Schiller, Garrity hoping for shot at NFL

Ask just about any high school football player and he will tell you of big dreams.

Dreams that include becoming a college football player and perhaps one day making it all the way to the National Football League.

Considering that less than half of 1 percent of high school football players reaches the pinnacle of putting on an NFL uniform, the odds of those dreams ever becoming fulfilled aren’t real good.

However, ask yourself this question — how many of you have never had the opportunity to chase your dreams?

Batavia’s Mike Garrity and Geneva’s Pat Schiller used to line up against one another as bitter high school rivals but got along off the field.

“We saw past the big rivalry,” said Garrity.

They both went on to play college football, with Schiller becoming one of the defensive mainstays at Northern Illinois while Garrity was heavily recruited by Illinois before later transferring to Eastern Illinois, where his older sister Megan was once a track star.

They share even more in common these days.

With their collegiate playing days behind them, Schiller and Garrity share similar dreams of playing at the next level.

That is why they’ve spent the past few months working diligently at ProForce Sports Performance Training in Batavia.

With the NFL Draft a little more than a month away, now is the time for guys like Garrity and Schiller to make a name for themselves in pursuit of their dreams.

Last Sunday, Garrity participated in the NFL Regional Combine held at the Cleveland Browns’ indoor facility in Berea, Ohio.

The regional combine was developed to serve as a supplement to the NFL’s scouting combine and designed to provide an opportunity for players to display their pro potential and to ensure that no worthy player is overlooked.

“It was a blast,” said Garrity, a 6-6, 315-pound offensive lineman. “There were probably 100 guys there, including 10 linemen. I was probably one of the lighter linemen. There was one guy from Purdue that was 6-7, 365 pounds. I’m not used to seeing guys bigger than I am.”

Participants went through a series of individual and position drills, including a 5-10-5 shuttle, 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, and cone agility test.

“I felt like I was one of the better guys there,” said Garrity, who started one game at right guard last season for EIU (the team rushed for a season-high 181 yards in a 19-10 win over Austin Peay). “The guys running the regional combine all have had NFL experience. It felt really good. I held nothing back.”

Two weeks earlier, Garrity participated in front of 26 NFL scouts at the Northwestern Pro Day.

Schiller, who recorded a career-high 115 tackles for NIU’s Mid-American Conference Championship winners and GoDaddy. Com Bowl champions this past season, is a 6-2, 235-pound middle linebacker who took part in NIU’s Pro Day a few weeks ago under the watchful eye of several NFL scouts in DeKalb.

“I thought it went pretty well,” said Schiller. “The toughest part was when the scouts wanted us to run outside because it was a 30-degree day with 20 mph winds.”

Schiller will participate in the Chicago Bears’ combine on April 13.

“It is sort of a waiting game,” said Schiller. “You could get a call from an NFL scout tomorrow for a workout so you have to be ready.”

While preparing their bodies for the rigorous NFL combine drills, Garrity and Schiller have enjoyed the added benefit of working with ProForce head trainer Chris Browning.

Browning, also a co-owner of ProForce along with his brother, Andrew, who coaches boys basketball at Metea Valley, played high school football at Batavia before becoming a collegiate standout at Western Michigan. He then went on to play 4 years professionally in the Arena Football League.

“I’ve been through the process myself,” said Browning. “I understand what it takes both physically and mentally.

“It has been a pleasure to work with these two guys,” added Browning. “They understand that this is their job. This is their one chance so I tell them to make the most of it every day. It’s about opportunity and making things happen when their name is called. You have to perform when called upon.”

Something that Garrity did when he bench pressed 225 pounds 34 times at the NU combine.

Browning wants to see both of his prized pupils succeed.

“They deserve it,” said Browning. “I definitely haven’t been easy on them.”

Garrity can attest to that.

“Nothing is easy,” said Garrity, who experienced an assortment of injuries that hampered his collegiate playing time. “It’s all out right now. This is my one shot. Being at ProForce has made me 100 times better. It has made me bigger, stronger, and faster.”

Garrity realizes the personal importance of the combines.

“A lot of guys have game film to back up how they play,” said Garrity. “I don’t have as much of that because of injuries so I know I have to test well.”

Schiller, who referred to his memorable senior season at NIU as “a tremendous way to go out — with a MAC championship and winning a bowl game,” also credits ProForce for preparing him for what lies ahead.

“My body has changed tremendously throughout the process,” said Schiller, who is a semester shy of graduating as an Education major.

“This is all about opportunity,” added Schiller. “I’m going for it. That’s why I decided to take the spring semester off. If it doesn’t work out, I know I will have given it 100 percent.”

“I’m either going to do it or die trying,” said Garrity, who is hoping to get invited to the NFL Super-Regional Combine held March 31-April 1 in Detroit.

Here’s hoping their big dreams turn into NFL reality.

“All it takes is one person from one team to fall in love with you,” said Browning.

You can reach Craig Brueske at csb4k@hotmail.com