LA CROSSE — Will Flottmeyer felt himself building momentum with each passing football camp of his summer schedule.
From Minnesota to South Dakota State to North Dakota to North Dakota Staten over a two-week span, the Aquinas High School lineman was excited about the impact he was making.
Flottmeyer had previously attended camps as a tight end, but feedback from coaches showed him that a career at defense end or tackle would be the best fit. He can move, he can manhandle opponents on the level at which he plays, and Flottmeyer wanted to show those coaches he can do on a larger stage.
“When I went to UND (camp), I wasn’t sure where I stood with coaches,” he said as the Blugolds held their first official practice of the season on Tuesday morning. “I just knew I had to perform. It was my job interview.”
Flottmeyer wasn’t placed in the top recruit group, so he had to make a quick impact to get reps against the top players. He did that by running from station to station and participating with a chip on his shoulder during a one-day event.
“It worked,” he said. “They noticed me and bumped me up to the recruit group, and I did well.”
That performance earned Flottmeyer a chance to join the NCAA Division I Championship Subdivision program next season, and he pounced on the opportunity last week. While he will main event as an offensive lineman for the Blugolds again this fall, Flottmeyer will shift to the defensive line with the Fighting Hawks.
“He’ll grow, which is what they want,” Aquinas coach Tom Lee said of Flottmeyer, who said he plans to report to UND at 280 while playing at 250 now. “They don’t recruit these kids as they are. They are looking at what they will be when they are 21, 22, 23 years old.
“But what travels is work ethic, and he is explosive. He is ferocious and has a non-stop motor that stands out when you watch film.”
Flottmeyer will continue to show his future coaches what he can do defensively as a senior. Lee likes to keep players on one side of the ball whenever possible but said Flottmeyer will be on the field when plays are there to be made because he has already proven he can make them.
Flottmeyer finished with 74 tackles as a junior and made 21 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He had six sacks, forced two fumbles and recovered one as the Blugolds wn the Coulee Conference, went 11-2 and advanced to the semifinal round of the WIAA Division 4 playoffs.
