For Tyler Gant, a 6-foot-3-inch, 270-pound defensive lineman from Christian Brothers College in St. Louis, his love for football centers around one thing -- being able to initiate contact and impact the game.
"I started around fifth grade in the St. Louis Junior Football League. A lot of kids start out there, it's very competitive. Getting in the backfield and causing turnovers always turns me up. I love causing havoc, making the offensive line adjust to me when they game plan," Gant told Heartland Sports Report recently.
During his career, which began with limited action as a freshman and ended with a state championship to cap his junior season, Gant has done a great job of getting into the backfield and creating havoc on opposing offenses.
Gant opened his junior season with a strong outing against East St. Louis in the season opener, as he amassed 12 tackles, an interception and a sack.
His season would end with another interception, this time in the state championship, which the Cadets won 48-21 over Liberty North in the 6A state title. It was the fourth state football championship in the school's history, joining the 2014, 2017 and 2018 teams.
"We had an epic season and won a state championship. I thought it was funny how I started this season with an interception vs East St Louis, one of the best teams in the country, and got an interception in our last contest, the state championship," Gant recalled.
Covid hampered Gant in his sophomore season, but the talented defensive lineman worked at his craft both on and off the field and the work paid huge dividends.
"I do a lot of training and work outside the season. I still have so much work to put in, but I'm glad the results during the year are there. It just validates everything I do," Gant said.
Gant currently has been offered by the following: Arkansas, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Kentucky, Arkansas State, Boston College, Colorado, Eastern Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, Memphis, Minnesota and Vanderbilt. Towards the end of December, he cut his list down to his top 5 -- Arkansas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kentucky, and Iowa State.
"My goal is to continue to build relationships with the schools that I have listed and, hopefully, come to a decision in the Spring on where I would like to commit. The most important aspects to me when I think about choosing a school are, will that school fit me if I didn’t play football, would I feel comfortable, and is it an atmosphere I can excel in academically. Another really important aspect to me is my relationship with the coaches and players already attending the university. These are the people that you are going to spend majority of your time with so it’s important that you know them well and enjoy working with them," Gant told Heartland Sports Report.
Gant told HSR it is important to him to make a decision before his senior season, but added that he is unsure what will be the deciding factor in a decision.
"Not sure. Hopefully, it just hits me," Gant said.