Tyson Schilling is an explosive and athletic 5’11, 170 lb. WR from Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul. The now senior, who posted a 4.6 40, a 38″ vert, and accounted for over 300 total yards and a TD in his first season…
Tyson Schilling is an explosive and athletic 5’11, 170 lb. WR from Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul. The now senior, who posted a 4.6 40, a 38″ vert, and accounted for over 300 total yards and a TD in his first season playing wideout last year for the Raiders. After a long offseason that included camp visits at Minnesota State-Mankato, Duluth, North Dakota, and the University of Minnesota that earned himself an offer from NAIA competitor Judson University, the St. Paul athlete has helped his 6A squad to a 3-0 opening record in 2019. Northstar Football News was lucky enough to get an exclusive interview with the speedy wideout. Let’s check in with Schilling and hear his thoughts on his game, 2019, and his college football recruitment.
So tell me a little bit about yourself:
I’m from Mendota Heights, Minnesota. I started playing football probably around kindergarten so the 5-6 year old age range. I have an older brother who is two years older than me so my dad would move me up and play with my brothers age group to make myself better and develop my game. Some fun facts about myself is that I am a very social person, I love positivity and being outgoing, and I actually run my own business. I customize and paint shoes on my off time and have a great love for art. I’ll design shoes for different people whether it’s cleats, basketball shoes, or even some plain old walk around shoes. I’ve always loved to express myself and be different then other people so designing shoes was the perfect way for me to show that. What I love about football is the emotion in the sport. I’ve always been criticized for having too much emotion in everything I do and being so competitive. When I’m on the football field, it’s almost as if none of those judgments apply anymore and you can straight up just have fun. Football has always been a passion and dream of mine since I’ve been a little boy, and I’m nowhere close to stopping.
Tell the readers at NFN what you love about football. Also, elaborate on CDH’s season last year. What were some highlights and lowlights? What did you learn from it? And how was your season personally?
What I really like about football is being able to be competitive, physical, and the fact of just having fun with my teammates. There isn’t many sports like football that you have so many guys on your team but yet feel so close to all of them. You really develop a brotherhood that will last a lifetime and I think football out of all 4 sports I’ve played in my life, does that the most. Last year at CDH was my first year there. I transferred from Henry Sibley High School which is located in Mendota Heights. I came in as a QB and was eventually changed to a WR and started every game. Last season was one of our worst ones, we lost in the first round in the playoffs for the first time in ages. We barely broke above .500 as we finished 4-5 on the season. I still learned and enjoyed a lot about last season. It was great to finally be around guys that all had the same work ethic as I did and wanted to be great. As I transitioned to WR, I learned a lot from my former teammate Peter Udiobok (now Gopher WR) who really helped me develop work on my game as well as the coaching staff. I really didn’t feel comfortable that much last year because I was still the new guy, in a new position, not really knowing what to expect. Personally my season was alright I thought but I still feel like I didn’t prove myself as much as I wanted to. I thought it was an alright year at a new position but I was determined to be better next season.
What are your expectations for yourself and the team this season? How have you guys built on last year? How was the offseason? What’s it like playing football at CDH and what do you like about the program?
This season feels almost like a brand new team. We got a new head coach as well as coaching staff, and the teams bond is unbelievable. Our 2020 class is the hardest working group of guys I’ve been around and we are all determined to accomplish the same thing, eat Thanksgiving together before the state title game! All off-season since our new coach came he has really flipped things around. Coach Chuck brought in new expectations and goals that the team all agrees with, and are able to work for. We worked out all winter following through the end of the year. We have had a really good summer as well as two a day sessions preparing for the season. A new culture has been developed. I feel super confident in our team this year, and we can’t wait to make a statement this season.
In your own words, tell us about your first few games! Who’d you play? How’d they go?
We are currently 3-0. Our first game was against Osseo. We won 26-12. Unfortunately I didn’t play more than 8 minutes that game because I had just gotten out of a boot two days before the game. It was a solid opening win on the road, but still had lots to work on. The following week we played East Ridge for our home opener and we won 24-14 in a solid team win. It’s always nice to beat up on a rivalry school and walk out with the W.
Lastly we just beat Roseville the other night in a blowout 35-7. We really ran the ball well and completed some solid passes. We had a lot of penalties we need to work on as 5 total touchdowns were called back do to flags.
What are you looking for in a college football team and what do you think you can offer to a team as well? Can you elaborate on your recruiting process, your off-season/camp grind, contact with schools and who you are interested in?
What I’m really looking for in a college football team is somewhere that I can make an impact as soon as possible. I’ve always thought that a teams culture plays a big role in how successful they are as well and I find that very important. What I can offer to a team is not only my outstanding work ethic but my dedication and passion towards the game. I’ve always had a dream since I’ve been a little boy to play college ball. I bring great energy and positivity, and I love to be a role model for others. As of now I am very open to all schools at all levels to show interest in. I don’t want to close any doors with any schools as of now until I really know a good few target schools I’m interested in and can eventually start narrowing down my list. I’ve been contacted by quite a good number of schools at all levels ranging from Juco to Division 1. Lots of schools I am communicating with really want to follow me throughout my senior season to have a better idea of where we stand after that. I spent most of my summer traveling to camps. Mainly D1 and D2 camps. I impressed many coaches with not only my numbers but my ball skills as well. I attended the Nike Opening and got a 89 SPARQ score. I probably attended around 7-8 camps this summer. I want to attend a school that I am able to use my athletic abilities as not only a WR but an athlete as well. I know that I will find the right fit for a school and don’t want to force anything. I want to be at a school that wants me just as much as I want them. I don’t plan on chasing any schools if they aren’t necessarily interested in me as much as I am in them. Recruiting has been absolutely great since last season and I am more than thankful for the position I am in. I don’t know as of now where I will end up, but right now I am focused on having fun and enjoying my senior season! I know that the recruiting part of it will all take care of itself.
Keep an eye out for #15 and his Raider teammates as they compete for a 6A state title in 2019!