By: Mike Stacey⏐Writer⏐Twitter: @MikeStaceyIT
Credit: Twitter @cterek77
I had the opportunity to talk with Notre Dame commit Chris Terek out of Glenbard West High School in Illinois. Chris was the last O-lineman to commit to Notre Dame after being previously committed to Wisconsin. Once the Irish showed interest and Chris got on campus, he knew Notre Dame was the place for him, like so many others from the 23 class. Chris is another exemplary Notre Dame Offensive Lineman. He's big, athletic, and has a great character. Another guy who just gets what it means to be a Notre Dame Man.
Check out our conversation below!
On what his recruiting process was like:
Chris: " My recruiting was a little different from other peoples. I didn't have any offers until after my junior year and then the coaches started coming in and they would work me out and after every workout I would usually get an offer."
On what his main factors were in looking at schools:
Chris: "Obviously academics was a big one and then from a football standpoint, I wanted to go somewhere that develops offensive lineman. My top schools were Wisconsin, Iowa, and Notre Dame. It was really just about where I felt I fit in the best."
On why he chose Notre Dame:
Chris: "So I was committed to Wisconsin for months. That originally was the school I planned to play at. Once Coach Chryst got fired and Notre Dame started talking to me I decided I was only going to talk to Wisconsin and Notre Dame. I felt good with Notre Dame after my first visit, but it was hard for me to flip. I am not the kind of guy to decommit and go somewhere else. But after I got down there the first time and got a feel for everything, the culture that Coach Freeman is building is just insane. I just felt that I wanted to be a part of that program and everything coach Freeman is bringing to Notre Dame."
On when he knew he was going to choose Notre Dame:
Chris: "The first time I went down there was for an unofficial for the Stanford game. They lost and it was probably their worst game of the season. I was there for the team meeting the following day. He addressed the team and stayed positive throughout the whole speech. It just really showed how much faith he has in his players and how he really believes in this program being turned around and how that one loss didn't affect their whole season. Seeing how coach Freeman was responding to the loss and the energy. Everyone knew there were much bigger things coming and they can do better. It just felt like everyone was still focused, not freaking out and just working on doing better next week."
On where he sees himself fitting into the offense:
Chris: "They see me as a right guard."
On what his goals are for the upcoming season:
Chris: "I want to get stronger in the weight room for sure, change my body. I really want to work on my technique and keep fine tuning everything and working every day."
On what his relationship is like with the rest of his class:
Chris: "We talk all the time, we're in a big group chat. The O-lineman are tight too we talk personally and just can't wait to get there and get to work with each other. It's exciting."
On what some of his hobbies are outside of football:
Chris: "Wrestling is a big one for me, I've wrestled all my life. I like fishing and being outdoors. I'm from Texas, so, I moved a couple years ago."
On who is the funniest guy from the 23 class:
Chris: "Jagusah can crack some jokes, he's a funny dude for sure."
On who is the tough/intimidating guy in the class:
Chris: "I would say our whole O-line group. We got some good dudes coming in and we're going to have a nice O-line in a few years. We're all focused and ready to go to work."
On who is the NFL player he compares himself to/aspires to be like:
Chris: "I have to go Notre Dame with Zach Martin and Quenton Nelson. Quenton Nelson has been one of my favorites and then David Decastro, the Steelers guard, has always been my favorite player growing up.
On who is favorite NFL team is:
Chris: "I'm a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. We were close, didn't make it, but I'm happy with the season."
On his favorite spot on Notre Dame's campus:
Chris: "I mean the campus there is unbelievable. The area by the Dome is awesome, but it is great everywhere really."
On his recent visit with Coach Freeman and Coach Stuckey:
Chris: "It went really good. We had dinner and talked. They got to meet the family which was nice. My mom wasn't able to go with me to my visit, so she finally got to meet coach Freeman. It was cool. We got to talk and get to know each other better. He let me know that things are changing at Notre Dame and our class is going to be the start of that. He is finding guys that fit that Notre Dame mold. Notre Dame is a lot different than any other place I've visited. The people are different there, it's a different kind of energy, it's first class."
I hope you all enjoyed the interview! If you are like me, the talk about this new energy in the program and on campus is both refreshing and wildly exciting. It seems that players like Chris Terek not only understand Coach Freeman's vision and passion for this program, they share it, and they're ready to get to work and make it happen!
Irish Fans, give Chris a follow on Twitter and Instagram @cterek77! Thanks for reading and as always, Go Irish!
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