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Q&A: Noah Kuehn, A Wendy's High School Heisman Award Finalist, Excited to Play for MN
Q&A: Noah Kuehn, A Wendy's High School Heisman Award Finalist, Excited to Play for Minnesota
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/474169?referrer_id=388419
Noah Kuehn, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound senior offensive tackle from Eagan (MN) High, recently committed to Minnesota as a preferred walk-on. Kuehn helped lead the Wildcats to a 5-5 mark this past season, losing to Prior Lake 20-14 in the second round of the Class AAAAAA playoffs.
Kuehn is an excellent student, who was one of the finalists for the Wendy's High School Heisman Award.
Gopher Hole caught up with Kuehn to learn the latest on his decision.
Gopher Hole: You committed to Minnesota as preferred walk-on last week. What was the reason that you decided that Minnesota was where you wanted to be?
Noah Kuehn: It was one of the only opportunities that I had at the D1 level, so that made it easier, because I want to play at the highest level possible, but also the academics that they have there. My sister (currently a junior) actually goes to the "U," so I know a lot about their engineering programs and that is what I want to get into and they are really top tier, so once you combine D1 football with top tier academics, it was a pretty easy choice.
Gopher Hole: What other schools were you looking at besides Minnesota when it came down to it?
Noah Kuehn: I had been talking to both NDSU and SDSU and more of your D2 Minnesota schools, like Minnesota State Morris.
Gopher Hole: Did you have any scholarship offers yet?
Noah Kuehn: No, I did not.
Gopher Hole: Did you have any preferred walk-on opportunities?
Noah Kuehn: It was brought up multiple times, but it was never officially offered to me.
Gopher Hole: How did Minnesota find out about you?
Noah Kuehn: That is a good question. I had e-mailed them awhile back. This was before the Junior Day happened and then I went to the Junior Day and I got all the contact information. I went to a couple of camps. I went to both the Big Man Camp and the Senior Day Camp. I just kept badgering them. I shouldn't say badgering them, but I kept talking to them and kept giving them video. It was a long, long process, but I'm glad it got to the point where we are now.
Gopher Hole: Did you get a chance to go to many games this year?
Noah Kuehn: Yes. My sister is in the marching band, so my parents buy tickets anyways, but I got a couple of times when I didn't need to pay for the tickets.
Gopher Hole: What games were those?
Noah Kuehn: I think it was Northwestern and I want to say Iowa.
Gopher Hole: What were your impressions of the Gophers this year?
Noah Kuehn: I think that they are doing great things. It is too bad that they couldn't close out the season a little bit better, because it is always tough to end the season on a loss, but I think that they are a program that is going in the right direction and that is another main reason that I choose them, because I want to be a part of that.
Gopher Hole: You played mostly offensive tackle at Eagan. Is that the position they are at you playing at Minnesota?
Noah Kuehn: Yes. The whole tackle part might be up in the air, because an offensive lineman is basically an offensive lineman. I'll play offensive line. I long snap a little bit, too, but that is more of a side gig than anything else.
Gopher Hole: Do you play left or right side?
Noah Kuehn: This year, I played left tackle.
Gopher Hole: Have they talked to you about the expectations for you? To be honest, most offensive linemen will redshirt to get a little bigger and stronger.
Noah Kuehn: Unless some really weird things happen, I will redshirt, just because it is so much different between a 23-year old man and basically a 19-year old and I am completely fine with it, because I understand that is the way that it works with schools always.
Gopher Hole: I know that you are a really good student with a 3.9 GPA. Has academics always been important to you?
Noah Kuehn: Yes. It comes mostly from my parents (his mother is a teacher). They have always pushed me to do my best and my sister always did really well in school. I am a competitive person, so I have always wanted to be beat her academically. I have always been a good student. That is just what I do.
Gopher Hole: You used to play basketball, but you don't anymore, right?
Noah Kuehn: No, I don't. I wanted to focus on the weight room. I just noticed that my leg strength wasn't where it needed to be. I liked basketball, but I could live without playing it. This spring, I'll be on the track team, throwing the shot put and discus.
Gopher Hole: How did you do in that last year in those events?
Noah Kuehn: I'm all right at it. I am, by no means, as good as a thrower as I am a football player. It is more, to be honest, to get in the weight room and get that work as part of a team because it is easier to lift with other people than by yourself. I did all right, but nothing spectacular.
Gopher Hole: You look at a lot of linemen and many of them throw the discus and shot put because of the weight training that you mentioned, but also the foot work. Do you think that helps you as an offensive lineman?
Noah Kuehn: Yes. Absolutely. That is something that I got from basketball, because my foot work is so much better.
Gopher Hole: You were a finalist for the Wendy's High School Heisman Award. What was that experience like?
Noah Kuehn: I had never been to New York before, so that was cool, in its self, but to get everything free and to be at the ceremony. It is something that I will never forget. It was really cool and everyone there was super talented as well. I thought it might be weird and that everyone might be kind of nerdy, but they were really sociable and it was a really fun time
Gopher Hole: How many people were invited to New York?
Noah Kuehn: It was six boys and six girls and two people from your family. You could bring more, but you had to pay for them
Gopher Hole: Did you get to see much of New York City?
Noah Kuehn: Yes, that was basically what we did when we weren't doing the Heisman part of it. We toured New York, which was super cool, because they never took to any of the bad part of New York (joking). It was really cool, especially because everything was free and we always got to go right to the front of the line, like when we went skating at Rockfeller Plaza. No one else was allowed in.
Gopher Hole: What has been the reaction of your friends and family since you committed?
Noah Kuehn: All of them are really supportive of that because everyone seems to want me to play at the U of M, because that is the hometown team. My sister and my parents are ecstatic, my sister especially, wanted me to go to the U. That is the place that she wanted me to go. Everyone is really excited. They haven't had a football player from my school go to this sort of level in a long time. They are a bit pumped up about that, too.
Gopher Hole: It will be nice for your sister, who will be playing in the band and you will be on the field as a player?
Noah Kuehn: Yes. She has said that she is going to make signs, which I am not too excited about.
Gopher Hole: Do you have many of your classmates that are going to Minnesota?
Noah Kuehn: Yes. My school sends a bunch of people to Minnesota every year and a bunch of people that I know, too. That is the nice thing about the U.
Gopher Hole: What things are you going to be working on to get ready for summer camp?
Noah Kuehn: I will be staying in the weight room, which is a big thing for me. I am also doing some, I wouldn't call it full-fledged yoga, but I am doing some work on my flexibility, which is a big thing for a linemen. They said that they would sending me their workouts soon, which will be great to have a little more guidance.
Q&A: Noah Kuehn, A Wendy's High School Heisman Award Finalist, Excited to Play for Minnesota
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/474169?referrer_id=388419
Noah Kuehn, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound senior offensive tackle from Eagan (MN) High, recently committed to Minnesota as a preferred walk-on. Kuehn helped lead the Wildcats to a 5-5 mark this past season, losing to Prior Lake 20-14 in the second round of the Class AAAAAA playoffs.
Kuehn is an excellent student, who was one of the finalists for the Wendy's High School Heisman Award.
Gopher Hole caught up with Kuehn to learn the latest on his decision.
Gopher Hole: You committed to Minnesota as preferred walk-on last week. What was the reason that you decided that Minnesota was where you wanted to be?
Noah Kuehn: It was one of the only opportunities that I had at the D1 level, so that made it easier, because I want to play at the highest level possible, but also the academics that they have there. My sister (currently a junior) actually goes to the "U," so I know a lot about their engineering programs and that is what I want to get into and they are really top tier, so once you combine D1 football with top tier academics, it was a pretty easy choice.
Gopher Hole: What other schools were you looking at besides Minnesota when it came down to it?
Noah Kuehn: I had been talking to both NDSU and SDSU and more of your D2 Minnesota schools, like Minnesota State Morris.
Gopher Hole: Did you have any scholarship offers yet?
Noah Kuehn: No, I did not.
Gopher Hole: Did you have any preferred walk-on opportunities?
Noah Kuehn: It was brought up multiple times, but it was never officially offered to me.
Gopher Hole: How did Minnesota find out about you?
Noah Kuehn: That is a good question. I had e-mailed them awhile back. This was before the Junior Day happened and then I went to the Junior Day and I got all the contact information. I went to a couple of camps. I went to both the Big Man Camp and the Senior Day Camp. I just kept badgering them. I shouldn't say badgering them, but I kept talking to them and kept giving them video. It was a long, long process, but I'm glad it got to the point where we are now.
Gopher Hole: Did you get a chance to go to many games this year?
Noah Kuehn: Yes. My sister is in the marching band, so my parents buy tickets anyways, but I got a couple of times when I didn't need to pay for the tickets.
Gopher Hole: What games were those?
Noah Kuehn: I think it was Northwestern and I want to say Iowa.
Gopher Hole: What were your impressions of the Gophers this year?
Noah Kuehn: I think that they are doing great things. It is too bad that they couldn't close out the season a little bit better, because it is always tough to end the season on a loss, but I think that they are a program that is going in the right direction and that is another main reason that I choose them, because I want to be a part of that.
Gopher Hole: You played mostly offensive tackle at Eagan. Is that the position they are at you playing at Minnesota?
Noah Kuehn: Yes. The whole tackle part might be up in the air, because an offensive lineman is basically an offensive lineman. I'll play offensive line. I long snap a little bit, too, but that is more of a side gig than anything else.
Gopher Hole: Do you play left or right side?
Noah Kuehn: This year, I played left tackle.
Gopher Hole: Have they talked to you about the expectations for you? To be honest, most offensive linemen will redshirt to get a little bigger and stronger.
Noah Kuehn: Unless some really weird things happen, I will redshirt, just because it is so much different between a 23-year old man and basically a 19-year old and I am completely fine with it, because I understand that is the way that it works with schools always.
Gopher Hole: I know that you are a really good student with a 3.9 GPA. Has academics always been important to you?
Noah Kuehn: Yes. It comes mostly from my parents (his mother is a teacher). They have always pushed me to do my best and my sister always did really well in school. I am a competitive person, so I have always wanted to be beat her academically. I have always been a good student. That is just what I do.
Gopher Hole: You used to play basketball, but you don't anymore, right?
Noah Kuehn: No, I don't. I wanted to focus on the weight room. I just noticed that my leg strength wasn't where it needed to be. I liked basketball, but I could live without playing it. This spring, I'll be on the track team, throwing the shot put and discus.
Gopher Hole: How did you do in that last year in those events?
Noah Kuehn: I'm all right at it. I am, by no means, as good as a thrower as I am a football player. It is more, to be honest, to get in the weight room and get that work as part of a team because it is easier to lift with other people than by yourself. I did all right, but nothing spectacular.
Gopher Hole: You look at a lot of linemen and many of them throw the discus and shot put because of the weight training that you mentioned, but also the foot work. Do you think that helps you as an offensive lineman?
Noah Kuehn: Yes. Absolutely. That is something that I got from basketball, because my foot work is so much better.
Gopher Hole: You were a finalist for the Wendy's High School Heisman Award. What was that experience like?
Noah Kuehn: I had never been to New York before, so that was cool, in its self, but to get everything free and to be at the ceremony. It is something that I will never forget. It was really cool and everyone there was super talented as well. I thought it might be weird and that everyone might be kind of nerdy, but they were really sociable and it was a really fun time
Gopher Hole: How many people were invited to New York?
Noah Kuehn: It was six boys and six girls and two people from your family. You could bring more, but you had to pay for them
Gopher Hole: Did you get to see much of New York City?
Noah Kuehn: Yes, that was basically what we did when we weren't doing the Heisman part of it. We toured New York, which was super cool, because they never took to any of the bad part of New York (joking). It was really cool, especially because everything was free and we always got to go right to the front of the line, like when we went skating at Rockfeller Plaza. No one else was allowed in.
Gopher Hole: What has been the reaction of your friends and family since you committed?
Noah Kuehn: All of them are really supportive of that because everyone seems to want me to play at the U of M, because that is the hometown team. My sister and my parents are ecstatic, my sister especially, wanted me to go to the U. That is the place that she wanted me to go. Everyone is really excited. They haven't had a football player from my school go to this sort of level in a long time. They are a bit pumped up about that, too.
Gopher Hole: It will be nice for your sister, who will be playing in the band and you will be on the field as a player?
Noah Kuehn: Yes. She has said that she is going to make signs, which I am not too excited about.
Gopher Hole: Do you have many of your classmates that are going to Minnesota?
Noah Kuehn: Yes. My school sends a bunch of people to Minnesota every year and a bunch of people that I know, too. That is the nice thing about the U.
Gopher Hole: What things are you going to be working on to get ready for summer camp?
Noah Kuehn: I will be staying in the weight room, which is a big thing for me. I am also doing some, I wouldn't call it full-fledged yoga, but I am doing some work on my flexibility, which is a big thing for a linemen. They said that they would sending me their workouts soon, which will be great to have a little more guidance.