Chicago Bears fans have heard plenty about the draft and college. Understandable since they are the freshest memories. Still, every top football talent had to start somewhere, and it’s almost always in high school. So what stories are there to tell regarding the Mitch Trubisky high school experience? Quite a bit, as it turns out.
There is no man better to ask that question than Steve Trivisonno. The man has been the head football coach at Mentor High School since 2004. During that time he’s enjoyed a prolonged run of success including three trips to the state finals. He knows what good football looks like. That’s why it didn’t take him long to realize how special Trubisky was.
He was kind enough to talk with me about his four years coaching the young quarterback, from his getting the starting job to his ascent to the best high school football player in Ohio. Suffice to say there were plenty of memorable moments. Many of which offer a possible preview into what’s on the horizon for Chicago.
Mitch Trubisky high school odyssey began on grand stage
As with any origin story, there must be a beginning. So where did it begin for Trubisky? Coach Trivisonno explained the rather remarkable introduction he got, one that seemed to foreshadow his eventual rendezvous with the NFL.
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“Early in his sophomore year he ended up starting for us on the varsity as a sophomore. We were a very big high school in Ohio. One of the biggest. So not typical to start a sophomore quarterback. His first game he played in was at Cleveland Browns stadium, to be honest with you. Threw a touchdown there. We knew he had something pretty special at that point. Then I believe it was a playoff game of his sophomore year he ended up playing against the eventual state championship team and had a great ball game.”
Good first impressions are everything, no matter the line of work. One thing that started to become clear about Trubisky even early on was his ability to raise his game based on the situation. It seemed like the tougher the opponent, the better he played.
Playing up to his competition
Never was this clearer than in 2012 when he took Mentor to the playoffs. Facing two big rivals in back-to-back weeks, it became apparent pretty fast that only his singular brilliance would get them through the gauntlet.
“His legend though kind of grew as a senior. We were a pretty good football team. His second round and third round games were against two big catholic schools. I think it was the second round with about 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, we’re down 21. He brings us back and we win it. We win by seven so it was an amazing fourth quarter. Just an incredible comeback. They just couldn’t stop him.
Then we played in the regional finals against the other big catholic school who had beat us earlier in the year by like 21. We beat them in triple overtime with Mitch on a two-point conversion to win it which was considered in the city of Cleveland that year and their sports awards, it was the Sports Moment of the Year. It was just an incredible high school football game and was in front of like 15,000. It was back and forth and just one of those games that put him on the map.”
All told Mentor put up 120 points in those two games. That they needed every last one of them is proof that Trubisky was a big game player even at that age.
Handing him the reins
The fact he started as a sophomore was rare back then. One must remember that Ohio high school football is some of the most competitive in the country. Rosters are rich in talent, so it’s difficult for younger players to crack the varsity starting lineup. For Trivisonno it came down to how Trubisky carried himself off the field and how he operated on it. What stuck out the most?
“Probably, well obviously his arm was always incredible. He’s always had a great arm, but what he’s always been exceptional at was his accuracy. Even from a young age he was always deadly accurate. At that point you’re not going to sit a kid like that. You’re going to get him ready to go. He played from his sophomore year on and became Mr. Football in the state of Ohio.”
The accuracy is something top football scouts have referenced on multiple occasions. Mitch is able to place the ball with such precision that whenever he threw incompletions in practice, receivers asked if there was something wrong with him. That singular trait is what will propel him as high as he wants to go.
So the time came to ask the big question.
Can he have success in the NFL?
Trivisonno clearly loves Trubisky and to this day has a ton of respect for him. The confidence in his voice was unmistakable when I asked whether he thought the young quarterback was capable of getting to the top of the NFL.
“If they can add the pieces around him. I don’t know a lot about Chicago. I know they got a great back and pretty darn good offensive line. If they get the other pieces to go with it, I think he’s the real deal. He’s extremely accurate, which in the NFL the guy who can put it where he needs to put it (has success). He’s really good on his feet. He doesn’t always get the credit for being a gifted athlete, but he’s a gifted athlete. He’s a great leader and I think he’s the kind of kid who’ll be the face of the franchise.”
That’s good to hear. Of course there is a lot of proving to do before that happens. Trubisky comes in with plenty of doubters about whether he can hang at the NFL level. Certainly not after just 13 college starts. Then again this is a kid who led his high school team to the playoffs as a sophomore despite not even starting the full season.
Maybe, just maybe people aren’t getting a full appreciation for how good he is. Nor how good he can be.
