Newest Spartan TE/ATH Matt Sokol Talks About his Commitment to Spartan Football
Newest Spartan TE/ATH Matt Sokol Talks About his Commitment to Spartan Football
Q: Matt Sokol from Rochester. First of all, congratulations.
A: Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.
Q: Michigan State got in on you early. How much did that play into your thinking process that as other people started to find out who you were, Michigan State had been there on you the whole time?
A: Establishing a relationship with Coach Dantonio early in my football career, it might have been late into my freshman year, just getting to know him... Michigan State’s been a school I’ve been really excited about for a long time. They’ve been a school that I’ve always dreamed about playing at and having an opportunity to be a part of. To verbally be committed to the Spartan family is just a huge honor. I can’t even tell you how excited I am about it. There’s just nothing but happiness going through, and all smiles. I’m very confident in my decision and I feel like it was a really good one.
Q: There is an epidemic of young men being raised without fathers. You have been blessed. Your father is a hero and loves this nation. Are you able to set aside everything and truly realize how blessed you are to have the dad that you do?
A: I love my dad very much. He does so much for me. He has been such an influential person in every aspect of my life, through football, through relationships, just everything that has been surrounding my life. So I really do feel truly blessed to have a father like him and a mom that does the same thing day in and day out for me. So I can’t thank them enough.
Q: I hear from other people that your father is able to be a friend but also be your dad. That’s very hard to do. Do you see a lot of your dad in you when you look in the mirror, Matt?
A: Yeah, I would say so. Me and him, we definitely are very similar in the way we act. We’re both morning people, we’re both up really early drinking coffee, getting stuff done. But I really do look up to him. He is a role model to me. I do aspire to be like him one day and be as successful as he has become. He’s just someone I really look up to a lot, and I hope to one day to be just the man that he is too.
Q: As much as you get your masculine qualities traits from your father, I heard a story from someone that your mom holds your heart in her hands. Talk about your mom.
A: My mom does so much for me and my three brothers. She is just the ultimate provider for all of us. She’s been there…there’s never a day where she’s not there by my side, not been all-in for me. She’s actually the picture lady. She’s a huge photographer…she’s aspiring to be a professional photographer one day. So she takes pictures of all of our events. She’s just a constant reminder of someone that I work so hard for. I just want to give back to both of my parents one day as much as they’ve given to me. I really do love them to death. We hold a relationship that I treasure very deeply. Even though at times where I feel like I need to remind myself, I need to take a step back and just appreciate everything they’ve done for me. My mom has been such a special person in my life. I really wouldn’t be the person that I am without her.
Q: That’s gotta make you feel good that people are telling those kinds of stories about your family.
A: Yeah, it really is. I really appreciate it. I can’t thank them enough for that.
Q: Was Eastern Michigan your first offer?
A: No, Bowling Green was.
Q: I heard a story that after you received your first offer you almost looked like you were gonna cry…you said you couldn’t believe someone offered you a scholarship to play football because it’s been a dream of yours. Is that a true story? And if it is, what was going through your mind when you realized your dream was gonna be reached?
A: It really made me sit down and just kinda take a deep breath and be like, Your dream is really here. This is it. You have the opportunity to do something that not a lot of people get to do in their life. I felt very blessed. It’s just one of those moments in my life I’m not ever gonna forget, knowing that one day that I’m gonna get to suit up, strap up the pads after high school with another set of coaches, another set of players. It was just overwhelming with joy and just a sense of achievement. From that day on, as more opportunities came, I just couldn’t stop thinking how lucky I am and how blessed I am to have the opportunity. It just really shows all the work, and all the ups and downs that come with the career process and come with playing high school football and playing football in general, really do pay off. It’s just an honor to see a dream unfold like that. So I couldn’t believe it.
Q: Someone at your school told me that when football is over they will be shocked if you’re not on Food Network. You love food. What is that about?
A: My dad can pretty much eat anything, so in my family we don’t really ever go a meal without eating everything. Especially trying to gain weight for football, I kinda bulk up a little bit. But that’s funny, that’s actually really funny. My family is definitely a food person. Costco has been our go-to grocery store for the past couple of years.
Q: Have you ate at Brody Hall yet?
A: No, not yet.
Q: Take your family to eat at Brody Hall. It’s like 17 different restaurants, $9 all-you-can-eat, and the food is phenomenal. Trust me.
A: Okay, I definitely will.
Q: I asked one of your opposing coaches what makes you a special player and he said one of your greatest attributes is your respect the game of football and he wishes every kid on his team was like that.
A: Wow. I definitely feel very honored to have someone speak like that about me. I can’t say thank you enough. I definitely try to respect everyone I go against, every team I play against. I think football is really about being respectful. It is about winning and competing, but definitely about respect and respecting the game for what the game is. So I definitely appreciate that.
Q: What do you think you’re best at right now?
A: I’ve really fallen in love with playing tight end, especially the last couple of months. I really love the aspect of catching the ball, getting off defenders and making catches in the short field. But also making some flag route catches and some catches over the middle. I feel like that is my best attribute as a player right now. Where I’m really looking forward to developing at is a powerful end line tight end that can really be effective in the run game. I’m really excited for Coach Bollman to coach me up and definitely put some good weight on me so I can be a contributing factor in the running game down the road. And also keep my speed and be able to catch the ball. I’m definitely excited about the opportunity to play that at Michigan State and developing in that role. I’m really looking forward to it.
Q: You mentioned Coach Bollman. What was it about him being that you were able to click with?
A: He is just such a knowledgeable coach. He’s coached an array of just really successful tight ends and professional players. His knowledge and experience about the game and being able to pick a guy like me who is a little new to the position. I’m so confident that he’s gonna mold me into a successful tight end. He has all the tools to develop me in that role, physically, mentally, showing me different techniques and skills in the aspect of that position. I’m very comfortable and I’m looking forward to having a good relationship with him and getting to know him better. I’m really excited about him being my coach. I’m really looking forward to it.
Q: Coach Dantonio has integrity; he’s a good man. In the process, did you see a lot of your dad in Coach Dantonio? And is that maybe why you and Coach were able to build such a good relationship?
A: Coach Dantonio, I have the most respect for him. Like you said, he’s just a really great man, he’s a great coach. What I can really see in Coach Dantonio is he really is a people person. He really knows how to communicate and understand people. He’s just a class act all around. He’s a very successful coach. What I see in him, he is really a person that is about developing relationships from players to coach, coach to player, and everything that comes with playing college football. There’s gonna be a lot of ups and downs throughout your career and those relationships that you have with your coaches are really gonna get you through those times, for the good and the bad. When you set aside his success at coaching and his knowledge and experience and how great of a coach he really is, the fact that he’s gonna be someone that’s gonna be there for you when you need him and he’s gonna have your back. It’s assuring and it just makes me more happy with my decision. It’s very exciting. I feel very confident that he is just gonna be just a phenomenal coach for me and for every other player in the program.
Q: You’re a thinker and that’s one of the reasons why you were able to be successful at high school quarterback. I hear you almost over-think things. When was the moment when you knew you were gonna be a Spartan and what was it that flipped in your mind and said this is where I wanna go?
A: Sitting down with my family and realizing that this is where I wanted to play for a long time. It took a lot of thinking, it took a lot of nights staying up thinking about it. But overall, this is the school that really fits me I feel like the best. I feel very comfortable there. It’s just everything that I want in a college and in program. Thinking about it, it was just a decision that my family, my brothers, my mom and dad, my stepmom had to make. Also, other parts of my family, my grandparents…it was all around just a family decision. We all thought a lot about it and we’re all confident in that decision.
Q: Talk about that family atmosphere. In making the decision, how much influence did everybody have in the process?
A: Definitely my stepmom’s grandpa, who is technically my step-grandpa but I call him grandpa…I called him almost every day throughout the past two weeks. He has been someone I have really grown so close with and I’m just so honored to have in my life. To have people influence me, around me… My grandpa is actually a pastor at Grace Centers of Hope, so to have his blessing and his knowledge throughout my recruiting process has been really, really heartwarming to me. But also my little brothers are super excited about it. They’re State fans. My mom and dad, everyone that’s really around me here in my immediate family has just been very supportive throughout my recruiting process for whatever school. It’s just kind of a plus that I’ve decided on State and we’re all very excited about it.
Q: I was told that faith is something important to you. Did it matter to you that Brad Salem and Mark Dantonio are men of faith?
A: It definitely matters. Even if Coach Dantonio and Coach Salem were not, it would be nothing that would offend me, for any means. It’s appealing that they are. They’re very good men, very respectful and good men. The fact that I’m surrounded by good men in my life like my grandpa, my dad, everyone in my family... That was definitely something I was excited about.
Q: I was also told that you would sooner give your life than to disappoint your brothers. What does that mean? What does being their role model mean to you?
A: Being the oldest brother, I feel like I have the responsibility to show my brothers what it really is to I guess be a real man. I think they look up to me. I don’t look down to them, I look up to them. My brothers mean a lot to me, I care about them a lot. I would do anything for those two guys. I love watching them play. My little brother Mark, who’s the middle brother, is really just turning into a complete monster in the past year. Me and him are gonna be on the same team next year. My littlest brother Mitchell is gonna be a freshman, so all three of us are gonna be in the same high school. I’m really excited for both of them. My little brother Mitchell is an upcoming basketball superstar. He’s gonna dominate. I hope he gets taller than me actually. Yeah, I hope he grows a little bit more than me.
Q: I don’t know if your dad and mom want anybody to grow, the way you guys eat.
A: Yeah. I would do anything for those guys. They mean the world to me. I’m blessed to have brothers like them.
Q: You mentioned your middle brother is a monster. Is your biggest task gonna be recruiting him to come play with you?
A: Oh my gosh.
Q: We have the Bullough family. Could it be the Sokols next?
A: Yeah, I don’t know. We’ll see. I’m excited for him for this fall. He’s looking really good and I’m really hoping he does a good job at offensive guard and playing some defense and he kicks some butt out there. I’m looking forward to it.
Q: Are you gonna now pick up the phone and internet and try to get other guys to come play with you?
A: What really amazes me is the other commits that have committed to Michigan State in my class, and the class ahead of me, they’ve all congratulated me. A couple of them have reached out and contacted me. So it really is a Spartan family and I’m really excited to be future teammates with those guys. I definitely am gonna be an advocate for Michigan State and look for some future teammates down the road. I’m really looking forward to it.
Q: The last guy that I said would be the most underrated player but best player in his class was Le’Veon Bell. Now I’m predicting that for you. You’ve got big shoes to fill.
A: Yeah.
Q: All I get is a “yeah�
A: That’s an honor. That really is an honor.
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