Recruiting Report: Andrew Gotziaman (MPLS Washburn-2021)

Whether it was the old Minneapolis City Conference of my time or the Twin City subdistricts of the present, the 612 produces some of Minnesota’s most underrated athletes that have the potential to contribute immensely to college programs of all levels. One of Minneapolis’s best of the class of 2021 is Washburn QB Andrew Gotziaman, and the Millers QB1 is coming off a great junior season and is poised to earn himself more accolades than his ‘19 haul of Twin City Red District Offensive MVP and Twin Cities All-District. The 6’2, 195 lb. gunslinger possess a strong arm, good decision making, and athleticism as a ball carrier that helped him throw for 1,628 yards and 18 TDs through the air + 2 TDs on the ground. He’s in a great position to beat his 20 TD season of ‘19 in 2020, and the future Washburn Miller grad was kind enough to give Northstar Football News some of his time to talk about the ups and downs of 2019, what he’s looking forward to about his recruitment, and more! Enjoy! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7609175/5db8b42332e6640c04564d0d">Junior Year Hudl</a> NFN: Hello and thank you for your time, Andrew! Start telling me a little bit about yourself, Where are you from? When did you start playing football? And what are some fun facts about you? Gotziaman: “I am from Minneapolis and I have been playing football since 3rd grade and I started at Pearl Park. I have been playing Varsity football at Washburn since my freshman year. I also play center field on the varsity baseball team for Washburn. I like fish and hunt. I have built a computer and I can solve different types of Rubik's cubes.” NFN: What do you love about playing football? Gotziaman: “I like being a part of a group of people that want to want to achieve something not just for themselves but for the whole team.” NFN: What were some highlights and lowlights of the 2019 season? And what did you learn from it? Gotziaman: “One of the biggest highlights of the year was beating St.Paul Johnson. They beat us pretty bad last year so it felt good to come back from that and beat them. Our coach told us that Washburn had not beaten them since the 1990’s so it was a big accomplishment. We also earned a first round bye in sections which was one of our teams goals. The biggest lowlight was losing to our rival Southwest. Our defense played great but didn't make enough plays to win the game. We learned that if we play as a team and focus on our jobs we can go far. I feel like we figured out that we can trust each other to make the important plays that can decide the outcomes of games.” NFN: How was your season personally and were expectations like coming into the year? Gotziaman: “Our offense is very balanced between the run and pass games. I have a lot of weapons to throw to which help me to have a successful season. We wanted to have a winning record because the last few years did not turn out the way we wanted. We had a very young team my freshman and sophomore year but it gave everyone experience at the varsity level which helped our team play more relaxed.” NFN: What are you planning on working on this offseason? And what is it like playing for Washburn? Gotziaman: “In the offseason I lifted almost everyday in the winter and in the summer. During the summer I worked on my footwork and throwing mechanics and also watched some film to get ready for the season. We try to create a culture like a family where everyone cares about each other. Most of the coaching staff has been there my whole high school career which has made it easier to learn and understand what they are trying to teach us about football.” NFN: Now give us some insight and detail into the 2019 season for the Millers. Gotziaman: “In the regular season we went 6-2 which was a lot better than the year before when we went 2-6 in the regular season. We played Como Park, Paul Johnson, Southwest, South, North, Highland Park, St. Paul Central, and Bloomington Kennedy. This year I feel that we played more as a team rather than we did last year. We were able to put up a lot of points but our defense was able to stop the teams we played to give us better field position to set up more chances to score.” NFN: What are some things the team will have to improve for next year? Gotziaman: ”We need to watch the film of the games we lost to fix our mistakes. There were a few plays in each game which really cost us and they are fixable. We need to figure out how to not make those same mistakes again.” NFN: What’s up with recruiting? What are some teams/divisions you’re interested in? And have you been to any camps or anything to improve exposure? Gotziaman: “I have visited one MIAC school and have talked to a couple other D3 schools. I am open to play at any level that would give me an opportunity. I went to the University of Minnesota camp last summer and I just attended a NFA QB camp last week. I am looking forward to the process of visiting schools and meeting coaches. I am also excited to find a school and program that is the best fit for me.” This won’t be the last you hear of the Millers QB1!