Christian Tessman '17 Recruiting Profile

My name is Christian Tessman, and I play offensive tackle and defensive end. I attend the Loudoun Academy of Science (AoS), a science and math magnet school for Loudoun County Public School students, and Potomac Falls HS on alternating days.

Academics are a major focus in my life, and I'd like to be able to pursue an exceptional education while continuing to better myself on and off the football field. I always strive to take the most challenging courses that I can, and partake in student government to help shape my school to be the best it can be for the success of its student body. While football is a large part of my life, I know the importance of academic rigor and do my best to balance my schoolwork with my work on the field and in the weight room.

For me, football has been a way to humble myself and develop skills to help me do better in life. As someone who is used to excelling in my academic career, playing football reminds me that there is always room to improve, and that I need to trust others and build relationships with them in order to succeed. The demands of practice, two a days, and off season workouts has created an environment in which I've been forced to develop strong time management skills and perseverance to maintain both a high GPA and excellence on the field. Most of all, I've improved myself as a person while playing the sport I love.

I have been a scout since 1^st grade and attained the rank of Eagle Scout in December 2015. Scouting has developed my leadership skills by allowing me to engage in peer driven programs that force me to work with others and lead by example to accomplish our goals.  I have been fortunate to participate in three high adventures trip the past three summers where team work, being prepared and leadership were needed to overcome arduous and dangerous conditions while hiking, canoeing, and diving 80 feet underwater. I was the crew leader for our hiking expedition in the Rocky Mountains, and that experience in particular put my leadership skills to the test, with our crew ultimately being successful.

Scouting has helped me on the football field, where it takes a very cohesive, team oriented group of people to come together to give everything they have, even if they aren’t the ones who get recognized for their efforts. The team work skills I’ve learned from the high adventure trips, Eagle projects that I’ve worked on, and regular camp outs have made me a better leader and better team player when game time comes around.

To be able to attend an institution that takes both the academic and athletic prowess of its student athletes seriously would be a dream come true.