After listening to the complete interview with Rocky Lombardi on last week's Drive with Jack show, featuring Rico Beard as co-host, I had to put together a summary story. Some pretty good stuff in here.
the summary:
https://michiganstate.n.rivals.com/news/elite-11-invite-in-hand-lombardi-continuing-to-roll-with-it-
Elite 11 invite in hand, Lombardi continuing to 'roll with it'
Jim Comparoni | Editor
Spartan quarterback commitment Rocky Lombardi traded in his track shoes for baseball cleats last week, as one prep season bleeds into another for him, and he continues to work recruiting angles for his next football team along the way.
Lombardi, who committed to Michigan State on April 3, interrupted a workmanlike track season to emerge as one of the top QBs at last week’s The Opening Chicago camp - earning an invitation to the Elite 11 quarterback camp.
He spoke about his experience in Chicago and what’s next for him during a guest appearance on The Drive With Jack radio show (92.1 FM, Lansing), with host Jack Ebling and co-host Rico Beard, a SpartanMag.com correspondent.
When Beard asked Lombardi about the cold, windy conditions he faced as a thrower in Chicago, Lombardi said he wasn’t bothered.
“You just have to roll with it,” Lombardi told Beard. “I just went out and did my thing, did the best I could. It wasn’t the best conditions, al title windy, cold. I felt like I handled the weather better and I have a pretty strong arm so I was able to cut the wind a little better, at least that’s what was said in some of my reviews.
“You just have to roll with it. If you’re in the National Championship, you’re not promised to have great weather, either. You have to be prepared for everything and go out there and do your best.”
When asked about participating in the Chicago Opening with fellow Michigan State commitment Hunter Rison, Lombardi said: “It made it not only easier because of how good he is but also more fun to be out there with one of your friends, a future teammate, just being out there throwing the ball to him, playing catch.”
Lombardi (6-3, 220) is listed as a three-star recruit, ranked the No. 20 pro style QB in the nation by Rivals.com.
Lombardi, of West Des Moines (Iowa) Valley High School, said he is one of 24 quarterbacks that have been invited to the Elite 11 finals, scheduled for Los Angeles, June 3-5. The list of invited QBs could grow to about 30. The top 11 from that group will advance to The Opening in Beaverton, Oregon in early July.
Lombardi is the first quarterback from the state of Iowa to be invited to the Elite 11 finals since Kyle Orton in 2001.
Like Orton, Lombardi eschewed the home-state Hawkeyes in order to commit to a rival Big Ten school. Orton played at Purdue.
“A lot of guys are Iowa fans here and they have a great fanbase,” Lombardi said. “But they can say whatever they want, I know I made the right choice. I’m thrilled with where I’m going. I think I’m going to be really successful here. I think they’re going to make me the best I can be. So I’m really happy.”
Lombardi said he isn’t receiving much continued recruiting attention from other schools, hoping to sway him from his Michigan State commitment.
“I think people know how great of a university, for quarterbacks especially, Michigan State is,” Lombardi said. “I think that they’re like, ‘He’s not going to leave Michigan State for us because we don’t have near the quarterback history that they do, or the success.’”
In the meantime, Lombardi said he and Rison are helping other MSU commitments team-up to try to attract the Spartans’ next commitments.
“I think we’re taking kind of a team effort at it,” Lombardi said. “He (Rison) is a little more open, he has a big personality, he is going to get the attention of all the recruits and then I’m kind of in there talking logistically about why our program is good, why it’s good for them, why it’s going to make them the best player possible.”
Lombardi spoke last week with Billy Ross, a 6-foot-5 offensive tackle prospect from Huntington, WVa., shortly after the Spartans issued Ross a scholarship offer.
“We just offered a new big tackle out of West Virginia and I’m hoping he commits,” Lombardi said. “He’s a great player. He seems to be really excited about Michigan State."
Lombardi threw for more than 2,200 yards, with 21 TDs and five interceptions last fall. He became first-team all-state while leading Valley High to the state semifinals.
Lombardi competed in the hurdles and threw the disc for Valley High’s track team. He placed seventh in his team’s conference meet in the discus at 102-08.
In March, Lombardi placed third in the Class 3A state wrestling meet at 220 pounds.
The Iowa high school baseball season begins in late May and continues into the summer. After his four-sport high school season concludes, he will enroll at Michigan State in the late summer.
the summary:
https://michiganstate.n.rivals.com/news/elite-11-invite-in-hand-lombardi-continuing-to-roll-with-it-
Elite 11 invite in hand, Lombardi continuing to 'roll with it'
Jim Comparoni | Editor
Spartan quarterback commitment Rocky Lombardi traded in his track shoes for baseball cleats last week, as one prep season bleeds into another for him, and he continues to work recruiting angles for his next football team along the way.
Lombardi, who committed to Michigan State on April 3, interrupted a workmanlike track season to emerge as one of the top QBs at last week’s The Opening Chicago camp - earning an invitation to the Elite 11 quarterback camp.
He spoke about his experience in Chicago and what’s next for him during a guest appearance on The Drive With Jack radio show (92.1 FM, Lansing), with host Jack Ebling and co-host Rico Beard, a SpartanMag.com correspondent.
When Beard asked Lombardi about the cold, windy conditions he faced as a thrower in Chicago, Lombardi said he wasn’t bothered.
“You just have to roll with it,” Lombardi told Beard. “I just went out and did my thing, did the best I could. It wasn’t the best conditions, al title windy, cold. I felt like I handled the weather better and I have a pretty strong arm so I was able to cut the wind a little better, at least that’s what was said in some of my reviews.
“You just have to roll with it. If you’re in the National Championship, you’re not promised to have great weather, either. You have to be prepared for everything and go out there and do your best.”
When asked about participating in the Chicago Opening with fellow Michigan State commitment Hunter Rison, Lombardi said: “It made it not only easier because of how good he is but also more fun to be out there with one of your friends, a future teammate, just being out there throwing the ball to him, playing catch.”
Lombardi (6-3, 220) is listed as a three-star recruit, ranked the No. 20 pro style QB in the nation by Rivals.com.
Lombardi, of West Des Moines (Iowa) Valley High School, said he is one of 24 quarterbacks that have been invited to the Elite 11 finals, scheduled for Los Angeles, June 3-5. The list of invited QBs could grow to about 30. The top 11 from that group will advance to The Opening in Beaverton, Oregon in early July.
Lombardi is the first quarterback from the state of Iowa to be invited to the Elite 11 finals since Kyle Orton in 2001.
Like Orton, Lombardi eschewed the home-state Hawkeyes in order to commit to a rival Big Ten school. Orton played at Purdue.
“A lot of guys are Iowa fans here and they have a great fanbase,” Lombardi said. “But they can say whatever they want, I know I made the right choice. I’m thrilled with where I’m going. I think I’m going to be really successful here. I think they’re going to make me the best I can be. So I’m really happy.”
Lombardi said he isn’t receiving much continued recruiting attention from other schools, hoping to sway him from his Michigan State commitment.
“I think people know how great of a university, for quarterbacks especially, Michigan State is,” Lombardi said. “I think that they’re like, ‘He’s not going to leave Michigan State for us because we don’t have near the quarterback history that they do, or the success.’”
In the meantime, Lombardi said he and Rison are helping other MSU commitments team-up to try to attract the Spartans’ next commitments.
“I think we’re taking kind of a team effort at it,” Lombardi said. “He (Rison) is a little more open, he has a big personality, he is going to get the attention of all the recruits and then I’m kind of in there talking logistically about why our program is good, why it’s good for them, why it’s going to make them the best player possible.”
Lombardi spoke last week with Billy Ross, a 6-foot-5 offensive tackle prospect from Huntington, WVa., shortly after the Spartans issued Ross a scholarship offer.
“We just offered a new big tackle out of West Virginia and I’m hoping he commits,” Lombardi said. “He’s a great player. He seems to be really excited about Michigan State."
Lombardi threw for more than 2,200 yards, with 21 TDs and five interceptions last fall. He became first-team all-state while leading Valley High to the state semifinals.
Lombardi competed in the hurdles and threw the disc for Valley High’s track team. He placed seventh in his team’s conference meet in the discus at 102-08.
In March, Lombardi placed third in the Class 3A state wrestling meet at 220 pounds.
The Iowa high school baseball season begins in late May and continues into the summer. After his four-sport high school season concludes, he will enroll at Michigan State in the late summer.
