Jake Gostisha fully understands the old saying, if life gives you lemons …
Not only is the Lawrence University football standout making lemonade, Gostisha is doing it in stunningly fine fashion.
A high school quarterback at Appleton East, Gostisha is now playing defensive end, leading the Vikings in tackles and setting a great example for his Lawrence teammates.
“He works his tail off in everything he does. When we asked him to move to defense, he said, ‘That’s fine coach,’ ” Lawrence defensive coordinator Yon Boone said of Gostisha. “He’s exceeded our expectations this year already.”
Gostisha, a sophomore, leads Lawrence with 18 tackles, has a team-best 3.0 sacks and is second on the squad with 3.0 tackles for loss. He’s coming off a nine-tackle, 2.0-sack performance in Lawrence’s 51-6 win at Maranatha Baptist last Saturday.
“(The coaches) pretty much just asked me if I wanted to move to defensive end,” Gostisha said. “I played a little bit last year at D-end, but they thought it would be an easier transition for me than for other people.”
Losing the chance to be the team’s quarterback and exchanging it for battling in the trenches down after down might be viewed by some as a demotion. Gostisha has taken the opposite tack, especially given the fact the Vikings have a pair of talented freshmen quarterbacks on the roster.
“It’s actually a blast,” Gostisha said of playing defense. “It’s a lot more fun to deliver the hit than to get the hit.”
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Gostisha might lack the bulk of a typical defensive end, but offensive tackles rarely see his combination of speed and length in their defensive foes.
“Stish has great athleticism and length,” Boone said. “He uses his hands really well and he has a high motor. The sky is the limit for him. He’s developing this year.”
Gostisha understands that he may have some limitations against offensive linemen, but he also knows he has some great advantages.
“When it’s big on big and they’re coming straight at me, that’s pretty tough,” Gostisha said. “But in situations where I can use my speed, and I have more speed than a typical offensive lineman, I can work around them.”
The other resource Gostisha has is his brother, Mike, a 2010 Lawrence graduate and former All-Midwest Conference defensive end for the Vikings.
“He has helped me out a lot, and he’s been teaching me moves that worked for him,” Gostisha said of his brother.
To top things off, Gostisha also has taken on the role of long-snapper.
“He had never long-snapped a day in his life,” Boone said with a smile. “He embraced that and is one of the better long-snappers in the league. He’s one of those guys that whatever you give him, he’s going to do well.”