Tom Kirsch, a senior offense tackle from Hartland (WI) Arrowhead, is one of the top linemen in the Midwest. Arrowhead finished 13-0 last season, winning the WIAA Division 1 state title 35-14 over Sun Prairie. They were dominant all season, winning every game by at least 20 points.
Gopher Hole caught up with Kirsch to learn about his game, his goals and his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: What camps did you get a chance to attend this summer?
Tom Kirsch: I couldn’t really attend any camps because last season, I was injured. I dislocated my knee twice and I had surgery in the offseason, so during the camps in June and July, I couldn’t go to any. But in late July, I had the opportunity to go to Minnesota and North Dakota State for a camp
Gopher Hole: Were you able to participate or did you attend the camps just to go to the colleges?
Tom Kirsch: I participated. They weren’t looking at very closely. I just went up there to talk to the coaches a little bit and see around a little bit more.
Gopher Hole: How do you feel that you performed at the camps?
Tom Kirsch: I could have done better. It was my first time hitting in almost a year from when I got injured to that date, so it was almost a year before I actually hit someone so it felt good to actually knock some rust off.
Gopher Hole: So did you actually play last season?
Tom Kirsch: I got hurt in the first game. I started our first game and then I got hurt in the second half and then I was out for the season.
Gopher Hole: I am sure that had to be frustrating as a competitive kid to have to sit out even though your team was able to win the state title?
Tom Kirsch: Definitely. It was hard, but I still played a couple of plays in each game like in the second half, but I wasn’t starting because it hurt to play on it too much. It sucked, but I’m back and I am ready to play this season.
Gopher Hole: Do you feel like you are a 100% yet?
Tom Kirsch: Yes. I am 100%. We had a scrimmage yesterday and it was awesome. I played really well in that. I was coming off the ball fast and quick.
Gopher Hole: You had a great season last year, going 13-0 and your closest game was a 20-point win. I know that you lost a few key seniors, but you have a lot of important players back. What are the expectations for the upcoming season?
Tom Kirsch: They are pretty high. It is like ‘Don’t compared yourself to last year. We are a good team. We haven’t done anything. Last year, the team won the state. This year, we have not won anything. We’re bad. We’re horrible. Coach Malling is teaching us that we have to get better. We have to get to that level. That we haven’t done anything. Expectations are there to do well and practice hard every day and come out and hit, but to know that we haven’t won anything.
Gopher Hole: What colleges are you hearing from right now?
Tom Kirsch: It’s like Northern Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota State. I was talking to Wisconsin a little bit. A couple of Ivy Leagues have come visit me during the spring.
Gopher Hole: Do you feel that unfortunately, your recruitment is a little bit behind schedule because of the injury and not being able to go to all the camps you wanted to attend?
Tom Kirsch: No. I don’t feel like I am behind because still care about your senior year and they are still evaluating you and coaches are still coming in, so I am not nervous about where I am.
Gopher Hole: Are you going to try to send out some game films to schools?
Tom Kirsch: Yes. I definitely will be. I’ll be sending out highlight films as soon as possible,
Gopher Hole: Do you know which schools you will sending those out to?
Tom Kirsch: I will definitely be sending something out to Minnesota, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois. There are some other schools that visited. I’ll just send them out and I’ll send to Wisconsin and the Big Ten schools that visited during the spring.
Gopher Hole: Have you thought about trying to go to some college football games this fall?
Tom Kirsch: Yes. I have gotten invites from North Dakota State. I have been talking to the coaches of all the schools that I have already named and I am sure that they will be asking to some of the games.
Gopher Hole: Do you have anything set up yet?
Tom Kirsch: No. I am working on that. There is nothing set up yet.
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from the Minnesota coaches?
Tom Kirsch: To work hard. We really care about your senior season. That is what they have really been telling me. Just work hard, play hard and good things will happen.
Gopher Hole: You don’t have any scholarship offers yet, but what would it mean to get your first offer?
Tom Kirsch: It means that all my hard work has paid off. Going through surgery and not being able to play my junior year. Sitting, watching that. Everything that I have gone though has paid off. I finally succeeded in what I want to do.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to get an offer from Minnesota?
Tom Kirsch: It would be to even more to my success. It is a Big Ten school. It is a big name school and it means that I can play at that level, which is just great.
Gopher Hole: Minnesota has recruited your high school quite a bit in the past. Is that how they found out about you?
Tom Kirsch: Through (Arrowhead) Coach (Greg) Malling. The school bell rang and we were walking out of the school and Coach Malling introduced me to Coach Zembrowski and then I went there for a spring game and he visited during the spring period and I called a couple of times during the summer and I went to the camp, That is how I really got to know Minnesota.
Gopher Hole: Did you get a chance to go to many Junior Days?
Tom Kirsch: Yes. I went to a couple. I went to Wisconsin’s Junior Day. I went to Minnesota’s spring game. I went to Iowa State’s Junior Day, too.
Gopher Hole: You were listed at 6-5, 250 pounds last season. What are you up to right now?
Tom Kirsch: I’m 6-6, 295.
Gopher Hole: How were you able to put on nearly 45 pounds since last season?
Tom Kirsch: That was also part of it during the summer being able to run with all that weight I put on and get back to moving quickly. I am back there. I am moving as quickly as I was last year. I have got a lot of work on, but I am ready.
Gopher Hole: Is that about the weight you want to be during the season?
Tom Kirsch: Yes. I want to be that weight, but I want to be able to move and hit just as faster, if not faster.
Gopher Hole: 250 pounds is a bit light for a tackle at a higher collegiate level. Do you feel that by putting on that weight and getting stronger and bigger, that you can definitely at that higher level?
Tom Kirsch: Yes. Definitely. Last year, I wasn’t worried about it. Coach Malling and my line coach, Coach Panos and Coach Leo, they were really confident in me. They said “Don’t worry about the weight, they’ll come to you if you get open. They didn’t say that I couldn’t play. They thought me that if I wanted to play, I could. Just got to get better physically and technique and the height and weight will come. I am fine with where I am at and I am comfortable playing with it.
Gopher Hole: You also wrestle. Do you think that helps you with football in terms of footwork, strength training and things like that?
Tom Kirsch: Most certainly. My freshman year, I was slow and fat (laughing) and then after wrestling, my sophomore year, I was on the varsity. I wasn’t expecting it, but they told me that I was moving faster and said that I looked good, so they wanted me playing up there. I was more physical and could hit somebody. Wrestling helped out a lot with hand placement and footwork. How fast your feet are moving.
Gopher Hole: You see a lot of lineman playing football. Do you think there is a correlation between those two sports?
Tom Kirsch: Yes. There definitely is, but not enough people know about it. In the end, you are fighting someone to beat them and just like football, you are fighting someone to beat them. In the line, you are hitting someone to push thjem off the line to win.
Gopher Hole: Do you do any sports in the spring like track and field?
Tom Kirsch: Track. Shot put and discus
Gopher Hole: Were you able to compete much because of the injury?
Tom Kirsch: No. I didn’t go out for track this year. I was in physical therapy when it started.
Gopher Hole: Are you planning on participating in track as a senior?
Tom Kirsch: Yes, definitely. I’ll be doing it.
Gopher Hole: Do you come from an athletic family?
Tom Kirsch: Neither of my parents played sports or my siblings, but my uncle play baseball at Illinois.
Gopher Hole: What is going to be the main thing that is going to make you pick School A over School B or C?
Tom Kirsch: It is how will I fit in to the school, the campus. The education that I will get. It is how well I will fit in.
Gopher Hole: Have you thought about a possible college major?
Tom Kirsch: I am leaning towards a degree in engineering.
Gopher Hole: What is your GPA?
Tom Kirsch: I got a 3.6. I have been on the Dean’s List for the last three years.
Gopher Hole: Have you taken the ACT or SAT yet?
Tom Kirsch: ACT. I had a 25 on it and I am taking it again in October.
Gopher Hole: Have you even thought about when you would try to make a decision on a school? Are you going to wait until after the season or have you even thought about that?
Tom Kirsch: No, I have not thought that far. I am just worried about playing this season. I’ll just wait until the end of the season to have good things come.
Gopher Hole: What is your relationship with Coach Zebrowski been like so far?
Tom Kirsch: It has been good. I really like him. That is what made me want to go to the camp at Minnesota. You talk to him. He is nice. He is really friendly. He is the kind of guy that you can sit there and talk to a little bit and not worry about what you are doing or what you are doing wrong. You can really just talk to him.