Muskego, Wisconsin, is a town of just about 25,000 people outside of Milwaukee. Pronounced Mus-key-go, this normally quiet town becomes a summer hot spot thanks to three amazing lakes dominating the landscape.
Like most places in Wisconsin, Muskego loves its football in the fall. And soon it may be home of the starting quarterback of the Houston Cougars.
Adam Schulz is part of head coach Tom Herman’s first recruiting class since coming to the Coogs from Ohio State. Schulz is transferring to Houston from Utah, where he walked on coming out of high school before earning a scholarship and starting the final three games for the Utes last season.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eNmXfrV9YQ]Schulz’s father, Jeff, says Herman’s staff reached out toward the end of the recruiting period. Houston needed quarterback help and it was crowded at QB in Utah.
“(Adam) will be like a sponge out there,” Jeff said. “He’ll continue to learn and it’s a great opportunity with Coach Herman and [offensive coordinator] Coach [Major] Applewhite. They are great offensive minds.”
Schulz says his son knows there are no guarantees at Houston. Greg Ward, Jr. is a returning starter. John O’Korn transferred to Michigan but there are other quarterbacks on the roster looking to impress the new coach. Still, it’s an opportunity Schulz says his son will relish.
“He’s always taken things in stride and been humble,” Schulz said. “He knows where he comes from.”
And that brings us back to Muskego.
The Muskego Warriors are a formidable force in Wisconsin. They’ve made the state playoffs three of the last four seasons. And coach Ken Krause credits his quarterback, in part, to leading a resurgence at the school.
“His class was the class that got us to turn the corner,” Krause said. “Adam has the best arm strength of any quarterback I’ve ever coached. He’s just got a cannon.”
Krause, who has been a high school coach for nearly 30 years, told a story of Schulz’s senior season (2010) when Muskego was in the playoffs against undefeated Milwaukee Riverside. Muskego ended up pulling the upset.
“Adam had the play of the game,” Krause said. “It was an extremely windy day. We ran a play-action pass and (Schulz) hit a kid for a touchdown that gave us the lead.”
No matter who you talk to, or whatever story you see written about Schulz, arm strength almost always comes up.
“I know at Utah there was a day at practice where the coaching staff said if anyone can throw the football out of the stadium you can get out of running,” Krause said. “And Adam was the only one of their quarterbacks who could do it.”
But Krause says it’s much more than arm strength that he says makes Schulz a success.
“He eats, sleeps and breathes football,” Krause said. “He puts a lot of time in the weight room and here he was a leader by example. He’s going to put the time in watching film. He has the confidence to be a vocal leader.”
Schulz could very well be the answer Herman is looking for as he begins his career as a head coach. Herman said when he took the job that recruiting a high school quarterback would be a top priority. Instead he grabbed a player with one year of eligibility to compete for the starting job.
When people in Wisconsin hear that they immediately think of Russell Wilson, who led the Badgers to the Rose Bowl in his only season in Madison. No one is saying that’s going to happen with Schulz, but the people who know him best from the tiny town of Muskego know he won’t be intimidated by the bright lights of the big city.
“He is a top-notch person from a great family and he’s a super-hard worker,” Krause said. “You only live once and he’s down to one year of eligibility. Houston seems to be a great fit for him.”
“It’s been a great journey for Adam from Milwaukee to Utah to Houston,” said Jeff. “We’re extremely proud of him.”
*All quotes were obtained first hand.
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