Ian Gehrke '18 Recruiting Profile

I've been playing football for 10 years now and to finally win the national championship in 2016 was one of the greatest feelings in the world. I fell in love with football while I watched my dad coach throughout my entire childhood and when my brother was born with down syndrome and a heart valve defect, football was what motivated me, kept me going, and became one of the biggest parts of my life. I am currently attending Orono High School (ME). While playing in Germany I received several invitations to our All-State team and for 2017 I was put on the roster for the German National Team. During my sophomore year I played for Hampden Academy (ME) and was the team’s top scorer. Unfortunately, I tore my ACL and meniscus during my junior year in Germany, which meant I had to sit out the majority of the season. During this time I had to go through a lot of rehab and had to fight to get back on the field, which was one of the biggest obstacles I had to face throughout my football career. For my senior year I came back to Maine to finish high school, because my goal is to go to an American university and play football there. However, due to the different school system in Germany, the MPA (Maine Principals Association) determined that I was not eligible to play my senior year. That is why my highlight tape only consists of my freshman, sophomore and parts of my junior seasons. It has always been a dream of mine to play football at the collegiate level. The obstacle I am facing now is that my current situation has put me off the recruiting radar and meant that I am getting underestimated by many schools. Although I mainly played wide receiver in high school, I do have experience at the quarterback position, which I played throughout my youth football years. I am looking forward to the experience of playing at the collegiate level and to contribute to whatever program that is willing to offer me an invitation.