Sports played a big part in Rosiek’s childhood, and he played “a little bit of everything” growing up. Enjoying pretty much everything – aside from baseball – he took part in, Rosiek knew early on that he wanted to pursue collegiate athletics.
Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Rosiek competed at East Lake High School, located just outside of his hometown in East Lake, Florida. Before even stepping on the football field for the first time, his future head coach, Bob Hudson, could tell Rosiek would be able to make an impact.
“He would hang around on the sidelines with his older brother, so I got to know him and his family years before I even got to coach him,” Hudson said. “You never know how good they’re going to be, but you can see how they handle their business. He was always on top of his game, both academically and football-wise. He wouldn’t miss a lift. He was always trying to outwork everybody. He did a great job in that aspect throughout his whole career, but it made him stick out early.”
Hudson used the eventual Fighting Illini linebacker in various roles within his team, ranging from defense to running back to punt returner. Rosiek took everything in stride, though, always finding ways to put others first and help the team.
“What an unbelievable young man he is,” Hudson said. “He was always so pleasant to be around. If he could sense I was stressing, I’d get a text or a call. He’d reach out and ask, ‘Coach, are you doing all right?’ I would do the same thing with him. He always made me laugh, always made me smile, and always reached out to me. We’ve always had a really good relationship.”
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