Tomball OL bends sterotypes

Tomball High School’s Chris Ptaszek is bending, not breaking the stereotype of the offensive lineman.

“I love yoga I’m embarrassed to say,” he said. “I’m getting ready to purchase a kayak and I really enjoy reading in my free time. I just don’t fit into the stereotype of a football player.

“My college choice isn’t about what football team rocks. That’s not my concern. I’m looking for a solid academic school that offers diverse majors. I really like physics and literature right now,” he said.

Sounding more like a jeopardy champion than a football hero, Ptaszek is being pursued by schools for his skills on the ponderosa. The University of Houston thought so much of him that they offered him before the end of his sophomore season. Louisiana-Monroe is the most recent to offer and Texas A&M is closing in.

“I’ve been in east Texas at my dad’s house all summer, so it’s been hard for coaches to get in touch with me,” he said. “When I was at the A&M camp, the coaches did say that they thought they would offer me before the summer ended.

“As for Houston, I was kind of surprised they offered me so early, but they are really pushing me now,” he said. “I don’t understand the recruiting process yet, so I will probably take my five visits in the fall and make a decision from there,” he said.

The eccentric Ptaszek (6-4, 285-pounds) is already academically qualified and throws the shot and disc for his track team.

“The only reason I play football is because I love the physical part of the game,” he said. “I like just knocking people around.”