Louisiana Football: Interview with John Curtis 2020 OL Robert Pizzolato
Written by Charlie Beuttel
Twitter: @charlie_cds3
John Curtis is one of the best high school programs not only in the state of Louisiana but also in the country. The 27-time state champions also produce great student-athletes who excel not only on the football field but also in the classroom. One of the next stars who will make the leap from this Patriots program to the collegiate level is senior offensive lineman Robert Pizzolato.
The 6-4, 300-pound, senior is one of the leaders of this team who helped John Curtis win their first two games of 2019 with a goal of winning a 28th state championship. Pizzolato has tremendous footwork and has the great ability to drive back defenders opening holes for his team’s running game from his tackle position. The Class of 2020 prospect currently has five college offers and is receiving interest from numerous other colleges after attending several camps this past summer.
In an exclusive Recruiting News Guru interview, I sat down with Robert to discuss his high school career at John Curtis and his recruiting process.
Interview
Robert, what are your thoughts on your individual performance during your junior season?
“I was really happy with my performance during last season. I worked on speed and agility during the offseason, and it really helped me during each of the games. I feel that my performance consistently improved throughout the season, and I definitely felt that I was getting better after each game.”
What are your strengths on the football field?
“My strengths on the field include my ability to drive the defenders back which allows our runners to make tremendous gains. I made huge improvements in my leg and hip strength during the past summer, and my bench, deadlift, and squat were vastly improved. The training seems to be paying off. I really worked on my footwork, and I feel that it allows me to change direction to take out defensive players and open up holes on each and every play.”
Did you win any individual honors last season?
“I was named first team All-State.”
Do you have any college offers?
“I currently have college offers from Southeastern Lamar Vermillion, Culver-Stockton, Mississippi College and Arkansas-Monticello.”
Are there more schools showing you interest?
“I have many schools that have shown interest in me, and I just recently became NCAA eligible when I scored a 21 on my ACT.”
Did you attend any college camps this past summer?
“I attended camps at Tulane, LSU, Southeastern, Alabama, and a Rivals camp.”
What was your favorite camp and why?
“My favorite camp was at Tulane because all of the Louisiana coaches were there. All of my friends and team members were there too. It was lots of fun.”
What did you work on the most this past offseason?
“The thing I worked on most this summer were my lifts. I trained extremely hard with my dad, who was a bodybuilder and powerlifter for many years. He helped me train on all of my lifts. I am extremely happy with the improvements that I made. I was working on things that I never did before such as board presses, rack pulls, partials, and banded lifts. The bands were an awesome addition to my training, and the improvements that I saw in my lifts were a direct result of training my weak points during each workout.”
What game left on the schedule are you most looking forward to playing?
“I am looking forward to playing the game against Archbishop Rummel. My dad went to Rummel, and so did everyone he knows. I am the first person from our family that attended John Curtis, and from the moment I walked through the door, I felt like I belonged there. It is an awesome school, and I have so many friends on, and off, the team.
I feel that the Rummel game will be the one that determines who will win the Catholic League. When Curtis moved up to 5A, so many people told me that we were finally going to see what it was like to play with the “Big Boys!” I have been working ever since then to help Curtis continue the winning ways that they have had over the last 50 years.”
What is your max squat and max bench in the weight room?
“Ever since I started working out with my dad, I have been focusing on improving my speed and strength in the bench, squat, and deadlift. Although I have done max effort singles, we do not focus on lifting maximum weights. However, we focus on lifting with “maximum effort.”
For example, I am currently performing 12 sets of 3 reps with 265 in my bench press. I do those sets very fast and explosively. I have increased my overall workout tonnage for the squat, bench and deadlift over the last six months. I also train for the combines by doing as many reps as possible with 185 and 225. My best lifts so far are: bench – 320 x 1 (225 x 17), squat – 580 x1, and deadlift – 540 x1.”
What is your current GPA?
“My current GPA is 2.8 and I scored a 21 on the ACT.”
What do you want to study in college?
“I want to study business in college.”
What do you like most about playing at John Curtis Christian School?
“The thing I like most about John Curtis High School is the family atmosphere. Everyone knows everyone in the school, and we always have get-togethers for the entire school including all the parents. It is really cool that all the parents are involved, and there is always something fun going on at the school.”
What are your individual and team goals for your senior season?
“My individual goals for this year are to be named first team All-State, play the best games of my high school career, and to show my talents to all of the coaches out there looking for a lineman who is willing to go the extra mile for the team. As far as team goals, we want to go back to the Dome and win another state championship.”
Who has had the biggest impact on your football and why?
“I would have to say it is my dad. Although he never pushed me to play football, he is always there to push me to get better in whatever I do. He is never too busy, and he drops what he is doing to help me train or work on my skills and on my drills. When my friends come over, he always has time to help them train too.”
Do you have a favorite Bible verse?
“As a matter of fact, I do have a favorite Bible verse. It is from Psalm 23 and I think it is very fitting for me as a lineman in the trenches. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
Thank you for your time and good luck in your senior season.
“Thank you, sir.”
Photos credit: twitter.com/robbiepizzolato; Robert Pizzolato at LSU