As a fifth grader, Carson Hinzman went out for football for the sole reason that he was a big kid. While the decision took him away from the hardwood and his father's footsteps, it turned out to be the best decision he could have made, as the Saint Croix Central senior has had quite a high school career that has featured playing in the 2022 All-American Bowl and a commitment to play at Ohio State.
"I always thought I was going to be a basketball player like my dad was, but I guess God had different plans. I started really enjoying working with my buddies and being competitive with people. I just really fell in love with the idea that it’s one team of individuals working together no matter what," Hinzman told Heartland Sports Report.
When he got to high school, Hinzman wasted little time making an immediate impact, as he earned a starting position on the offensive line and helped guide his team to the state championship game as a freshman.
"That was the year I didn’t have any attention or offers or anything. Not to say at all that I’m not extremely thankful for my offer, but it was just different flying around with your buddies with nothing but the championship on your mind," Hinzman recalled.
And, it ended recently, as Hinzman started at right guard and was a captain for the West team in the 2022 All-American Bowl and cherished the moment, despite having Covid-19 alter some of the activities leading up to the game.
"It was way better than I could’ve hoped. Honestly, we really didn’t do a whole lot except practice and hang out, due to Covid shutting down all of our activities. However, it was really cool just hanging out and hearing other people’s perspectives that are in pretty much the same situation as you. It was also super cool to compete against some real insane competition," Hinzman said of the All-American Bowl experience.
The experience capped a career, where Hinzman has become one of the premier offensive linemen not only in the Badger State, but in America.
"Honestly, this is all still pretty surreal to me. Coming from a smaller community, you would really never think any of this would be possible. I attribute everything I have to God first, and then my family, who taught me the value of work through having a farm. That was huge for me growing up because I never thought of hard work being hard because it was just what we did day to day, and then suddenly people started taking notice which was really freaking cool," Hinzman said.
As great as he has been on the field, Hinzman has been just as great off it, as he was a nominee for the All-American Bowl Man-of-the-Year award, something he admits he was "blessed and thankful" to receive.
"It’s a true honor and I’m just happy I was mentioned along with those other guys in the finals for it. It’s a really special award for people who do some really awesome work, and I’m blessed to say I was one of them," Hinzman said.
While he told HSR he was unsure how he was nominated, he believes the nomination was the end result of work he has done with his father's group, For a Purpose. While helping with the group, he has been able to help deliver meals to people who needed them on the holidays, helped clean up flood ravaged areas, held clothing and warmer drives during the winter months, traveled to Minnesota to assist with sandbag efforts after a flood, and traveled to Houston to help with rebuilding efforts and hurricane relief.
"It's been a lot of fun. They’ve meant a lot to me, and that’s because you see what people have to go through just to survive. Therefore no matter what challenges I have, I get zero excuses. Because no matter how bad my day gets, my worse day is someone’s best day because of their situation," he said of his experiences giving back.
After opting not to commit during the early signing period in December, Hinzman recently committed to Ohio State after receiving offers from the likes of: Alabama, Auburn, Iowa, LSU, Michigan, Miami, Minnesota, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, among others.
He told Heartland Sports Report, he committed to the Buckeyes for reasons beyond football.
"I really believe it was all the things outside of football that really swayed me. Ohio State has a really big emphasis on their students, not only as football players and they made that clear. They also have an incredible developmental side of their football program, which I absolutely loved," he said.
And, Hinzman is prepared to hit the ground running when he arrives in Columbus.
"My goals are to develop. I’m ready to go in there and compete with the best players in the country. Obviously, I can’t say I’m walking into a starting position by any means because this is a completely different game. I’m fully prepared to wait my time if need be, however if they send me to the front, I’m absolutely ready to go. I’m just excited to begin making an impact and help the team win the national championship game," Hinzman said.
