Semple opts to walk on at Kansas
Joe Semple has accepted the invitation.
And he doesn't plan on turning back.
The Mundelein senior will enroll at Kansas University after high school and plans on pursuing his goal of playing major college football.
After weighing all his options, the 6-foot-4, 290-pound offensive lineman has decided to head to Kansas as a preferred/invited walk on.
"He will need to earn his scholarship and the coaches and Joe are confident that he will soon," said Ray Semple, Joe's dad.
Kansas is coming off one of the most successful football seasons in its history. The Jayhawks finished 12-1 with a No. 7 ranking in the BCS polls.
They won the 2008 Federal Express Orange Bowl with a 24-21 victory over Virginia Tech. Mark Mangino, who has been head coach of the Jayhawks since 2002, won eight national coach-of-the-year awards, including the recent Associated Press honor.
Semple, who played offensive tackle and center during his three-year varsity career at Mundelein, projects to be an interior lineman for KU. He anticipates joining the team for training camp in July.
"I am really looking forward to being a Jayhawk and I fully understand that this will be the biggest physical challenge I have ever undertaken in football," Semple said. "I look forward to eventually being in the trenches battling the Missouri Tigers, Texas Longhorns, Colorado Buffaloes, Nebraska Cornhuskers, and other Big 12 Conference foes and in helping the Jayhawks return to a BCS Bowl game and winning a national title.
"I have visited and attended camp at KU, and believe it to be a perfect fit for me both academically and for football."
The Jayhawks are finishing up construction of an 80,000-square foot football facility and two brand-new practice fields.
"We are very pleased with how this recruiting process worked out for Joe, and we are very happy with the support we received from MHS coach Dave Whitson as well as the encouragement of the KU coaching staff," said Ray Semple, a 1979 Mundelein graduate. "KU looks to be a good home for Joe and we look forward to becoming part of the Jayhawk family."
Making the decision easier was that the Semples have family that lives near KU and Joe's cousins attend KU.
"Being asked to be a part of the No. 7 team in the U.S. and play for the No. 1 head coach, combined with all the brand-new football facilities and of course the quality of education that KU offers, were too good to pass up," Ray Semple said. "This will work out well for all. Joe will do fine."