It’s easy for a quarterback to relax when a big, mobile guy like John Froland has his back. Just ask Zach Richter.
Richter, the Glacier Peak High School football team’s starting QB, counts on Froland, a fearsome 6-foot-5, 255-pound lineman, to keep defenders at a safe distance.
“It’s great to have him at left tackle protecting my blind side. He’s a good guy to have there. For his size, he is fast,” said Richter, who guides the Grizzlies’ no-huddle spread offense.
When his team has the ball, Froland is an invaluable protector. But on defense he searches and destroys, fighting off two or even three blockers to terrorize QBs and ball carriers.
In addition to his massive frame, Froland has something that sets him apart from most linemen.
“He’s very quick. He has really explosive hands, quick hands,” Glacier Peak head coach Rory Rosenbach said. “There are a lot of guys that are as big as him but they don’t move as well as he does.”
College coaches have noticed. Froland received scholarship offers from Northwestern University, Colorado State University and the Air Force Academy. He ended the drama by verbally committing to Northwestern on Saturday.
Moving around
Glacier Peak is Froland’s third high school. He spent his freshman year at O’Dea of Seattle but got tired of commuting and transferred to Snohomish High. After going there for a year, he landed at Glacier Peak, which opened last year. Bouncing around has been OK, Froland said: “From the sports side of it, you get to see a lot of different coaches and a lot of different teachers. You just kind of learn to appreciate what you have.”
Pumped up
Thanks to rigorous year-round workouts, Froland is faster and more powerful. He squats 330 pounds (up from 245 last year), bench presses 250 pounds (up from 200) and power cleans 250 pounds. An all-league first-team selection on offense and defense in 2008, Froland wants to earn two-way all-state recognition this season. As for team goals, he hopes to lead Class 3A Glacier Peak’s second-year program to the top. “Our goal is to win state this year,” he said. “I think we have a good shot.”
Healthy again
Two days after last season ended, Froland broke his wrist. It happened while he was trying to power clean 250 pounds. When he lifted the bar and turned his palms up, his right wrist snapped. He wore a cast until January, but now he has full flexibility and is ready to play.
Devastating on D
Teams try but usually fail to block Froland. Last season he racked up impressive stats: 46 tackles (13 tackles for loss), six sacks, four forced fumbles, two pass breakups and two blocked kicks.
Quotable
“I’m not much of a sports-watching person,” Froland said. “I mean, it’s kind of weird to say that because most kids that play football are into that. But I don’t like to sit down in front of the TV.”
The great outdoors
Instead of watching TV, Froland prefers to get outside. He enjoys fishing and hunting, as well as spending time at his family’s cabin.
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