Size vs. Motor: Interview with Bishop Amat High School DE Andrew Vasquez

Some guys are just born to be great football players while other guys have to work hard to become a great gridiron warrior. Those born with the God given talent and ability normally come with the one thing even the greatest coach in the world cannot teach, size. A prototypical defensive lineman in the NFL is somewhere in the range of 6-foot 4-inches and packing 265 plus.

This mentality of cookie cutter prototypes at every position on the field has, by and large, infested the college ranks seeing a measurable get a scholarship offer over production on the field.

The good news is there are the rare occasions where a college coach sees just enough on tape or in person to give the undersized a shot. The hope could be wrapped up in the thought that once on campus the young man could hit one more growth spurt matching the heart and motor with the desired size.

This scenario just might be the fate of Bishop Amat High School defensive end Andrew Vasquez.

Before listing out measurables swaying the number crunchers away from young Mr. Vasquez consider this, Andrew was First-Team All-Mission League racking up 45 solo tackles, 20 assisted stops, 7 sacks, and 1 safety during his junior campaign. The Los Angeles area native put up the great stat line playing against some of the top teams in the area: Crespi High School, Alemany, Chaminade, Notre Dame, JSerra, and Centennial just to name a few.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview Andrew sat down to go over his junior season, recruiting interests, and getting ready for his senior season.

 

Andrew, first thing first, what a great run the Lancers had into the playoff finishing 9-4 after a semifinal loss in the playoffs to Centennial 38-37. As difficult as it maybe please walk us through the team’s mindset going into the season and through the playoff run.

“Going into the season we had high expectations. At the end of 2013 there were a lot of us that were moved up to varsity during our sophomore year. Our class had played well together early on, my freshman year we went 10-0. We’ve been dreaming about winning a CIF championship.

“It was tough going into 2014. There were a lot of expectations on us. We were inexperienced starting out. We lost our first game, but that kind of woke us up a little bit. The next week we played against Texas state champs (Aledo High School) on the road, on a short week. Our team bonded together, we went in there, won by a good margin (42-7). That opened our eyes knowing we can compete with anyone. We got on a roll from there until Chino Hills (45-28). Our main thing was to keep on going, stay on track. We went into league and lost to Crespi in OT (32-31) but after that game we started hitting our stride and gelling as a team.

“After that the momentum was in our favor. We had a lot of support from our alumni and fans. We haven’t had a high caliber team since 2009. We knew we had something special. In the playoffs we played Lakewood in the first round (47-18). The next game we played JSerra (Junipero Serra), that was a highlight win for the season. No one expected us to win that game. We didn’t worry about anyone else and just went out and played. In the third round we lost by one point in the end to Centennial (38-37). That was heartbreaking.”

Centennial went on to beat 2014 national champs St. John Bosco 48-41 before losing to De La Salle in the state finals 63-42.

How do the Lancers look heading into the 2015 season?

“We’ll be pretty good. I think we have 16 returning starters, 8 or 9 starters returning on defense and a couple on the O-line.”

What does the team have to do next year to replicate and improve upon the season you guys had in 2014?

“We need to keep playing together and always stick up for each, and just be a team. Coach (Steve) Hagerty, says “it’s not always the best teams that win championships but the teams that play for each other that win.” We can’t let the other person next to us down and keep striding to be better. We have to continue being a unit.”

What will be the strength of this year’s football team?

“Probably our defense. We took some lumps last year but that will make us better this year.”

What are your strengths on the field at defensive end?

“I am strong with my pass rush. I go 100 percent every play. My speed sets me apart. I’m obviously not the biggest guy out there but I out hustle my opponent and wear them out. My hard work and speed are my biggest strengths.”

What are your goals for the 2015 football season?

“My goals for next year are to win CIF and try to get that state title with my team.”

What about personal goals, any lofty stat lines or anything like that?

“Personally I’d like to win All-League again and be All-CIF. Having 20 sacks would be good and a lot of tackles for a loss.”

Will your role change this year? Will we see you on offense or at a different position?

“I’m still playing defensive end but I’ll have more of a leadership role. My role will change with all the seniors leaving. My leadership role will include me being more vocal and motivating everyone.”

Looking back, how do you feel about your play on the field in 2014?

“I think I did pretty good for my first full year as a varsity starter. There is always room for improvement, getting stronger and faster. I’m working on using my hands and using more of my moves. I would get away from the fundamentals, I have to get back to the technique more.”

What schools are recruiting you right now?

“Cal Lutheran, Whittier College, Chapman, and Humboldt are all showing interest. Humboldt emailed me – I’m supposed to talk with the coach soon.”

What type of feedback have you received from these colleges?

“The Cal Lutheran coach said he was really interested and that I played really good and they’ll be looking at me. Whittier College, they have one of my old coaches there. I’ve talked to him a couple of times. They’ve invited me to a couple of games.”

When the time comes to make a decision on where you will play your college ball what will influence your decision?

“The major that I want to pursue, my career goal is to be a RN (registered nurse) or a physical therapist. Kinesiology is one of the majors I’m looking into. That will be a big impact on my decision.”

What are you doing in the offseason to prepare for your senior year?

“I’m training with my trainer every Saturday working on my technique and speed work. I’ve been working on my footwork as well everyday.”

Are there any college or NFL guys you watch to learn more about how to play your position?

“I like UCLA but I liked watching Leonard Williams (USC), he’s just a monster. JJ Watt (Houston Texans), I look up to him. He’s really good with technique. I try to take what I see from Saturday and Sunday and put it into my own game.”

Who has made the biggest impact on your football career?

“I have two. First, my dad (Eddie). Growing up I never really liked football. My dad pushed me towards it and it’s stuck with me. My ability to play the game came from Brigham Harwell (UCLA/Washington Redskins). He’s taught me everything I know. Going into my eighth grade year I didn’t know what position I wanted to play. He’s taught me everything about the position.”

What is your favorite part of playing football?

“Just being out there, it’s an escape from school and all the work. When I’m out there, even at practice for three hours, I leave everything off the field. Football helps me get my mind off of things and helps me through everyday life.”

 

Watching Andrew get after it on the field several things jump out. One, he is fundamentally sound, and two, he hits harder and plays bigger than his size. A 2014 college comparison would be Arkansas Razorback defensive end Trey Flowers, another “undersized” defensive end at 6-foot 2-inches.

Andrew’s collegiate path may not be at a Power Five Division-I school because of his size but like many before him, size does not always matter on the gridiron. For example, Jerry Hughes was a two-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year at TCU, and Sergio Kindle was a two-time Second-Team All-Big 12 selection at Texas. Kindle was listed at 6’2.5” and Hughes came in at 6’1.5”. Both Hughes and Kindle barely pushed the 250-pound range by the time they left their respective campuses. Other “undersized” defensive ends that not only excelled at the collegiate ranks but made it to the NFL include 5’11”, 255 pound, Elvis Dumervil (Miami) and 6’1”, 260 pound, Dwight Freeney (Syracuse).

Vasquez is just finishing his junior season. He has time to put on weight, if that is what he wants to do, and perhaps go through another growth spurt inching towards the prototypical measurables college coaches want. But the other thing college coaches should not overlook is Vasquez is a football player, pure and simple. Dominating at defensive end against guys 50 to 100 pounds heavier in high school could help him make the jump to another spot on the field at outside linebacker.

What the future holds for Andrew is still uncertain but with his on the field motor, sporting a 3.8 GPA, and a strong work ethic one can bet it will be bright no matter where he chooses to go or what he chooses to do.

 

Written by Ryan Wright

Photo credit: Bishop Amat High School