High School Football Spotlight: Nick Whitfield Jr, Quarterback Fredonia High School

1- What is the best part of playing sports at Fredonia?

Honestly, it’s the family that we have here. We are a small school so we have a lot of multi-sport athletes so all the coaches get along and do anything they can to make that athlete better in everything he or she does

2- In watching your hudl film and reading up on you I know you play at least basketball and football which do you like best?

I get this question a lot and it very hard to answer, but the way I look at it is what do I put more time in during the offseason to get better at and that is football

3- I have been read where you are a D-1 college football prospect. Can you tell the readers a school or two that has looked at you? Is there an early favorite?

There are a lot of schools that have been in contact right now. It is hard to say I have a favorite because during these times I’m not able to tour the campus or meet the coaches in person.

4- Heading into the 2021 season what is the one thing that you believe you must improve on?

I’m only a junior right now but there are a lot of things I can improve on. There is a quote that is said here at Fredonia a lot and that is “you are either getting better or worse every day, you never stay the same”. I truly believe that and it helps me try to get better every day

5- How much time do you spend in the gym during the offseason?

Now that gyms are back open I try to go there every day whenever I can. Also whenever the weather is nice I try and get outside and do some training working on combine drills and explosiveness while running and jumping

6- Is there that one team you really enjoy beating more than others?

Usually, every school has its cross-town rival and here we have one with our cross-town rival Dunkirk that goes way back in history. In every sport, it is a great feeling to come out on top when facing them

7- Which team do you want to get your first victory against?

I got my first varsity win in football last year week 1 vs Gowanda but this year I would love to come out with a victory week 1 in this upcoming season

8- What is the most difficult thing about playing quarterback?

That is another great question because there is a lot of difficult things. Overall the hardest thing is knowing every position on the field with every play because if someone doesn’t know what to do they will usually turn to you and ask what to do. It takes a lot of studying of the playbook but it definitely pays off

9- What is your game day ritual?

My game day ritual doesn’t consist of a lot but there are some things I do. The night before I try to go to sleep as early as possible. Our games are usually on school days so I have to go to school and during the school day I’ll drink a lot of water but right after school, I like to get a small meal. Sometimes like a salad. Then I’ll go to the locker room to stretch and warm-up. But right before the game, I like to sit in my locker and get myself in the right mindset to perform the best I can.

10- What advice would you give that young kid who is considering playing football for the first time?

The best advice I would give a younger athlete is honestly it will change your life for the good in a lot of different ways. All sports teach you a lot of things but there is something about football that just puts it above everything. It will give you a work ethic to do anything and give you a second family you can rely on at any time.

Nick Whitfield Jr

@NickWhitfieldJr

6’5” 190 lbs QB

c/o 2022