By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
DE PERE – On Feb. 2, De Pere High School senior Miles Salinas signed a National Letter of Intent to play football at Colgate University, an NCAA Division I school in Hamilton, New York.
Miles, the son of Michael and Rochelle Salinas, was a three-year starter at left tackle for the Redbirds.
He twice earned first-team All-Fox River Classic Conference honors.
“I fell in love with the campus and coaches at Colgate,” Salinas said. “I knew when I stepped on campus, I wanted to go there.”
A member of the Patriot League, Colgate has a strong academic record, similar to the Ivy League, but unlike the Ivy League, it gives athletic scholarships.
“I’m undeclared (for college) right now, but I’ve taken some rigorous classes at De Pere,” Salinas said. “It will prepare me for Colgate.”
At 6-foot-5, 290 pounds, Salinas also impressed De Pere Head Coach Chad Michalkiewicz.
“Miles’ growth in the De Pere football program has been a pleasure to watch,” he said. “He entered our program as a lean prospect with great footwork and developed into a Division I college player. As was the case with many student-athletes, the COVID-19 pandemic put the onus on Miles to grow in the areas of size, speed and strength. He met that challenge with great resolve and put himself in a position to be successful on the football field. Miles was a model student-athlete throughout his time at De Pere, and we look forward to following his success at the next level.”
Salinas said he can put on about 20 pounds and still not lose speed.
“I weighed only 200 pounds last February,” he said. “Through hard work – lots of lifting – I put on good weight. It paid off in the end.”
Salinas received his first offer in September from a Division II school.
“I also had (Division I) offers from Lehigh University and a preferred walk-on opportunity with the University of Minnesota,” he said. “I was also talking to some Ivy League schools.”
Salinas said he expects to play right away at Colgate.
“We are excited to have Miles join our family at Colgate,” Raiders Offensive Coordinator Brent Bassham said. “We loved his physicality and how he played the game on film. After meeting Miles and his family, we knew we had to get him to be a part of our family. He’s going to be a great player on the field and a successful student off the field at Colgate.”