Monfils taking basketball talents to the gridiron

Former Hub standout to suit up for Cornell College football team this fall

Russell Hodges
Posted 6/13/17

Tim Monfils made his name as a four-year basketball player at Rochelle Township High School, but the 6-foot-5-inch, 230-pound forward is preparing for a whole new challenge this fall.

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Monfils taking basketball talents to the gridiron

Former Hub standout to suit up for Cornell College football team this fall

Posted

Tim Monfils made his name as a four-year basketball player at Rochelle Township High School, but the 6-foot-5-inch, 230-pound forward is preparing for a whole new challenge this fall.

Monfils appeared in seven games during his freshman season at Cornell College, scoring six total points while grabbing two rebounds and blocking one shot. While the former Hub standout plans to continue his basketball career with the Rams, he said he’s hitting the gym this summer in order to suit up for the Cornell College football team as a tight end.

“I was recently asked by some of the football players and coaches to play football, so I ended up going to some of their spring practices and I really enjoyed them,” Monfils said. “The guys were really welcoming and so were the coaches. I had a lot of fun at the practices, and I obviously have some things to learn but the coaches said they saw a lot of strengths so I decided I would try it out this fall.”

While Monfils didn’t play football in high school, his passion for sports and fitness is motivating him to sharpen up for the upcoming season. He’s lifting weights four days a week as part of an offseason training program, and he’s performing conditioning workouts and other fieldwork to get himself ready for training camp in August. In the classroom, Monfils is studying kinesiology, and he’s aiming to pursue a career as a physical therapist.

“With my father being a doctor, I’ve always been interested in the field of health,” he said. “The cool thing about kinesiology is that it has a lot to with sports and exercise which I’m very into. The classes and the topics we discuss really interest me.”

Regardless of how his football experience goes, Monfils will remain active with the Cornell College men’s basketball team. While he didn’t get much playing time this season, Monfils said his freshman season allowed him to gain a better understanding of college basketball.

“It was a lot of learning,” he said. “You have to learn quickly, but we have some great coaches who were able to help me do that. It’s a learning experience but I like it a lot… The speed of the game is a lot faster and there’s a lot more pressure on you to be conditioned and in shape.”

Often one of the tallest and strongest kids on the floor at the high school level, Monfils used his combination of size and athleticism to take advantage of opponents underneath the rim. The Hubs relied heavily on Monfils’ scoring ability throughout his varsity years, but he said his role has changed since donning a Cornell College uniform.

“In high school there was a little more pressure on me to be a scorer, but in college I’ve been more of a role player,” he said, “Setting screens, playing defense and getting key rebounds which I’m OK with. I’m OK with being that kind of guy because it’s nice to have a place on the team, no matter where that place is.”

Cornell College and North Central College were the top two schools on Monfils’ radar after graduating RTHS in 2016. But his visit with the Rams went better than expected, and since joining the men’s basketball program he’s made many new friends and formed a strong bond with his coaches. As he continues to fight through the learning curve, Monfils knows he can count on his team for support.

“My favorite thing is getting to be around a great group of guys because we have a very close-knit group over at Cornell,” he said. “We all really like each other and we spend a lot of time together during the season. The biggest challenge is just soaking up all the new knowledge I’m getting from the coaches. It’s a learning experience but that’s kind of how it goes.”

As he prepares to become a two-sport athlete for the Rams, Monfils said he isn’t worried about balancing his academics with his sports, and he’s eager to prove himself when he steps on the gridiron for the first time this fall.

“It’s not easy but it’s very doable,” he said. “It’s all about time management. I don’t think I’ll be breaking my back over trying to do schoolwork and sports at the same time. It’ll be very doable for me.”