Aug. 15--Josh King speaks softly, almost carefully, his quiet manner a stark contrast to his imposing 6-foot-6 frame.
It's as if the Hinsdale South senior prefers to let his resume do the talking. After all, it says a lot.
The No. 1 football recruit in Illinois this year is also the state's reigning Class 3A 220-pound wrestling champion.
There isn't much left to accomplish individually at the high school level, nor is there more boasting in his repertoire.
But coming off Hinsdale South's turnaround season on the gridiron in 2014 -- the Hornets' 9-3 record was their best since 2005 -- King isn't shy about his goal for 2015.
"State championship," he said. "That's the goal. We've made a lot of progress, and Hornets football is the most important thing to us right now.
"We've made a lot of progress. Becoming the No. 1 recruit, I have to give a lot of credit to my team. One person makes somewhat of a difference, but it takes more than one person to be successful."
Being a freakishly athletic, virtually unblockable defensive end who doubles as a tight end/receiver who must be accounted for on every play is a good start.
The Hornets return 11 starters from last year's surprise run to the Class 6A state quarterfinals, so paying too much attention to King could be counterproductive.
Of course, not paying enough attention could be downright dangerous.
"I coached in South Florida for 11 years, and we had guys come out of the area who were major Division I players," Hinsdale South coach Mike Barry said. "He is every bit of anybody I've ever seen. If he keeps progressing the way he is, the sky's the limit.
"He has the physical tools, the attitude and all the intangibles. He's accountable and he's pretty humble. He is the complete package. Obviously he has to polish up some parts of his game. He's a little raw in some areas, but that is part of the growth process."
Football coaches love wrestlers in large part because the aggression and nastiness required to succeed on the mat is easily transferable.
Basketball coaches love strong, physically fit 6-6 teenagers who wear (custom-made) size-18 shoes. For as long as he can remember, coaches have been trying to get him on the court.
"Still happens," King said. "The coaches (at Hinsdale South) still try."
King is committed to winning two more state championships before he heads off to Michigan State: Hinsdale South's first in football and his second as a wrestler.
One thing he no longer has to do is cut weight, because he plans to compete as a heavyweight in his final wrestling season.
Body maintenance is one area in which football and wrestling are often at odds, and Mark Dantonio and his Michigan State staff have to be thrilled at the notion that King would probably already be bigger and stronger if he didn't spend his winters getting lighter. King chose the Spartans over 20-plus other scholarship offers.
"I just recently started eating big, packing on carbs and protein, lifting," said King, who's up to 245 pounds. "I'm gaining weight really fast. I'm excited to see what I can do with this."
Helfgot is a freelance reporter.
JOSH KING
School: Hinsdale South.
Class: Senior.
Height/weight: 6-6, 245.
Position: DE/TE.
College: Michigan State.
