Kersten to long snap for Illinois

Cary-Grove lineman Rich Kersten’s decision to accept preferred walk-on status at the University of Illinois was no snap decision.

A two-year starter at offensive tackle and defensive end for teams that went 22-4 and won the 2009 Class 6A state championship, Kersten (6-foot-3, 250 pounds) was being courted by Michigan State to walk on and become that program’s next long snapper.

However, he couldn’t turn his back on family tradition.

“I’ll be the fourth generation on my mom’s side to go to Illinois,” said Kersten, who finalized his decision this month. “Growing up, everything in my room was orange and blue. When I visited the campus for the spring game everything felt right. I met the players, went into the locker room, got fitted for my uniform. It all had a good feel.

“It is a dream come true. When I was younger we’d go to Illinois football games and they’d have all the recruits down on the sideline below us. I’d tell my mom I was going to be one of those players someday.”

Kersten will pay his own expenses as a freshman and will have a reserved spot on the roster. He could earn scholarship money in the future.

Kersten snapped for field goals, extra points and punts for Cary-Grove’s state title team as a junior, but he got serious about becoming a college long snapper last spring. First, he attended a national camp for underclasmen in Barrington. The 18-year-old Cary resident then attended long-snapping camps in Sherman Oaks, Calif., was instructed by Chris Rubio in Las Vegas and he excelled at the Kohl’s Camp in Whitewater, Wis.

As a result of his showing at Kohl’s, he was ranked 15th among recruits nationally and his reputation grew until Illinois coach Ron Zook took notice.

Kersten will graduate from Cary-Grove this spring with a grade-point average of 3.1. He plans to major in agriculture with a concentration on environmental policy.