Over The Pylon

Each year we at OTP attempt to reach out to the incoming Cardinals to try and pull back the curtain a bit on the future of this program. Last season, we were fortunate to touch base with the likes of Connor Ryan, Zane Fakes, Kitt O’Brien, Jason Pinkston, Ethan Buckles, and Eric Williams, and this season, it begins again anew with the current group of recruits chomping at the bit to get into Cardinal and White.

Today’s guest in the OTP interview spotlight is David Schneider. Schneider makes his way to Muncie from Cincinnati, OH and Moeller High School, where he helped lead the team to a 9-2 senior season record. Most in Ohio, or those that follow Ohio sports will tell you that Moeller is one of the powerhouse programs in the Cincinnati area and David certainly made the most. While there, Schneider has received First Team All Conference, MVP for the Crusaders 2008 football season, Honorable Mention All City, Honorable Mention All Tri-State, and was a co-captain for the 2009 Crusader season. Oh… by the way… the young man carried a 3.7 GPA through all that football success, proving yet again that BSU not only recruits talent, they also don’t ignore the “student” in student-athlete.

Two stars from both Rivals and Scout, Schneider had offers from     . OhioVarsity.com said of Schneider, “Big, physical tight end can be a factor in both the passing and running game” and ranked him the #9 TE prospect in the state. The 6’3″ 230 lb TE chose Ball State over fellow MAC brethren Northern Illinois, Kent, Eastern Michigan, Toledo, and a slew of others.

OverThePylon: Can you sort of recap your experience getting recruited to play Division 1 college football and which BSU coaches were your chief recruiters? What were some of the schools that showed major interest? What were the schools you considered heading to?
DavidSchneider: When I first started to get recruited by BSU is was when Coach Deion Melvin came to Moeller and saw me in the weight room. My coach told me he liked what he saw and would be in touch. We talked a little bit here and there but once I got my first offer from Toledo, Ball State offered me within the next week. The recruiting process was a lot of fun and a lot different than what I would have ever expected it to be. I visited a lot of places the biggest ones being Michigan, Michigan State and Notre Dame. I knew that I had no desire to go to a school where playing time was going to be extremely hard to obtain as an underclassman and I knew that if I played in the MAC I would be setting myself up for success. I looked at most of the schools that ended up offering me and I narrowed it down to really Northern Illinois and Ball State. I visited Northern first and I liked it but I didn’t know if it fit me very much because of its location. But when I went to Ball State, I knew right away that this felt like me. I made a list up before I started this process that consisted of what i would like to get out of a school and BSU had everything and more.

OTP: Everyone knows last season was a challenging one for the Cardinals. How does that motivate you going forward for success on the gridiron?
DS: Last season was hard to watch but when you take a step back and really evaluate the season before it was easy to get past. When you lose that many great seniors it’s hard to win the MAC two years in a row. It really gives me a drive to do as much as I can to help the Ball State program because I saw the year before and what it was all about. I’m extremely motivated to get up there this summer and lift with the team because I can’t wait to be a Cardinal. I hope that having me there will fill a missing piece of the puzzle because I’m coming to play.

OTP: You held offers from several other MAC schools, but clearly made the right choice. What was the tipping point for you that made you become a Cardinal?
DS: The part that really sold me was the coaching staff. They are such a great group of guys that really seemed to care about the kids. I know that whenever my coach called me he had already made a nickname for me and always wanted me to talk about what I’m doing and not just tell me about why I should come there. They were really a trustworthy group and I knew every word that they told me was 100% true. I’m extremely happy with my decision and know it was the right one.

OTP: Can you tell us what you think will be the hardest thing adjusting to playing in the MAC and for BSU?
DS: The hardest thing to adjust to will definitely be the speed of the game. They always say that college is ten times faster than high school and coming up to see some games that fact held true. Another thing that is going to be an eye opener is the new offense that I will have to learn because I’m used to the names we have given different formations and steps and routes and they run a whole new offense I’m not used to. So just studying offenses and learning what I should be doing at what time and where.

OTP: What sort of tight end have you been up to this point? A move behind the line sort of pass catcher? A hand in the dirt blocker? A hybrid of the two? Any word from the coaching staff about what you can expect next fall?
DS: So far in my career I’ve been a hand in the dirt blocker and at times a slot tight end. As a junior I was more of a receiving tight end when I caught 32 balls but as a senior we really stressed running the ball so it would open up the pass but we became so successful running the ball we really got away from passing. This really helped me because I wasn’t a great blocker as a Junior but when we started running the ball and I started getting to be a really physical blocker I really enjoyed it. Coach Parrish and I have talked on 2 occasions about my role as a tight end and he tells me that I will be on the line most likely back side where we run the ball most of the time. We are going to run 2 tight ends and I will run patterns like outs, corners, digs and so on. He is really excited about how big and mature I am right now and says that I will hopefully see time this coming season.

OTP: This incoming class is another in a long line of solid recruiting classes for the Cards. What are your thoughts about class chemistry? Have you been able to connect with many of your fellow future Cardinals?
DS: This recruiting class is really a great one. I have watched numerous highlight tapes and read a lot of stuff up on my fellow teammates. I have them all as friends on Facebook but not much communication between us yet. I have talked to Odis [Prunty] quite a few times since we matched up against his team on the field this year. Hopefully once the spring game comes along the recruits will get together and we can become a closer group because I see the ability of these guys and it’s crazy.

OTP: What things are you considering majoring in at Ball State? Looking forward to the academic side of the house?
DS: I have been looking into business stuff as a major but not sure which category yet. My dad is a successful business man and I’ve just always looked up to him. I have a really outgoing personality so I think the sales world would be a good fit for me.

OTP: Most of our readers know quite a bit about your football prowess on the field. Any hobbies or talents off the field that would surprise some folks?
DS: One of my favorite things to do off the field is to fish. It has always been a hobby of mine and next to football it’s one of my favorite things to do. I always really like to play basketball also. I was never a football player till my freshman year in high school because I traveled so much for basketball but I had to give up playing on the high school team so I could live up my dream of playing a D1 sport.

OTP: Anything to say to the Cardinals fans who will have the privilege of watching you over the next few years?
DS: If I could tell the fans one thing it would be to not lose hope on this team because Coach Parrish is a great coach. He told me from day 1 my junior year that last season could be a rough one because the players didn’t have much experience at the college level but he has molded this team all last year and I know from talking to him that this year is going be a huge year for the cardinals. I hope to meet all the great people who support BSU and get to know everybody.

A heartfelt thanks to David for taking time out to sit with OTP and give some phenomenal insight into the recruiting process and the future of this program. As a personal note, and putting on my fan hat, it sort of keeps things in perspective about this coaching staff when I meet people like David or really any of the incoming recruits. Despite the challenge of a less than expected record last season, Coach Parrish is universally lauded by most that meet him. The young men he’s bringing in are talented on the field, and off it, and far from the sort of problems that other programs deal with on a daily basis. Kudos to the staff, and thanks again to David for the great interview.

Other 2010 Recruit Interviews: QB: Keith Wenning | S: Aaron Morris

Filed under: Ball State, Recruiting |