Teammates would say that Tyler Converse grew up on a football field.

He’s been playing organized football for the past eight years. He’s a team player and set to join a much bigger team when he ships off to basic training in the U.S. Army after graduation.

Asked why he puts up with the two-a-days and the physical pounding of the game, Converse is quick to respond.

“I participate in football because I find it exciting and fun and a great way to stay physically active,” Converse said. “Plus, I’ve made great friends on the team. We’re a community.”

Converse says the transition to the Army will be easy to make given his football background.

“I feel that the Army and my football team are similar in that they both teach me to rely on my teammates, and I seek to gain their trust,” Converse said. “It also helps me support others by what I do on the field.

“My greatest football moment in football was the first year I played.”

That initial season really hooked the Skyline High School outside linebacker.

“I was nine-years-old, my team went undefeated and we won the championship,” Converse said. That’s what you call a true championship season.”

The future Infantry soldier gives a lot of credit for his success on the field to his brother, his biggest influence, Converse said.

“My brother Justin was a fantastic football player in high school and continues to play at Arizona State,” Converse said.

And how does Converse size up the Skyline Coyotes season?

“Well, we’re 3-0 so far and I think we’re there physically as a team,” Converse said. “I have a really good feeling about this season.”

Sgt. 1^st Class Arturo Duron, Converse’s recruiter, said high school athletes make great soldiers.

“Student athletes understand that it’s not about the individual since their failures can affect the team just as much as their successes,” Duron said. “That’s what being a solider is all about, it’s a team effort and one soldier does not carry the entire mission.”

Note: The U.S. Army is an AIA partner. aia365.com will occasionally post stories about Arizona high school student athletes who are preparing to enlist in the U.S. Army. 

 

(Skyline High's Tyler Converse.)