Stephen Schilling
Encyclopedia
Stephen Dana Schilling is an American football
offensive guard for the San Diego Chargers
of the National Football League
. He was included on the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Lombardi Award
. He had previously been a two-time Associated Press
first-team Class 3A All-state selection in Washington for the Bellevue High School Wolverines football team where he played on three state champion teams.
Born and raised in Bellevue, Washington
, Schilling grew up playing basketball until high school. In high school, he was a member of the three-time state champion team. He became a star offensive lineman who was a standout Seattle
athlete as his high school won its third consecutive state championship in his junior year. He won numerous all-area and all-state honors as a junior and a senior and was highly touted on the national level. He was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl
and as one of the nominees for Parade
All-American Player of the Year. After being highly recruited by several top college football
programs and narrowing his list to several Pacific-10 Conference football teams and University of Michigan
, he decided to attend Michigan.
At Michigan, he redshirted as a true Freshman and then started the following year. When the team transitioned from head coach
Lloyd Carr
to Rich Rodriguez
during his redshirt sophomore season, he became one of the few experienced players to endure the change. He has since anchored the offensive line composed of less experienced players. He was honored as the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team's
best offensive lineman as a redshirt sophomore before being nationally recognized as a Lombardi Award
watchlist candidate in 2009. He was selected as a 2009
and 2010 All-Big Ten Conference
honorable mention. He was a 2010 Outland Trophy
watch list candidate.
instead. Schilling says that his true love was basketball and that he would probably not have experimented with football, but the coach of the basketball team resigned right before his freshman season. During the summer prior to his freshman year, Schilling first visited the Bellevue High School weight room where he noticed the intensity and camaraderie. He eventually became a three-year starter for the football team. As a sophomore, Schilling was part of the Bellevue championship football team whose season extended long enough to interfere with him participating in the early part of the basketball season as a sophomore. The championship, which came as a result of a ten-game winning streak to close the season, made the Bellevue Wolverines three-time Class 3A state champions. On September 4, 2004, as a junior, he helped Bellevue end the high school football
record 151-game winning streak by De La Salle High School
in front of 24,987 at the second annual Emerald City Kickoff Classic at Qwest Field
by a 39–20 score.
Early in his junior season, he got his first scholarship offer from the University of Washington
. The 6 in 5 in (1.96 m) 280 lbs Schilling, who wore #52 in high school, played on both the offensive line and defensive line. Prior to the state championship game he was named to the All-area football team by The Seattle Times
. He helped his 13–0 team become the first school from the state of Washington to win five state championships in 2004. For the championship week effort Schilling, who played offensive tackle, was selected as The Seattle Times Class 3A male athlete of the week. During the season, Schilling was known for his training habits. At the end of the football season, he was selected to All-State teams both by the Associated Press
and The Seattle Times. During his junior basketball season, he was a solid contributor to team scoring and rebounding. He averaged 10.6 points
/game during his junior season. At the end of his junior year he was named the number 25 football prospect in the nation and the number three offensive tackle by Rivals.com
. In July prior to his senior season, he was included in a Reebok
Western All-American list in Sports Illustrated
.
Early in his senior season, running a Wing T offense, Bellevue again defeated a highly regarded California high school in a game at Qwest Field. On September 16, 2009, they defeated the Long Beach Polytechnic High School
, who had been ranked number three by the USA Today
. At the end of September, he left a game in the second quarter with what was thought to be a separated shoulder. He spent the following three weeks on the sidelines with a sore shoulder. In his October 28 return, Bellevue snapped their 30-game winning streak. During the first ten games of the season, Bellevue averaged 11 yards per rush. In the eleventh game, the team lost in the state quarterfinals. Schilling ended his career having played for three state champions. Schilling was one of sixteen nominees for the Parade
All-America High School Player of the Year award. He was selected to the local all-star teams by both the The Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer
. He repeated as an Associated Press Class 3A All-state selection. Schilling was selected to play in the January 7, 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
. Although he was highly regarded as a tackle, he started at right guard
for the west during the game. He became a Parade All-American. Schilling did not play basketball during his senior year to avoid the risk of injury.
Although he was highly recruited during the season, he decided not to make his decision until after the season ended. He scheduled visits with the Cal Bears
and USC Trojans and anticipated visits with the Michigan Wolverines
and Washington Huskies
. Those were the four schools he was seriously considering. He eventually changed his visit dates, but the final four contenders remained ths same. By the time he was to make his final decision he had 20 scholarship offers. In his final week of consideration, he eliminated USC from contention and had home visits from the other three finalists during the week. He made his final selection in what has become a traditional recruit announcement technique by using the schools' caps in front of his extended family, including his mother who is named Joanne and a sister. He also has an Aunt Lydia Schilling.
Schilling did not arrive in in time for 2006 spring practice like some of his classmates. Just prior to the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season opener for the 2006 Michigan Wolverines football team
, Schilling was diagnosed with mononucleosis
. This caused him to miss several weeks of practice. In late October, he decided to redshirt
and have a second shoulder surgery after having missed weeks of practice and lost lots of weight. As part of his transition from a Wing T offense that rarely passed, Schilling had to work on improving his pass blocking.
He earned the starting right tackle position in a battle with Mark Ortmann and Perry Dorrestein at the start of the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
for the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team
. He was the starter on September 1 during the opening game
loss to two-time defending FCS champion Appalachian State Mountaineers
. After starting the first five games at right tackle, Schilling moved to right guard for two games (Eastern Michigan
and Purdue
) as a result of injuries to some of his other teammates. He was expected to start a third game at right guard, but he was returned to right tackle. During practice, he had to spend time at both positions after the injuries. Although he did not start at guard until the sixth game, he played guard in the opener after Jeremy Ciulla got injured. Although, he had to stretch beyond his past experiences and natural position, he was able to seek fifth-year seniors Jake Long
and Adam Kraus
as mentors. The 2007 rivalry game against Ohio State
was a prime example of his lack of experience with pass blocking. He had difficulties pass blocking against Vernon Gholston
, who posted three quarterback sack
s.
With the departure of Mike Hart, Mario Manningham
, Adrian Arrington
, Jake Long
, Chad Henne
, and Adam Kraus
to the National Football League
and Justin Boren
's defection from the team, the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
entered the season for new head coach Rich Rodriguez
with only three returning offensive starters: Schilling, tight end
Carson Butler
and fullback
Mark Moundros. Backup quarterback Ryan Mallett
transferred and two senior offensive linemen (Jeremy Ciulla and Alex Mitchell) declined to use their fifth years of eligibility. Schilling was virtually the only returning offensive lineman with any experience. Aside from Schilling, the projected opening game starting offensive line had a total of three career starts. Offensive line injuries continued to affect the lineup through the early part of the season with David Molk
(center), David Moosman (right guard) and Schilling (right tackle) being the only players to start each of the first four games. Even Schilling was a bit injured, causing him to be handled delicately during practice. In the first five games, the team used four different starting offensive line combinations due to injuries. For much of the season, Rodriguez' offense started six freshmen. By the seventh game the line returned to full strength and used the opening day lineup. In the week before the last game of the season against Ohio State
, Schilling injured his knee in practice. As a result, he did not play in the final game. Nonetheless, he was honored by the team at the end of the season as the team's best offensive lineman. The young offense had all but one of its starters returning for the following season.
As a fourth-year junior, Schilling entered the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
opener with the second most career starts (26) on the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team
behind punter Zoltan Mesko
(38). He switched to left guard from right tackle in 2009. In the Ohio State
game, he was notable for losing a shoe during the game and trying to play without it. He was recognized as an honorable mention 2009 All-Big Ten Conference selection by both the coaches and the media.
As a fifth-year senior, Stephen Schilling was watchlisted for the Outland Trophy
award for lineman. He was also, elected co-captain
and participated in a season long fanmail program where he responded to Michigan fan questions made by email and on Facebook
every Friday. Following the Big Ten Conference season, he was selected as an honorable mention All-Conference selection by both the coaches and the media. Following the season, he participated in the 2011 Senior Bowl
.
with a total of 30 repetitions. He ranked ninth in the 20-yard shuttle with a time of 4.62.
by the San Diego Chargers
. He was waived by the team on September 3, 2011, but he was signed to the practice squad on September 5.
student and who was a Michigan Women's soccer player as an undergraduate. He is a recreational golf
er. In high school, he was superstitious about wearing the same underwear and undershirt for every game. He also ate a Friday meal at Subway
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
offensive guard for the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was included on the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Lombardi Award
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
. He had previously been a two-time Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
first-team Class 3A All-state selection in Washington for the Bellevue High School Wolverines football team where he played on three state champion teams.
Born and raised in Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
, Schilling grew up playing basketball until high school. In high school, he was a member of the three-time state champion team. He became a star offensive lineman who was a standout Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
athlete as his high school won its third consecutive state championship in his junior year. He won numerous all-area and all-state honors as a junior and a senior and was highly touted on the national level. He was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
and as one of the nominees for Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
All-American Player of the Year. After being highly recruited by several top college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
programs and narrowing his list to several Pacific-10 Conference football teams and University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, he decided to attend Michigan.
At Michigan, he redshirted as a true Freshman and then started the following year. When the team transitioned from head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Lloyd Carr
Lloyd Carr
Lloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
to Rich Rodriguez
Rich Rodriguez
Richard A. "Rich" Rodriguez is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arizona. Rodriguez previously served as the head football coach at Salem University , Glenville State College , West Virginia University , and the University...
during his redshirt sophomore season, he became one of the few experienced players to endure the change. He has since anchored the offensive line composed of less experienced players. He was honored as the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team's
2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2008 college football season. The team's head football coach was Rich Rodriguez. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan...
best offensive lineman as a redshirt sophomore before being nationally recognized as a Lombardi Award
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
watchlist candidate in 2009. He was selected as a 2009
2009 Big Ten Conference football season
The 2009 Big Ten Conference football season was the 114th for the conference, and saw Ohio State conclude the regular season as Big Ten Conference champion for the 5th consecutive time, their 34th Big Ten title. This earned them the conference's automatic selection to a Bowl Championship Series...
and 2010 All-Big Ten Conference
2010 Big Ten Conference football season
The 2010 Big Ten Conference football season was the 115th season for the Big Ten. The conference started its season on Thursday, September 2, as conference member Minnesota traveled to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to face Middle Tennessee, and Ohio State hosted the Thundering Herd of Marshall...
honorable mention. He was a 2010 Outland Trophy
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
watch list candidate.
High school
When Schilling was young, he was too large to play in organized football because Bellevue's youth leagues were regulated by weight-age limits, which caused him to take up basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
instead. Schilling says that his true love was basketball and that he would probably not have experimented with football, but the coach of the basketball team resigned right before his freshman season. During the summer prior to his freshman year, Schilling first visited the Bellevue High School weight room where he noticed the intensity and camaraderie. He eventually became a three-year starter for the football team. As a sophomore, Schilling was part of the Bellevue championship football team whose season extended long enough to interfere with him participating in the early part of the basketball season as a sophomore. The championship, which came as a result of a ten-game winning streak to close the season, made the Bellevue Wolverines three-time Class 3A state champions. On September 4, 2004, as a junior, he helped Bellevue end the high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
record 151-game winning streak by De La Salle High School
De La Salle High School (Concord, California)
De La Salle High School is a Roman Catholic Private school for boys in Concord, California, United States. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, the school was founded in 1965 as a Lasallian institution. De La Salle currently enrolls just over 1,000 students, and roughly 99% of each...
in front of 24,987 at the second annual Emerald City Kickoff Classic at Qwest Field
Qwest Field
CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer...
by a 39–20 score.
Early in his junior season, he got his first scholarship offer from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. The 6 in 5 in (1.96 m) 280 lbs Schilling, who wore #52 in high school, played on both the offensive line and defensive line. Prior to the state championship game he was named to the All-area football team by The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
. He helped his 13–0 team become the first school from the state of Washington to win five state championships in 2004. For the championship week effort Schilling, who played offensive tackle, was selected as The Seattle Times Class 3A male athlete of the week. During the season, Schilling was known for his training habits. At the end of the football season, he was selected to All-State teams both by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and The Seattle Times. During his junior basketball season, he was a solid contributor to team scoring and rebounding. He averaged 10.6 points
Point (basketball)
Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws ....
/game during his junior season. At the end of his junior year he was named the number 25 football prospect in the nation and the number three offensive tackle by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
. In July prior to his senior season, he was included in a Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
Western All-American list in Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
.
Early in his senior season, running a Wing T offense, Bellevue again defeated a highly regarded California high school in a game at Qwest Field. On September 16, 2009, they defeated the Long Beach Polytechnic High School
Long Beach Polytechnic High School
Long Beach Polytechnic High School, founded in 1895 as Long Beach High School, is a High school located at 1600 Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach, California, United States....
, who had been ranked number three by the USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
. At the end of September, he left a game in the second quarter with what was thought to be a separated shoulder. He spent the following three weeks on the sidelines with a sore shoulder. In his October 28 return, Bellevue snapped their 30-game winning streak. During the first ten games of the season, Bellevue averaged 11 yards per rush. In the eleventh game, the team lost in the state quarterfinals. Schilling ended his career having played for three state champions. Schilling was one of sixteen nominees for the Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
All-America High School Player of the Year award. He was selected to the local all-star teams by both the The Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
. He repeated as an Associated Press Class 3A All-state selection. Schilling was selected to play in the January 7, 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
. Although he was highly regarded as a tackle, he started at right guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
for the west during the game. He became a Parade All-American. Schilling did not play basketball during his senior year to avoid the risk of injury.
Although he was highly recruited during the season, he decided not to make his decision until after the season ended. He scheduled visits with the Cal Bears
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
and USC Trojans and anticipated visits with the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
and Washington Huskies
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
. Those were the four schools he was seriously considering. He eventually changed his visit dates, but the final four contenders remained ths same. By the time he was to make his final decision he had 20 scholarship offers. In his final week of consideration, he eliminated USC from contention and had home visits from the other three finalists during the week. He made his final selection in what has become a traditional recruit announcement technique by using the schools' caps in front of his extended family, including his mother who is named Joanne and a sister. He also has an Aunt Lydia Schilling.
College
2006 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2006 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2006 college football season. The team's head football coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines came into the season with lower expectations than many Michigan teams of the previous few seasons, ranked #14...
, Schilling was diagnosed with mononucleosis
Mononucleosis
Mononucleosis , is a disease most commonly caused by the Epstein-Barr virus . The EBV virus affects the lymphocytes- white blood cells that battle infections by attacking antibodies. Mononucleosis can also be caused by Cytomegalovirus , a herpes virus most commonly found in body fluids...
. This caused him to miss several weeks of practice. In late October, he decided to redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
and have a second shoulder surgery after having missed weeks of practice and lost lots of weight. As part of his transition from a Wing T offense that rarely passed, Schilling had to work on improving his pass blocking.
He earned the starting right tackle position in a battle with Mark Ortmann and Perry Dorrestein at the start of the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 7, 2008, where the top...
for the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team
2007 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2007 college football season. This was Lloyd Carr's final season as Michigan head coach. The 2007 season began with a stunning loss to Appalachian State, but the Wolverines won eight straight games after...
. He was the starter on September 1 during the opening game
2007 Appalachian State vs. Michigan football game
The 2007 Appalachian State-Michigan game was a college football game held on September 1 at Michigan Stadium on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It pitted the #5 ranked Michigan Wolverines against the two-time defending champions of the Division I FCS, the...
loss to two-time defending FCS champion Appalachian State Mountaineers
2007 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team
The 2007 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team represented Appalachian State University in the college football season of 2007–2008. The team was coached by Jerry Moore and the Mountaineers played their home games at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, North Carolina.The football team competes in...
. After starting the first five games at right tackle, Schilling moved to right guard for two games (Eastern Michigan
2007 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team
The 2007 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team represented Eastern Michigan University in the college football season of 2007. They competed in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
and Purdue
2007 Purdue Boilermakers football team
The 2007 Purdue Boilermakers football represented Purdue University in the Big Ten Conference during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Joe Tiller, in his 11th season at Purdue, was the team's head coach. The Boilermakers' home games were played at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette,...
) as a result of injuries to some of his other teammates. He was expected to start a third game at right guard, but he was returned to right tackle. During practice, he had to spend time at both positions after the injuries. Although he did not start at guard until the sixth game, he played guard in the opener after Jeremy Ciulla got injured. Although, he had to stretch beyond his past experiences and natural position, he was able to seek fifth-year seniors Jake Long
Jake Long
Jake Edward Long is an American football offensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Dolphins first overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan...
and Adam Kraus
Adam Kraus
Adam Michael Kraus is an American football guard who is currently a free agent.-Collegiate career:At Michigan, Kraus was a four-year letterman who appeared in 39 career games, making 35 starts along the offensive line. Adam started 26 straight games to finish his career, 21 at left guard and the...
as mentors. The 2007 rivalry game against Ohio State
2007 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2007 Ohio State Buckeyes football team competed in football on behalf of the Ohio State University during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes were coached by Jim Tressel and played their home games in Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio...
was a prime example of his lack of experience with pass blocking. He had difficulties pass blocking against Vernon Gholston
Vernon Gholston
Vernon Gholston is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Ohio State and was drafted sixth overall by the New York Jets in the 2008 NFL Draft....
, who posted three quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s.
With the departure of Mike Hart, Mario Manningham
Mario Manningham
Mario Cashmere Manningham is an American football wide receiver for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Giants in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
, Adrian Arrington
Adrian Arrington
Adrian Jarrard Arrington is an American football wide receiver who is currently a wide receiver of the New Orleans Saints. He was drafted by the Saints in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft and called up from the team's practice squad before Week 17 of the 2010 NFL season...
, Jake Long
Jake Long
Jake Edward Long is an American football offensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Dolphins first overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan...
, Chad Henne
Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan...
, and Adam Kraus
Adam Kraus
Adam Michael Kraus is an American football guard who is currently a free agent.-Collegiate career:At Michigan, Kraus was a four-year letterman who appeared in 39 career games, making 35 starts along the offensive line. Adam started 26 straight games to finish his career, 21 at left guard and the...
to the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and Justin Boren
Justin Boren
Justin Matthew Boren is an American football offensive guard for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was signed by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He has played guard and center during his high school and college football career...
's defection from the team, the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2008 college football season. The team's head football coach was Rich Rodriguez. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan...
entered the season for new head coach Rich Rodriguez
Rich Rodriguez
Richard A. "Rich" Rodriguez is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arizona. Rodriguez previously served as the head football coach at Salem University , Glenville State College , West Virginia University , and the University...
with only three returning offensive starters: Schilling, tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Carson Butler
Carson Butler
Carson Butler, Jr. is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
and fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
Mark Moundros. Backup quarterback Ryan Mallett
Ryan Mallett
Ryan Mallett , nicknamed "Big Tex", is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League , taken in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks...
transferred and two senior offensive linemen (Jeremy Ciulla and Alex Mitchell) declined to use their fifth years of eligibility. Schilling was virtually the only returning offensive lineman with any experience. Aside from Schilling, the projected opening game starting offensive line had a total of three career starts. Offensive line injuries continued to affect the lineup through the early part of the season with David Molk
David Molk
David Molk is an American football center who is playing his redshirt senior season for the 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team. For the 2011 season, he began the year on the Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award & Rimington Trophy watch lists...
(center), David Moosman (right guard) and Schilling (right tackle) being the only players to start each of the first four games. Even Schilling was a bit injured, causing him to be handled delicately during practice. In the first five games, the team used four different starting offensive line combinations due to injuries. For much of the season, Rodriguez' offense started six freshmen. By the seventh game the line returned to full strength and used the opening day lineup. In the week before the last game of the season against Ohio State
2008 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes football team competed in football on behalf of the Ohio State University during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes were coached by Jim Tressel and played their home games in Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio...
, Schilling injured his knee in practice. As a result, he did not play in the final game. Nonetheless, he was honored by the team at the end of the season as the team's best offensive lineman. The young offense had all but one of its starters returning for the following season.
As a fourth-year junior, Schilling entered the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the...
opener with the second most career starts (26) on the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team
2009 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2009 college football season. They played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan and competed in the Big Ten Conference...
behind punter Zoltan Mesko
Zoltan Mesko (American football)
Zoltán Meskó is a Romanian-born American football punter for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan. A native of Romania , he emigrated with his family to the United...
(38). He switched to left guard from right tackle in 2009. In the Ohio State
2009 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2009 Ohio State Buckeyes football team competed in football on behalf of The Ohio State University for the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes were coached by Jim Tressel and played their home games in Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. They finished with a record of 11–2 and...
game, he was notable for losing a shoe during the game and trying to play without it. He was recognized as an honorable mention 2009 All-Big Ten Conference selection by both the coaches and the media.
As a fifth-year senior, Stephen Schilling was watchlisted for the Outland Trophy
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
award for lineman. He was also, elected co-captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
and participated in a season long fanmail program where he responded to Michigan fan questions made by email and on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
every Friday. Following the Big Ten Conference season, he was selected as an honorable mention All-Conference selection by both the coaches and the media. Following the season, he participated in the 2011 Senior Bowl
2011 Senior Bowl
The 2011 Under Armour Senior Bowl was an all-star college football exhibition game featuring players from the 2010 college football season, and prospects for the 2011 Draft of the professional National Football League . Final score was South Team 24 to North Team 10.The game was played on January...
.
Pre-draft
Schilling was one of 56 offensive linemen invited to participate in the February 24 — March 1, 2011 NFL Scouting Combine. He ranked sixth in the bench pressBench press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...
with a total of 30 repetitions. He ranked ninth in the 20-yard shuttle with a time of 4.62.
San Diego Chargers
Schilling was picked with the 201st overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
by the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was waived by the team on September 3, 2011, but he was signed to the practice squad on September 5.
Personal
He has a girlfriend named Katie who is a University of Michigan Law SchoolUniversity of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
student and who was a Michigan Women's soccer player as an undergraduate. He is a recreational golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er. In high school, he was superstitious about wearing the same underwear and undershirt for every game. He also ate a Friday meal at Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
.
External links
- archived version of Official bio at Michigan
- Schilling at CBS SportsCBS SportsCBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
- Schilling at NCAA.org