MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP - Elliot Schneider is a doer, not a watcher.
For instance, the Reeths-Puffer junior said he almost never watches football on television and doesn’t have a favorite pro or college team.
But he loves any chance he can get to play the sport, at any position they will let him play.
Two summers ago, when the Reeths-Puffer junior varsity squad was looking for a quarterback, Schneider was out there giving it a shot, despite a lack of history at the position.
“I had always been put at defensive end or tight end because of my height,” said Schneider, who ended up playing both QB and defensive tackle on the JV squad as a sophomore. “Then in the summer I went to an open field, everyone was there, they all said I could throw the ball so I tried out for quarterback. It was between me and one other guy and I got the job.”
These days the chance to play QB, or any other offensive position, is in the rear-view mirror for Schneider, because he’s been converted to defense only on varsity.
R-P's Elliot Schneider
There's a reason the R-P coaches have kept him on the D side, and it’s become obvious to everyone who follows the Rockets.
He’s among the leaders on the Rocket defense this season with 32 tackles, including two quarterback sacks.
One of those sacks came last week in a win against Grand Rapids Union, one of Schneider’s best games so far.
He totaled seven tackles, including two for losses. He was second only to returning All-Stater Caden Bolduc, who had 10 stops for the Rockets.
Schneider, who is more than a little modest about his accomplishments, downplayed his latest QB sack, saying “It came off a blitz, and our end set me up really nicely with a really big hole I could get through.”
But he admits he loves downing quarterbacks for losses and giving his team an emotional lift.
Schneider tries to break a block to make a tackle. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“I love getting sacks and hitting the quarterback in the backfield,” said Schneider, who is 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds. ‘It puts them in a bad position and us in a good position. It pumps me up. I think it pumps the whole defense up.”
Schneider also downplays the success he’s had so far, passing credit on to those around him.
“I’m a little surprised by how I’ve done, but I have great coaches who have really coached me up and I’ve been pushed by my teammates every single day,” he said.
R-P head coach Cody Kater is not surprised at Schneider’s success. He was aware of his skills as a linebacker, as well as his other positive traits.
Kater said Schneider is extremely coachable and has formed a very strong bond with defensive coordinator Alex Smith, which has helped his growth tremendously.
“Last year he played outside linebacker and showed he could do it,” Kaer said. “He’s done a tremendous job. Coach Smith has done a great job getting him in the right spots to make the plays.”
Schneider, center, closes in on a Muskegon ball carrier. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Kater says Schneider is kind of an unusual athlete with natural physical gifts and a unique ability to catch on to whatever his assignment is.
“He’s just a long, tall, naturally strong kid,” Kater said. “He has the ability to play football instinctively. That’s the most remarkable part. He just goes out there and plays. He might look a little uncoordinated when you are watching him on film, but when he gets out there on the playing surface you see how tough he is.
“He has a ceiling so high I don’t think he even realizes it. If he could put on some more weight he could really be a prospect.”
Schneider is one of several Rockets who have benefitted from not having to play both offense and defense this season, according to Kater.
“Elliot is the poster boy for that system,” he said. “He has grown tremendously because he hasn’t had to focus on anything else.”
Schneider agrees with most of Kater's assessment, particularly the part about his relationship with Coach Smith.
Schneider is helped up after making a tackle against Mona Shores. Photo/Joe Lane
“He is like a friend and a coach, and having that connection makes you want to play better for the team, and we’re really more like a family,” he said.
He understands why the coaches keep him exclusively on defense, but says he actually enjoys playing on both sides of the ball, like he did at the JV level.
“I like playing both, but I know that’s not best spot for me with the team,” he said. “If I was playing offense I might take out somebody who’s better than me, so it doesn’t bug me.”
Schneider is not so sure about being a college prospect, however, regardless of the potential his coaches see.
“My mom really wants me to play in college, and if I get a scholarship I might play, but at the same time it might not be the path for me,” he said.
