Schofield embodies Sandburg's no-quit attitude

At 6-foot-7, 280 pounds, Mike Schofield could be excused for exhibiting a streak of cockiness on the football field from time to time.

You know, pound his muscular chest after recording a tackle for loss, or maybe stare down a fallen quarterback after registering a sack.

But that's just not his style.

The Sandburg lineman prefers to allow his performance to do the talking.

"Mike's just so unassuming," coach Dave Wierzal said of his two-way lineman. "All he does is line up for the play and go very, very hard up to the whistle - but without the unnecessary stuff you see in other athletes. For a kid as talented as Mike is, that's pretty rare to see. He's a no-nonsense type of kid."

And an extremely gifted one.

It's one thing to have the strength to bench press the home bleachers, it's another to possess the athleticism to chase running backs across the field.

Schofield is as freakish a lineman as the area has produced in some time.

"I think it was against Andrew when there was this play where Mike was playing defensive tackle," said Wierzal, who ranks Schofield among the very best who have played at history-rich Sandburg. "The play was going away from him and the Andrew kid is headed toward the end zone. You see Mike fight off his block and make a sprint burst and he catches the kid. When you see where he was when the play started and where he's at when the play ended, it's just amazing the ground he covered."

Especially for a kid who is 6-7 and 280 pounds.

It's no wonder major Division I college programs were lining up for his services.

In the end, Schofield selected Michigan.

"I just felt comfortable with Michigan," said Schofield, who played wide receiver and linebacker with the Orland Park Pioneers youth program. "I liked the coaches and everything about it."

Any regrets with the mighty Wolverines struggling this season?

"Not at all," said Schofield, who wears size 16 shoes. "I know we're going to be good real soon."

Schofield's 75 tackles and three sacks might suggest he play on the defensive line in Ann Arbor. However, the Century Junior High graduate prefers the offensive line.

"The thing about being an offensive lineman is that you have to be more accountable," Schofield said. "If you give up a sack, everybody blames you. At the same time, you have to play together as a line and be able to work with the guys next to you. It's going to be a challenge at Michigan, playing against guys who are four and five years older. I just want to have an opportunity to start. I plan on being ready."

While Schofield is excited about his collegiate career, he still has business to attend to at the high school level. Sandburg finished the regular season at 6-3 and will travel Saturday to Brother Rice for a Class 8A first-round match-up.

"Our team never gives up," said Schofield, who plans to pursue a career in education and wants to coach. "There is no quit in us. We have a lot of tradition to live up to and we want to advance as far as possible in the playoffs."

Speaking of living up to tradition, Mike's younger brother, Andrew, is a junior on the Eagles' team. At 6-5, 225, Andrew doesn't possess the bulk his brother does, but Division I programs have taken notice.

"He just needs to keep working hard and lifting weights," Mike said. "He's getting better every day."