When Academics Creates Athletic Excellence

It is a wonderful thing when the game of football creates opportunities because of academics and not the other way around. It is of little consequence how the opportunity arrives, just as long as there is a spot on the team and lifelong friendships ensue. It is in that locker room where the strongest relationships are formed and always last a lifetime. Through the tough days of training camp where character and toughness show themselves and the development of the human condition is advanced long past what every player can even fathom.

Luke Fisher & Shemy Schembechler

Luke Fisher does not come to Michigan as a highly sought out recruit that makes the rankings of the most elite players that will dawn the maize and blue. But make no mistake that he belongs on that very same team that they do and there are more reasons that one can count. We can start with a tenacious work ethic that extends to every aspect of his life as both a student and an athlete. This is where he thrives in the weight room, on the practice field, in the classroom and in his hometown of Plymouth as an unglorified offensive linemen.

Luke will be entering one of the very top engineering schools in the nation and will be wearing the uniform of the winningest college football program as well. Those of us that know him the best, especially his parents Mike and Pam, have fostered all the traits that will make Luke a success whatever he decides to do. It has been an honor and a complete privilege to work with this rare and unique talent that will contribute to the greatness of Michigan.

We always love to point out great accomplishments of the great players in our program but this one demands special mention!  Ben Wierenga is one of the most unique athletes where his skill set not only makes him an outstanding football player but now he has reached the pinnacle by making the Under-18 United States National Rugby Team!

We have always been proponents of multi-sport athletes as the diversification provides great value to develop more well rounded players on the gridiron!

How he manages two full time sports is nothing short of miraculous and should be revered by college football coaches across the country!  Take a look at the following interview to gain a good understanding how special this young man is!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mfwo2qiqd5vj4xi/BenInterview.mp4?dl=0

Best of luck Ben!  We know that you will succeed!

 

If there is one thing that is unequivocally true when it comes to football is the idea of production.  The predominant thought is that it only relates to on the field, and that could not be further from the truth! Production comes from all sorts sources and lead into progress in many ways.  There are great lessons to be learned when anyone can apply these into their daily life.

Spencer Jones has done nothing but take that production into everything that he does, from the classroom, to the practice field and all places in between.  Nevermind that every single game that we scouted over the last two years he consistently produced double digit tackles.  His nose and instincts to find the ball are what separates him from many in his class. The same is true for his outstanding work in the classroom where he carries a 4.0 GPA through his entire high school career.

When this happens, the likes of every every high level academic institution comes calling from the Ivy league as well as the most elite military colleges in the nation.  The idea that one of those schools was West Point speaks to the level of commitment that is required of those who are willing to take on the ultimate challenge, this is what Spencer Jones is all about.  Even though he has yet to lead his Vandegrift HS team into the 2018 season, he is ready mentally, physically and emotionally to represent our nations finest now that he is fully committed to the greatest military institution in the land, The United States Military Academy!

A special thanks to his parents Jeff and Michelle who are the most responsible for forming this exceptional student athlete as he prepares to make his mark!  Go Army! Beat Navy!

We are so very fortunate at GES Advisory Company to attract the very best and brightest in the coaching community!  Today’s announcement is no different with the addition of one of the most renowned coaches in the state of Colorado!

Reid Kahl comes to the GES Team with an extensive football background. His father, Rick, was a highly successful high school coach in Fort Morgan, CO. His brother Kent was a high school All-American and fullback at the University of Iowa where he was Team MVP in 1994. He was also a scout for the San Fransisco 49ers.

After playing collegiately at the University of Northern Colorado, Coach Kahl began his coaching career under his father, serving in various capacities including QB and DB Coach, Special Teams Coordinator, and Offensive Coordinator. While coaching at Fort Morgan High School, The Mustangs won state championships in 1992 and 1999. They were also state runner-up in 2001 and made 12 state playoff appearances. During the stretch of 1998-2001, the Mustangs compiled a record of 50-4.

After a short stint at Coronado HS in Colorado Springs, in 2006 Coach Kahl was named the head coach at Wheat Ridge HS in Denver, CO. In his first year, Wheat Ridge went 13-1 and won the 4A state championship. He was named Colorado HS Coach Of the Year. In 2008, The Farmers capped off a 14-0 season and again won the Colorado 4A State Championship where Coach Kahl was named All Colorado Coach of The Year. In 2010, Wheat Ridge was the state runner-up, losing to a Christian McCaffrey -led Valor Christian team. The Farmers were also state Semi-finalists in 2010. In 2013, Coach Kahl was named a Top 5 coach in Colorado by USA Today. He finished his career at Wheat Ridge in 2013 with a record of 79-19, and 14-3 in state playoff games.

After moving back to Northeastern Colorado in 2014, Coach Kahl was the Head Coach at Brush High School in 2015 and 2016, where he led the Beetdiggers to the state quarterfinals in 2015. He has been a featured speaker at numerous football coaches clinics, and has also been invited to work several football camps including The University of Colorado, The University of Iowa, and Colorado State University, as well as The University of Wyoming.

Reid has 4 children. Kalen-24, Ryen-20, Hayden-7, and Landry-6.

The march of the GES program continues to become the national standard as we add another stellar partner to our outstanding team.  Today we present Brent Musarelli who joins us from one of the great football towns in America of Toledo, OH!

Brent comes to the GES Team having a deep background in football coaching and recruiting.  Having served under a couple of the greatest coaches in Toledo football history in Gary Pinkel and Tom Amstutz.  Coach Pinkel is still the winningest  coach in Toledo history.  Having been on the staff from 1994-2001, Coach Musarelli served in a variety roles including  coaching the offensive line, assisting on special teams as well as coordinating scout teams.  He also spearheaded recruiting efforts in northwest Ohio and southeastern Michigan.

During his tenure in the program, the Rockets captured two MAC championships, three MAC West Division championships and appearances in the Las Vegas and Motor City bowls which turned in victories on both contests.  This also included three finishes in the top 25.

In addition to Brent’s role with GES, he also serves as a home mortgage consultant for Wells Fargo in the Toledo area in Ohio.

Emerson Kilgore proudly joins the GES Team with a plethora of playing and coaching experience over the past 15 years. Kilgore is one of a small number of athletes in the mid 1990’s, from the state of Rhode Island, to earn a Division 1 scholarship. Kilgore accepted a scholarship offer to Syracuse University after playing High School Football at Pilgrim High school in Warwick RI. He started off as a Defensive Tackle, however was moved to Offensive Guard for his last 3 years with the Orangemen. Kilgore played in all games from 1998 to 2000, which included playing in the 1998 Orange Bowl and the 1999 Music City Bowl.

Kilgore graduated from Syracuse with a Bachelors of Science in Child and Family Studies. Once finished with the Orangemen in 2001, he played on teams like the New England Patriots, Hamilton Tigercats (CFL) and the Toronto Argonauts (CFL). Kilgore then landed a coaching job at Canisius College in Buffalo NY. At Canisius, he started as the Tight End Coach in 2001 then moved to the Defensive Line Coach in 2002. In addition, Kilgore entered Graduate school at Canisius and earned a Master’s of Science in Sports Administration. When Canisius cut the football program Kilgore decided to move back home to Rhode Island and continue his coaching career. He coached High School football with the Lasalle Academy Rams. Kilgore help coach these athletes to a Rhode Island Division 1 Superbowl berth in 2004 and 2005.

In 2006, Kilgore moved on to become a Defensive Coordinator at Sharon High School in Sharon Massachusetts. After a 1 year stint in Sharon, he moved on to coach at Bristol Plymouth Vocational High School in Taunton Massachusetts. Kilgore coached these players to the Massachusetts Vocational Superbowl in 2007. From here, Kilgore had an opportunity to play again with the New England Surge (CIFL) in Worcester Massachusetts. He was the Surges starting Offensive Lineman in 2007 and 2008. After the New England Surge folded and his playing days ended, Kilgore has worked in many football camps in the New England area. He currently is a partner in All Star Elite Football Academy https://www.allstarelitefootballacademy.com/ which runs camps in RI, MA and ME. His primary mission is to stress the importance of education, citizenship and to raise the level of Rhode Island High School football to the highest possible.

‘LOCK YOUR JAW AND GO TO WORK!”  These are the words that embody one of the greatest coaching legacies in the history of the Big 10 conference but more importantly, these are the words that emanated from one of my fathers’ closest friends.  William Guy Mallory, known to many as the “Mal-Man” was representative of all the things that make college football great.  Bo Schembechler knew these attributes as well as anyone and could identify them from a mile away.  Honesty, Discipline, Integrity, Toughness and Loyalty were staples of the Mallory philosophy and permeated every football team he ever coached.  Those teams were always prepared and rarely beat themselves.

As a young NFL scout, it is important to understand how to appreciate players that come from a strong culture that is built by those who believe in their coach. My days going through the halls of Indiana Football was a consistent reminder of what it was like at my home town program in Ann Arbor, MI.  Michigan and Indiana were mirrors of each other with the types of people they produced.  It should come as no surprise what a simple transition it was for Mike, Doug and Curt to arrive from the Mallory household in Bloomington to the University of Michigan. While the transition would be simple,  make no mistake that it is still hard just as it should be. Bo loved each and every one of them because they brought with them the character that was necessary in the locker room. This was the character that created success not only for the team, but also long after they have their degrees.

Coach Mallory’s legacy is clearly endowed well into the future as his boys continue to perpetuate all the critical life lessons that he wove into their character.  God Bless you Coach Mallory, we will miss you and will never forget you.

Will Croom joins GES’s staff as a partner!

Croom’s recent accomplishments include starting his business of 1st String Performance Football and Skill Development. There, he provides small group and one-on-one training for athletes through year-round skill development programs, in turn, helping numerous athletes earn football scholarships to universities. In addition to this, he works with Team Mass Elite 7v7 High School travel team where he connects promising high school football prospects within his vast national network of college scouting, national recruiting services and college coaches. In the Fall, he will serve as an assistant coach for the Middlesex School, which is a private High School in Concord, Massachusetts.

Croom played football for the University of West Georgia, and following his collegiate playing career, he signed a contract with the New England Surge AFL2 franchise before taking on his 10-year personal training and coaching career. He has also acted as the Wide receivers coach for Division III Worcester State University, Head Strength & Conditioning and Running Backs coach for Billerica Memorial High School.

We will be in attendance at the Northeast Showdown next month on April 21st and 22nd as we celebrate the launch of this outstanding partnership!

We are so very proud of the expansion of the GES program now that we have embarked on year three in which we have expanded to 22 states and are showing no signs of slowing down! It is because of the addition of the very best in the coaching and scouting industry!  Today’s addition is without a doubt no exception!

 

Brandon Williams represents the very best when it comes to taking chances and being resilient enough to make the risk proof to be worth it. When he took the chance to leave his home state of Nebraska to attend The University of Michigan, it would be a decision that would pave the way for a great future in the NFL and then in coaching and player development.

After a long career in the NFL spanning 6 teams as well as one in the CFL, Williams has established himself as one of the top speed and secondary coaches in the state of Texas. This is where he brings his vast coaching experience to develop all levels of football players from youngsters all the way to the high school and college ranks.

Coach Williams is surrounded by a team that is second to none with  his wife Stephanie ad two boys that are built out of blue twisted steel in Jayvont and Brayden!

We welcome this outstanding addition as we continue to develop in the great state of Texas!

Every now and then we are very fortunate to get some outstanding prospects that come into our system that we know have a great chance to make great contributions to their future college programs.  Hilliard Bradley’s (OH) own Kory Taylor and Matt Araiza from Rancho Bernardo HS (CA) are certainly no exceptions.  When it comes to the ability of projecting talent, it is incumbent upon us to find the best fit for each of the young men that we are fortunate enough to work with.  If there is one thing that I can say about each of these fine young men, it is IF they dedicate themselves to their craft and more importantly to their teams, they will afford themselves the opportunity to one day play in the NFL.  Let this message serve as notice that the chance is out there but they must push themselves way beyond what they believe they can, their work ethic must be beyond reproach and they must be willing to demand more from themselves if they are to reach this goal!

Kory signed his Letter of Intent to attend Purdue University where he will play WR where he brings his 6’5 and 210 pound frame with very good speed, athletic ability and intelligence to the Boilermaker program.

He has all the tools necessary to become a premiere player in the Big 10 conference where he will have the ability to provide matchup problems not only to defensive backs in  man to man coverage, but also a very good red zone threat when it comes to production around the goal line.

Off the field, he will be attending one of the very best engineering schools in the nation when by the time he graduates, he will have positioned himself to achieve whatever goals he aspires to once his football career is through. A great amount of credit goes to his parents Kevin and Cyndi as well as his marketing guru and brother Kyle!

 

Matt will be attending San Diego State this coming fall as the very best kicking specialist I have been fortunate to evaluate since the beginning of the GES program.  A multi-sport athlete throughout his career having excelled in soccer, track as well as football, Matt handled all of the kicking duties on the gridiron while starting at Safety as well.

It is his great athleticism and outstanding leg power that allowed him to be a 3-time all CIF kicker that will allow him to see the field in 2018 for the Aztecs.  He also brings an outstanding academic resume with him where he will be pursuing a degree in business.

Plenty of credit goes to his parents Rico and Kerry who have been nothing short of outstanding to work with. He is without a doubt a great example of what a student-athlete is all about.

 

A special thanks go out to Ron Roesink, Mike Loparo and Cree Morris who have fostered these great young men and who are very much responsible for helping them get to this point in their outstanding careers!