, so that should be good. I’m going to try to find some time and do some fishing in the summer.