Former Gopher John Michael Schmitz was chosen by the New York Giants in the second round last year and he was instantly inserted as their starting center. It was an up-and-down rookie year, learning quickly that injuries are a big part of the NFL. Schmitz missed three games with a shoulder injury and one more with a shin issue.

With the grind of the pre-draft process into his rookie year now behind him, Schmitz is back in the Twin Cities getting his off-season work in at Training Haus in Eagan. He continues to train under the watchful eye of trainers Bill Welle and Alex Boone, the latter a former NFL offensive lineman with the Cardinals, Seahawks, 49ers, and Vikings.

Our Darren ‘Doogie’ Wolfson caught up with Schmitz at Boone at a recent training session.

***Click the video box above to watch our conversations with Schmitz and Boone***

Schmitz was selected with the 57th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. He was the first center to come off the board.

By the time his college career with the Gophers was over, Schmitz had played in 57 games (35 starts) over six seasons.