Kloosterman makes his call
style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">After
receiving interest from several Division II
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schools and partial offers from Shepherd and UVA-Wise, Strasburg
standout Jonathan Kloosterman has
decided to
attend James Madison University as a walk-on when he begins his college
experience in the fall of 2014.
style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">The
Dukes had been at the top of the list for the
6-foot-3, 225 pounder but an injury early in his senior season along
with the
recent coaching change in Harrisonburg had slowed down the interest
that the
Rams player had received from his preferred destination.
style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Following
the announcement of Everitt Withers and his
staff becoming the new leaders at JMU, Kloosterman said that he and his
high
school coach sent film to the new staff and contacted the football
office about
playing for them.
style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">After
film review and some brief talks, Kloosterman was
informed that he would be offered a preferred walk-on roster spot with
the
Dukes. That was the
same offer he had
been presented with by both Old Dominion and William and Mary.
style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">While
the injury may have hurt his prospects of
receiving an offer from the FCS program, Kloosterman feels that he has
an
opportunity with the Dukes and he plans on making the most of it.
style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">"I
am ready to go out there and prove myself," he
said. "I know that
it's going to take
hard work but I think I am ready and I plan to do everything I can to
be a part
of the team."
style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Currently
playing basketball for Strasburg, Kloosterman
feels that he is well on his way to returning to his former playing
ability
after the broken leg he suffered in week 5 of the football season.
style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">"Basketball
has definitely helped me with my
conditioning and I am finally starting to put on heavy weight in the
weight
room," he said. "I'm
working on getting
back my strength and gaining some of the weight that I lost."
style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Kloosterman
is expecting to compete for a position on
the squad at tight end and is planning on pursuing kinesiology in
academics.
style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">One
other factor in Kloosterman's decision was his
relationship with current Dukes redshirt freshman, Gage Steele.
style=""> The pair are good friends
and Kloosterman has
had the opportunity to compete against Gage and most recently, his
younger
brother Blake, at the high school level.
style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Last
season, Steele recorded 106 tackles for the Dukes
from his linebacker position and was a finalist for the Jerry Rice
award which
honors the FCS national freshman of the year.
style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">"We
talked before I made my decision and he told me
that one thing about JMU is that they give everybody an equal
opportunity,"
said Kloosterman. "It's
helpful that he
is from a small school like I am.
He's
kind of an inspiration to me and he's doing big things now.
style=""> That's what I hope to do."
style="">
style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Robert
Edmonds
style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">
joined the Virginia Preps staff midway through 2013.
He provides insight on player profiles and
recruiting news for players from around the state as well as in season
game and
team reports. He
has been contributing
sports coverage in the newspaper industry since 2006 and also currently
does
correspondence work with The Daily
Progress and The News-Virginian.
style=""> Follow him on twitter
style="">@bigrob2523 and send comments and
suggestions to him directly at bigrob2523@gmail.com
style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">.
style="">