Growing up in the shadows of Memorial Stadium and Assembly Hall, Aaron Steinfeldt viewed Indiana University as a “dream school.”
“It was one of my dream schools. Growing up around here and seeing the program turning around to a big-time program was awesome. And, I wanted to be a part of that and help them anyway I can to help them achieve that next step,” the Bloomington North High School (IN) tight end told TheHoosier.com.
Steinfeldt and his teammates are off to a strong 2-1 start and will bring a two-game winning streak into this Friday’s clash with rival Bloomington South High School. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound standout currently has six receptions for 181 yards and two touchdowns this fall after finishing last season with 40 receptions for 547 yards and five trips to the end zone.
He touched on the start of his senior season and their play so far.
“We had a bumpy game one, which helped us fix some things offensively and defensively. We are young on defense so our key is to try to make them better during practices so they can play at a higher level on Friday nights," Steinfeldt said. "It feels good to get the ball. I feel like we have a good quarterback who can make the right reads and when I get the ball, I try to make the most out of it and get as many yards as I can. It feels good to have one of the best offenses in the state to get the job done on the ground and in the air."
The rise to stardom has been quick for Steinfeldt, who started playing football as a freshman. After attending a smaller Catholic school that didn’t offer football as a sport, Steinfeldt turned to basketball and baseball to develop hand-eye coordination.
“Then, over time, I got faster and stronger, so they decided to move me in the line so I can dominate in the run and beat linebackers and defensive backs in the pass. I wouldn’t want to pick any other position. You get the best of both worlds in being a tight end,” he said.
With offers from the likes of Ball State, Boise State, Central Michigan, Indiana State, Cincinnati, Miami (OH), Pennsylvania, Toledo, Central Florida and Virginia, Steinfeldt opted for Indiana University.
“Once I got the initial offer, I was very excited and knew it would’ve been one of my top choices. Seeing and hearing about Coach Allen, I knew he was who he said he was, and that was a big thing for me. The whole staff treated me like family when I visited and talked to me about things besides football,” Steinfeldt said.
Does he feel pressure being the local guy? Steinfeldt says he welcomes it.
“Being the hometown guy is a lot of pressure because we haven’t had a kid coming out of my high school play at Indiana University for over a decade, and there’s always a target on my back. But I like the challenge," Steinfeldt said. "I want to push myself to become better and better game by game, and, hopefully, be ready to contribute next year and make some strides this year for me to be ready. I always challenge myself to be the best I can be."
The fact that he got his commitment done before his senior season helped take some of the pressure off, he admitted.
“Committing before my senior season really took a big weight off my shoulders. Getting the recruiting process over really made me focus on my senior year to help my team make a deep run this year, and help me focus more on the team as a whole."
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