BleedGopher
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2008
- Messages
- 62,740
- Reaction score
- 20,088
- Points
- 113
Per Dan:
John Michael Schmitz rowed the boat for a long time with P.J. Fleck at the helm. He even paddled into uncharted waters for his college head coach.
Schmitz, an All-American center drafted by the Giants in the second round this past April, originally committed to Western Michigan in 2016. Fleck had just been named Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year for the second time after leading the Broncos to an undefeated regular season and a berth in the Cotton Bowl. Two weeks before National Signing Day, Schmitz got a call that Fleck was headed to the Big Ten to take over the program at the University of Minnesota.
"Without even stepping a foot on campus and stepping a foot in the state of Minnesota," said Schmitz, an Illinois native, "I committed right on the spot just because I believed in him. I was all in and bought into his culture and was ready to go to battle for him."
That is the type of player the Giants are getting.
"Well, first of all, he fit everything – what the 'row the boat' culture is about, what we're about within our walls, whether that's at Western Michigan or Minnesota," Fleck said on the “Giants Huddle” podcast, referencing his never-give-up mantra. "It's all about the people, and it's all about fit. I think the best NFL teams have the best cultures and have the best fit and connectivity, and that's what we're all about. It was really easy to tell John Michael Schmitz was going to fit our program. He was tough, a south side of Chicago kid. If you've ever met his mother, you would know exactly what I'm talking about. She's one of the toughest people I've ever met."
Go Gophers!!
John Michael Schmitz rowed the boat for a long time with P.J. Fleck at the helm. He even paddled into uncharted waters for his college head coach.
Schmitz, an All-American center drafted by the Giants in the second round this past April, originally committed to Western Michigan in 2016. Fleck had just been named Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year for the second time after leading the Broncos to an undefeated regular season and a berth in the Cotton Bowl. Two weeks before National Signing Day, Schmitz got a call that Fleck was headed to the Big Ten to take over the program at the University of Minnesota.
"Without even stepping a foot on campus and stepping a foot in the state of Minnesota," said Schmitz, an Illinois native, "I committed right on the spot just because I believed in him. I was all in and bought into his culture and was ready to go to battle for him."
That is the type of player the Giants are getting.
"Well, first of all, he fit everything – what the 'row the boat' culture is about, what we're about within our walls, whether that's at Western Michigan or Minnesota," Fleck said on the “Giants Huddle” podcast, referencing his never-give-up mantra. "It's all about the people, and it's all about fit. I think the best NFL teams have the best cultures and have the best fit and connectivity, and that's what we're all about. It was really easy to tell John Michael Schmitz was going to fit our program. He was tough, a south side of Chicago kid. If you've ever met his mother, you would know exactly what I'm talking about. She's one of the toughest people I've ever met."
Go Gophers!!
