Benet junior Pierce Walsh had a humble start to his football career.
“I started playing with a youth league team in Downers Grove and didn’t even make the gold team,” Walsh said. “I was on the silver team, which was considered more of a developmental team.
“I look back at that now, and I never thought this day would come.”
Part of his drive came from always imagining brighter days in the future.
“That’s something else you really look forward to when you grow up playing football,” he said. “The Friday night lights — there’s nothing like it.”
Now, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Walsh is as an elite tight end and edge rusher, ready to get to the next level under those Friday night lights for the Redwings.
His status as a top college recruit also is no longer in doubt.
Walsh, who announced his commitment last week to Minnesota, is a three-star recruit according to 247Sports.com. He’s ranked as the No. 20 player in Illinois for the 2023 class.
“This is a dream come true,” Walsh said.
Walsh said his final decision came down to Minnesota and Big Ten rival Rutgers. He also had offers from Army, Air Force, Bowling Green and Central Michigan.
The deep local connections at Minnesota proved too tempting to pass up. Golden Gophers coach P.J. Fleck was a star at Kaneland and Northern Illinois.
Recruiting coordinator Brian Callahan, the offensive line coach and run game coordinator, is a former Gordon Tech standout. He also played at Eastern Illinois, where Walsh’s father, Frank, played football.
“You’re around those guys every day,” Walsh said. “There are guys on the team from St. Charles, a kid from Providence and a bunch of other kids from Illinois.
“We have a lot in common. We should be able to create an instant bond.”
Friendships, camaraderie and shared experiences have always connected Walsh to the game, according to junior receiver/defensive back Luke Bafia.
“Pierce is a great player and an even better friend,” Bafia said. “You can always count on him to be cracking jokes. He is a great guy to be around.”
Furthermore, junior quarterback Anthony Picciolini said Walsh’s talent allows him to fit in anywhere.
“I think the part of Pierce’s game that is going to be translate to the next level is his rare blend of having really good speed and great size,” Picciolini said. “Having a 6-foot-4 target with his speed is really tough to defend against.”
Walsh also has the luxury of playing in a new era.
The Big Ten is no longer the run-dominant league legendary Ohio State coach Woody Hayes once characterized as “three yards and a cloud of dust.”
In a more open and passing-oriented conference, the tight end takes on greater significance as a hybrid threat.
Walsh has been timed at 4.5 in the 40. He has the speed to play on the outside. He has the size to play at the line of scrimmage.
Minnesota offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca also has been installing new passing schemes.
“You have to be a smart player,” Walsh said. “You have to know pretty much everything — how to run routes, how to block, how to break in your routes. It’s a pretty dynamic position.”
Best of all for Walsh, a college recruiting experience that toggled between exhilarating and overwhelming has been settled.
“My focus now is now on my senior season,” Walsh said. “Winning a state championship and helping my boys I have been with since middle school.
“Once that finishes up, my next goal is to move on to Minnesota.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.