Future Gopher Q&A: Kyle McAvoy

GopherSports.com will be posting interviews with all the newest Gophers from the 2011 signing class throughout the remainder of the spring. The next profile in the series is a conversation with offensive lineman Kyle McAvoy of Bloomington, Ill.

McAvoy was rated as the No. 28 overall prospect in the state of Illinois by Rivals.com. He was listed as the No. 27 offensive tackle in the nation by ESPN/Scouts Inc. McAvoy was listed as a guard by Scout.com, who ranked him No. 50 at that position. He earned three-star rankings from Rivals.com, Scout.com and ESPN/Scouts Inc. He will join his twin brother Luke as a member of the Golden Gopher Football program this summer.

GopherSports.com: Has it sunk in yet that you're officially a Golden Gopher?

Kyle McAvoy: "Definitely. After Signing Day, it sunk in pretty well for the next couple of days. Every day, I am counting down until I move up there."

GopherSports.com: What other schools had you been considering as well as Minnesota?

Kyle McAvoy: "Most of the Big Ten schools had offered me, I was looking at some pretty hard. But when it came down to it, I decided I really wanted to play with Luke. We made the choice to play at Minnesota."

GopherSports.com: How excited are you to be going to the same school as your twin brother?

Kyle McAvoy: "Extremely excited. It is going to be a lot of fun having him there. It is going to make the transition a little easier. It will be good to have someone you know and someone you are comfortable with who will be there the whole time."

GopherSports.com: What made you want to come to Minnesota?

Kyle McAvoy: "I knew from the start that I really wanted to play Big Ten football. Minnesota was the only Big Ten school to offer to both Luke and me. We both kind of decided toward the end of the process that we wanted to go together. Minnesota was the obvious choice, then."

GopherSports.com: When did you decide that you wanted to play Division I football?

Kyle McAvoy: "Probably after my first Big Ten offer. That got it stuck in my head that I could do something pretty major. All throughout my football career I had the goal and the mindset that I was going to play football in college, whether it be D-I, D-II or D-III."

GopherSports.com: What are some of your goals for your first season as a Golden Gopher?

Kyle McAvoy: "Learning the program and getting bigger. I have a pretty strong feeling I am going to red-shirt my first year. The only goal I would have is to help the team improve as much as possible and improve myself as much as possible, so I can have a shot at playing."

GopherSports.com: What are some of your long-term goals for your college career?

Kyle McAvoy: "As far as the team goes, I want to win championships. Individually, winning any offensive lineman position trophy would be a great thing to do. All-Big Ten would be great, but that comes later on."

GopherSports.com: Do you know what position or role on the team you will be training for?

Kyle McAvoy: "I played tackle in high school but most likely they are going to swap me down into the guard spot."

GopherSports.com: What are you most looking forward to coming to Minnesota?

Kyle McAvoy: "Just the new experience, new atmosphere, new setting, new people. I'm looking forward to being a part of a school with a lot of traditions. That kind of atmosphere is something really exciting."

GopherSports.com: What is your favorite football memory?

Kyle McAvoy: "Any close game where we end up coming out on top is a good memory. We had a few games like that this past year where we went into overtime and ended up with the win."

GopherSports.com: Is there anyone that you've looked up to throughout your football career? If so, who and why?

Kyle McAvoy: "My older brother Tim. He was a defensive player at Michigan. I always kind of idolized him. I try to follow in his footsteps as much as possible, going to a Big Ten school and performing like he did."

GopherSports.com: Did he help you or give you any tips during the recruiting process?

Kyle McAvoy: "Any free time he had during the summer when he was home, he was always giving Luke and me tips. He had us do different drills and taught us different techniques. He has helped a lot."

GopherSports.com: Did you play any other sports along with football?

Kyle McAvoy: "I wrestled. I did that all four years of high school."

GopherSports.com: What made you choose a college career in football over wrestling?

Kyle McAvoy: "I felt like football was going to be a little bit better. I was a good wrestler but there were more opportunities for football at the next level. And the possibility of going pro is a dream, so I wanted that."

GopherSports.com: What is some of your favorite music to listen to?

Kyle McAvoy: "I like to listen to hard stuff before I get out there to get me angry. Any heavy metal."

GopherSports.com: What are your favorite movies? Or what movies have you seen recently that you really enjoyed?

Kyle McAvoy: "I am a big fan of the animated movies. Despicable Me is probably a favorite one, also Megamind. Those are good movies. Anything that will make me laugh, I like."

GopherSports.com: Do you have any must-see television shows?

Kyle McAvoy: "Tosh.0. I have an alarm set to watch Tosh.0 to make sure I catch it."

GopherSports.com: Do you have any hidden talents that not many people know about?

Kyle McAvoy: "Hidden Talents. Not that I know of. I'm really good at doing somersaults but that's not too impressive."

GopherSports.com: Do you have any idea what you want to explore for a major?

Kyle McAvoy: "Anything business-related, whether it is marketing or management."

GopherSports.com: Do you have anything else you'd like to say to Gopher fans who are reading this?

Kyle McAvoy: "I am really excited to get to work and contribute to the Minnesota team."
-Interview by Athletic Communications Student Assistant Kate Wadman

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