BHS' McAvoy picks Michigan
By Randy Kindred
[email protected]
BLOOMINGTON -- The college football heavyweights had seen game film of Tim McAvoy and made recruiting trips to Bloomington High School, some more than once.
Yet, before offering the 6-foot-6, 260-pound McAvoy a scholarship, they wanted to see him in a camp setting, to best judge his ability to move, etc.
McAvoy and his father, Tim McAvoy Sr., obliged, spending much of June traveling to and from camps at Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arkansas and Northwestern.
Tough to say "no" to any of those places. But when Michigan coach Lloyd Carr offered McAvoy a scholarship, it did not take the BHS senior-to-be long to say "yes."
McAvoy called Carr back the next morning and made an oral commitment. He will sign a national letter of intent with the Wolverines in February.
"I think I performed well at all the camps I went to," McAvoy said. "The tradition of Ohio State and Notre Dame and Nebraska and Michigan were all huge. They're all pretty much dynasties.
"I wanted to think about which place I wanted to play football, and also think about how my education was going to be. Michigan just seemed like a good fit for me."
McAvoy has been BHS' starting tight end the past two years, helping the Purple Raiders to the Class 6A state championship game both seasons. He also has played on the defensive line.
However, Michigan recruited him as an offensive lineman.
"That doesn't bother me at all," McAvoy said. "I'll miss being able to touch the ball as much (as a tight end). But I'm going to grow and I'm going to get a lot bigger than I am right now."
McAvoy has added 20 pounds per year since moving to Bloomington from Gurnee prior to his freshman season.
Thus, BHS coach Rigo Schmelzer said the Michigan coaches see the potential for "adding muscle fiber and having him at 300 (pounds) in a couple of years."
"And it will be an athletic, lean 300," Schmelzer said. "This is a great indicator of Tim's talent. His work ethic is great. It's paid off for him."
A priority for McAvoy was finding a school with a respected architecture program. Michigan's is rated among the top 15 nationally.
Couple that with a football program perennially in the Big Ten Conference and national championship hunt, and McAvoy jumped at Carr's offer.
"It's going to be pretty cool to be on TV and have your parents come and see you play in a huge stadium like that," McAvoy said. "I thought their facilities were probably the best I saw.
"They had a great indoor facility and the weight room is just massive. They also have a museum in their football office, with Heisman (Trophy) replicas there and old championship rings. It's very impressive."
McAvoy's father was a football letterman at Illinois in 1979, 1980 and 1981. He went to Illinois as a quarterback out of Chicago Gordon Tech before converting to tight end.
Carr, who cannot comment until receiving McAvoy's signed letter of intent, was an Illini assistant coach in 1978 and 1979.
The elder McAvoy said Illinois was the "early favorite" in his son's recruiting process, and there was a time "if they would have offered (a scholarship), it would have been done."
However, the whirlwind tour in June allowed him to see "that as nice as Illinois is," there were other options.
Tim McAvoy Sr. was impressed with the academic support at Michigan.
"Coach Carr told Tim, 'I know you're interested in architecture. Be assured you're going to get all the assistance you need,'" he said. "That's important, because it's a tough major at any school."
The younger McAvoy ranks among the top 20 percent in his class at BHS, and was a first-team all-Big 12 Conference choice at tight end last year.
Schmelzer said he likely will remain at tight end unless the Raiders have injuries on the offensive line. McAvoy also could see increased action on the defensive front.
He expressed relief at making his college choice prior to BHS' opening practice on Wednesday.
"I can fully concentrate on my team and my schoolwork," McAvoy said. "I know I have my school and I'm set."
