Westfield's Kooy aims to lead on and off the field

For Bronson Kooy, being the biggest kid wasn’t always the greatest thing when it came to football. The Westfield High School offensive lineman started playing football as a seventh grader and admits he “wasn’t all for it.” “I had to try it. I have always been a big kid, so I assumed I would be good, but I really was awful. Going into high school, I was just playing to be with the guys and stay in shape and something just clicked,” Kooy told Sideline Prep Sports Report. That something was playing JV as a freshman. “I’ve loved every play on the field. I definitely do not take this game for granted,” Kooy said. At 6-foot-4-inches and 294-pounds, Kooy has drawn attention from around the state, but he takes it all in stride, opting to worry about himself and not others. “I don’t try to compare myself to other great athletes in the state, but, in my eyes, there is always something to improve on no matter what. I love meeting the other offensive linemen at camps and just talking about our experiences of being an offensive lineman,” Kooy said. Kooy told Sideline Prep Sports Report, while he loves getting pancake blocks on the field, he is committed to being a positive role model in Westfield. “Again, I don’t take this for granted. I love getting those pancakes on the field, but I also want to make a big impact on the city of Westfield and the little guys that want to play great football,” Kooy said. A season ago, Westfield went 6-5 and lost at Carmel in the second round of the sectional tournament. Kooy believes the Shamrocks have the pieces to make a run this season. “As a team, obviously, we want to bring home a championship. We definitely want to be one of the best disciplined and well trained teams in the state, and we have an amazing staff. I 100 percent think that is possible. We have some great players on our team that have been waiting to get some action on the field, and it’s time. When we get the opportunity to show up, we are going to. But us, as seniors, we really just want to make an impact on the players below us and just our community, as a whole,” Kooy said. Personally, Kooy told Sideline Prep Sports Report he wants to be a great leader for the team. “Working my hardest and showing what it takes to be not just a great athlete, but a great human being,” Kooy said of his personal goal. The offensive lineman has heard from quite a few MAC and FCS teams, but he admits he hasn’t heard from an overwhelming majority due to having labrum surgery last year. “I am all cleared for my shoulder going back at it on the field,” he said. Currently, Grand Valley State, Tiffin, Valparaiso, Dayton Lake Eire and Northwood have offered. “I am absolutely blessed with the opportunity of learning about these schools and given the chance to play at the next level,” Kooy said.