Interview with Battle Tested St. Thomas Aquinas OC Louie Berkowitz

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

Certain high school associations should award something akin to a lifetime achievement award to various players meeting certain criteria once their playing days have finished. One player immediately deserving of such an award is St. Thomas Aquinas center Louis Berkowitz.

Berkowitz is a well battled tested machine coming up through the ranks in one of the toughest high school proving grounds in the nation… Florida. The 6’3”, 290 pound, lineman has been a starter at center since his sophomore season playing for American Heritage (Plantation, FL) butting heads with future All-SEC and All-ACC players game after game. Berkowitz has done more than just hold his own, he has grown into a solid all-around center with great technique and fundamentals and, equally as important, possesses great knowledge of the game.

Giving a little insight how Berkowitz has helped influence the teams that he has snapped for in the past, American Heritage went 15-1 in 2013 and 13-3 in 2014 winning state championship titles. Now the Class of 2016 recruit is anchoring the offensive line for arguably the best team in the nation. The Raiders are coming off a 15-1 season winning a Florida state title in their classification with high expectations to repeat in 2015 and challenge Bishop Gorman for a national high school title.

Despite his size and playing experience, Berkowitz enters his senior campaign with interest but no Division-I offers. Expect that to change quickly, but the mind numbing fact still remains. How can a recruit with Berkowitz’s resume still be on the lookout for that first offer? Teams showing interest include Penn, Cornell, Dartmouth, Davidson, West Point, Lafayette, and Marist.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview I sat down with the Raiders’ talented center after Aquinas bounced on Booker T. Washington winning 35-3 snapping the Tornadoes 41-game win streak getting his thoughts on the rest of the season and some insight on his recruiting process.

Interview

Louie, you’ve transferred from one big Florida high school team to another. How did American Heritage do last season on the field?

“We won state. I know we lost three games. I forget how many games we won, maybe 12 or 13 (13-3).”

You were playing at a high level with American Heritage, what prompted the transfer to St. Thomas Aquinas?

“It is a different kind of story. I was at University my freshman and sophomore year, and my whole middle school career. When Coach (Roger) Harriot left for Florida Atlantic I left too, as well as about 15 other kids. I went to American Heritage. At that point I thought that would be the best fit for me academically and athletically. Then Coach Harriot came back to high school coaching and that’s when I decided to transfer to play my last year with my first head coach.”

How has the transfer into St. Thomas Aquinas gone for you so far?

“It has actually been really easy. My teammates welcomed me like a brother immediately. It was not a hard transition at all. I was familiar with the system and I had a bunch of friends at St. Thomas anyway. I didn’t skip a beat.”

You guys came out against Booker T. and took care of business, you guys are loaded with talent, but how does the team look going forward for the rest of the season?

“We’re really talented obviously. I feel that our best asset is how close we are as a team. Due to how the coaches are, we don’t let the little things get to us in the games, adversity and stuff like that. I think state is something we are looking forward to making happen and maybe, if we stay undefeated, a national championship is in the works.”

What are some of the things the team needs to do in order to have that successful season?

“We need to run the ball effectively the whole season. Our defense is always going to be solid, we won’t have to rely on them, we should always be able to score points and let the defense do their thing which they will. Stay close as a brotherhood and not letting outside distractions affect us. Like when other teams start talking to us, like the coaches say, we just have to do our thing and execute. If we execute no one can stop us.”

What are your goals for the 2015 football season?

“I just want to play the best football I can possibly play. Be a leader on the offensive line and, I’ve been playing pretty well the last couple of games, I just want to keep that up.”

Do you guys get blocking grades after each game?

“Yeah.”

What have your grades been so far?

“I graded at 98 percent vs. Dillard and 93 percent against Booker T.”

How do you go about your preparation for a game each week?

“I usually watch film on Sunday to get the gist of what they are doing and what their scheme is. On Monday after practice, I’ll watch film on practice for that day and then I’ll watch the game in more detail. I’ll watch the D-line and linebackers to see what they are doing. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday that is a refresher, by then I know what I’m looking for. On Thursday I know what I’m doing and I just prepare myself mentally for the game.”

What were some of the things that you did in the offseason to prepare for your senior year?

“We had summer workouts the whole summer from early June until a week before camp. Every day with our strength coach working together as a team getting stronger and faster. We worked on the little things too like the muscles in your shoulders, ankles, and knees to prevent injuries. Also working on bulking up the big muscles in the lower and upper body.”

Did you see a big jump in physical gains with your workouts?

“Yeah. Definitely. I saw a change in my body type. I feel a lot more confident in my strength and my quickness going into the season which will help my blocking.”

What is your bench press and squat max?

“My bench press max is 285 and my squat max is 500.”

Did you go to any one-day college camps over the summer?

“Yeah, I went to Dartmouth, Cornell, and University of Pennsylvania.”

How did the camps go for you?

“Really well. I think I showcased who I was to them. They all want to see my three game highlight tape. After that I think it’ll blow up in a couple of weeks from now.”

What other schools are showing interest in your right now?

“Davidson, West Point, Lehigh, Marist, Lafayette and that’s it for right now.”

What type of feedback have you received from these colleges about your ability as an offensive lineman or center?

“A lot of them like my football IQ and how I know the game really well. They like that a lot. They know once I get to college I’ll be ready to go once I learn the playbook. My technique, they say, is really good. I’ve had a lot of great coaches during my high school career. I guess my strength and quickness on pass and run blocking is good too.”

I’d have to think due to the level of competition you’ve played against that would be a strength for you as compared to a lot of the recruits going to some of those schools.

“With those type of schools – I’ve been playing against kids that are going to Alabama and kids like that who have all those offers. I’ve been going against those kids since I stared as a sophomore. My fourth game as a sophomore starter I played against a kid that committed to FSU (Florida State). That’s experience unmatched. Experience a lot of the kids in the Ivy League will not have.”

I agree with you wholeheartedly. What are the main factors you look at when you start considering which school you may choose for college?

“The No. 1 by far is education which maybe obvious for me by the schools I’m interested in. The big thing for me, location is all the same all up in the northeast, but the big thing is really a family atmosphere. Another thing is how well I get along with the coaches. When you go to the camps and you’re working with the offensive line coach do you feel a connection with the offensive line coach? He’s going to be your coach for four years. That’s the guy you’re going to put your heart and soul into. That’s huge for me.”

Is there a college or NFL player you like watching play the game?

“I really like Mike Pouncey. He’s the center for my home town team the Dolphins. When I watch a game I like to see how physical he is because he is one of the best in the league. I watch him all the time.”

Do you know want you want to major in when you go to college?

“Probably something to do with business or finance and then maybe law school after. Then maybe I’ll go into business law or financial planning, something like that.”

What is your cumulative GPA?

“3.8.”

What did you score on your ACT?

“29.”

Who has made the biggest impact on your football career?

“Two coaches, Coach (Ryan) Schneider, my offensive coordinator, and Coach Harriot, my head coach. They were both at University my freshman and sophomore year and they’re both at St. Thomas Aquinas this year.

How have they impacted you?

“They’ve made me a lot smarter in the game. They taught me how to study football. They’ve helped me become a better person in practice and they taught me how to work hard. They’ve helped me become a real football player.”

Louie, good luck the rest of the year.

“Thank you.”

 

Photo credit: flicker.com; Louie at The Opening camp in Miami.

Photo credit: twitter.com; No. 54 Louie Berkowitz in a St. Thomas Aquinas team photo.

Photo credit: Louie Berkowitz; No. 54 Louie Berkowitz vs. Booker T. Washington.