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Q&A: Lakeville's Greg Menard Says It Would be a Great Experience to Play for Gophers
Q&A: Lakeville's Greg Menard Says It Would be a Great Experience to Play for Gophers
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/288116?referrer_id=388419
Greg Menard, a senior defensive end/linebacker/running back from Lakeville (MN) North, has picked up plenty of mid major interest and is hoping that a strong senior year could lead to an offer from the home state school. He has attended several Gophers games, including last week's home contest versus Western Illinois. Menard was at games against New Hampshire, Northwestern and Michigan last fall
Gopher Hole caught up with Menard to learn the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: You had a big week last week and are 3-0 and ranked third in the state in Class 6A. How pleased are you how well things are going so far this season?
Greg Menard: I am really pleased. We started out a little shaky on offense at first (they had seven turnovers in the season opener), but now we are starting to come together in the last game and we can move the ball now. We can pass the ball and we have got a receiver back from injury, a good player, Lee Edwards, so that is really going to help us out on offense.
Gopher Hole: How about the defense? You shut out Lakeville South in the season opener and held Eastview in check, shutting them out in the second half last Friday. How pleased are you with the defense this season?
Greg Menard: I think that it has really shaped up nicely. I was a little bit worried because we lost nine starters from last year, but we have stepped up and I would say probably just about as good as we were last year on defense.
Gopher Hole: How about your own individual play?
Greg Menard: I am pretty pleased. It is really tiring playing both ways sometimes, but once you get into shape and get used to it, it works out fine. I think that I have four sacks now (through three games) and quite a few tackles, so I think that it is going well.
Gopher Hole: You mentioned playing both sides. You are playing running back this year. How do you like that and have you played that position before?
Greg Menard: It is actually my first time playing running back. We had worked on it during two-a-days in the summer. It is fun. It is tiring, but it is fun to just get in there on both sides of the ball and have an impact on the game.
Gopher Hole: Do you think that it helps you as a running back having played defense or visa versa?
Greg Menard: I think that my defense probably helps my offense than my offense helps my defense. When I am running on offense, I think I know what the defense is planning to do and react to what I believe that they are going to do.
Gopher Hole: What is the latest on your recruitment right now?
Greg Menard: I have been talking to a lot of FCS schools. Montana State a lot recently. Obviously, I am at the Gopher game today. I have been to a South Dakota State game as well and I think that I am going to a NDSU game two Saturdays from now. I have been talking to North Illinois a lot recently and I am about to send out my tapes of the first two games of my senior year. It is going well. We have to see where it goes from here with this new tape going in.
Gopher Hole: Do you think that helps you now that you are playing offense and showing a little more versatility to your game?
Greg Menard: I think that helps a lot, too. Basically, I am playing linebacker and defensive end, so it makes it look like I am a more versatile player and more appealing player, if say something doesn't work out, there is a backup plan and there are other things I can do, not just play defensive end. I can do multiple things, I think.
Gopher Hole: How many offers are you up to right now?
Greg Menard: Eight. I've got North Dakota State, North Dakota, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Montana, Illinois State, Army and Harvard.
Gopher Hole: What do you think that you need to show those Division I schools that you can play at that level as well?
Greg Menard: I just think that my game tapes. That is where most it came from. I talked to NDSU in April and that is where I got my first offer. I put my tapes up and things really picked up from there. I went out and visited those colleges. I think the biggest thing to do is for you to show interest in them before they are going to show interest in you. I think that was the one thing we learned was the biggest and most important thing about recruitment.
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from the Gophers?
Greg Menard: They want to see my game tapes from my senior season. Probably a couple more weeks, I'll hear the more in-depth details of what is happening.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to play for the home state school?
Greg Menard: It would mean a lot. To have everyone around you, know who you are from Lakeville. I think that it would be a great experience to play for Minnesota. Stay home, close to family. All the parents come to every game and stuff like that.
Q&A: Lakeville's Greg Menard Says It Would be a Great Experience to Play for Gophers
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/288116?referrer_id=388419
Greg Menard, a senior defensive end/linebacker/running back from Lakeville (MN) North, has picked up plenty of mid major interest and is hoping that a strong senior year could lead to an offer from the home state school. He has attended several Gophers games, including last week's home contest versus Western Illinois. Menard was at games against New Hampshire, Northwestern and Michigan last fall
Gopher Hole caught up with Menard to learn the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: You had a big week last week and are 3-0 and ranked third in the state in Class 6A. How pleased are you how well things are going so far this season?
Greg Menard: I am really pleased. We started out a little shaky on offense at first (they had seven turnovers in the season opener), but now we are starting to come together in the last game and we can move the ball now. We can pass the ball and we have got a receiver back from injury, a good player, Lee Edwards, so that is really going to help us out on offense.
Gopher Hole: How about the defense? You shut out Lakeville South in the season opener and held Eastview in check, shutting them out in the second half last Friday. How pleased are you with the defense this season?
Greg Menard: I think that it has really shaped up nicely. I was a little bit worried because we lost nine starters from last year, but we have stepped up and I would say probably just about as good as we were last year on defense.
Gopher Hole: How about your own individual play?
Greg Menard: I am pretty pleased. It is really tiring playing both ways sometimes, but once you get into shape and get used to it, it works out fine. I think that I have four sacks now (through three games) and quite a few tackles, so I think that it is going well.
Gopher Hole: You mentioned playing both sides. You are playing running back this year. How do you like that and have you played that position before?
Greg Menard: It is actually my first time playing running back. We had worked on it during two-a-days in the summer. It is fun. It is tiring, but it is fun to just get in there on both sides of the ball and have an impact on the game.
Gopher Hole: Do you think that it helps you as a running back having played defense or visa versa?
Greg Menard: I think that my defense probably helps my offense than my offense helps my defense. When I am running on offense, I think I know what the defense is planning to do and react to what I believe that they are going to do.
Gopher Hole: What is the latest on your recruitment right now?
Greg Menard: I have been talking to a lot of FCS schools. Montana State a lot recently. Obviously, I am at the Gopher game today. I have been to a South Dakota State game as well and I think that I am going to a NDSU game two Saturdays from now. I have been talking to North Illinois a lot recently and I am about to send out my tapes of the first two games of my senior year. It is going well. We have to see where it goes from here with this new tape going in.
Gopher Hole: Do you think that helps you now that you are playing offense and showing a little more versatility to your game?
Greg Menard: I think that helps a lot, too. Basically, I am playing linebacker and defensive end, so it makes it look like I am a more versatile player and more appealing player, if say something doesn't work out, there is a backup plan and there are other things I can do, not just play defensive end. I can do multiple things, I think.
Gopher Hole: How many offers are you up to right now?
Greg Menard: Eight. I've got North Dakota State, North Dakota, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Montana, Illinois State, Army and Harvard.
Gopher Hole: What do you think that you need to show those Division I schools that you can play at that level as well?
Greg Menard: I just think that my game tapes. That is where most it came from. I talked to NDSU in April and that is where I got my first offer. I put my tapes up and things really picked up from there. I went out and visited those colleges. I think the biggest thing to do is for you to show interest in them before they are going to show interest in you. I think that was the one thing we learned was the biggest and most important thing about recruitment.
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from the Gophers?
Greg Menard: They want to see my game tapes from my senior season. Probably a couple more weeks, I'll hear the more in-depth details of what is happening.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to play for the home state school?
Greg Menard: It would mean a lot. To have everyone around you, know who you are from Lakeville. I think that it would be a great experience to play for Minnesota. Stay home, close to family. All the parents come to every game and stuff like that.
