EHS: Football teams' Gilmartin commits to South Carolina

By announcing his commitment to attend the University of South Carolina on Monday, the Wildcat guard's childhood dream will finally become reality.

And his new coach sounds pretty pumped about it, too.

"He talked to me and my family for a little, and then he asked if I had any questions," the 6-foot-6 inch, 275-pound Gilmartin said of his first meeting with Gamecocks head coach Lou Holtz, who ranks eighth all-time in Division-1 victories and won a national championship at Notre Dame in 1988.

"I told him that I wanted to tell him something, that I wanted to give him my commitment right there. He jumped about two feet in the air and he gave me a big ol' hug."

Gilmartin, who has a 3.5 grade point average and scored an 1110 on his SAT, chose South Carolina over Clemson, the University of Florida and Eastern Michigan primarily because he was impressed with the school's engineering program.

"The most important thing is to use football to get an education," he said. "It's not to play football. Where you can get the most out of life is with the degree. I (also) liked the area, right in the middle of Columbia. It's not a huge city, it's really nice and the beaches are only a few hours away. So are the mountains. I liked the people. They were real nice too."

Estero head coach Bill Swats has turned his program into an offensive lineman factory of sorts in recent years, as Gilmartin will join three former Wildcat standouts (Randy Hand at UF, Jason McKee at Connecticut and Derrick Morse at Miami) presently playing in Division-1 programs.

"We've been putting out these linemen for the past four or five years, and (Gilmartin's) just an excellent lineman," Swats said of the three-year starter. "He's done everything we've talked about coaching-wise and he's been able to put himself in a position to play Division 1 football."

Swats said it is the emphasis Gilmartin has placed on education, rather than his football career, that truly sets the young man apart. This is an impression the Estero coach said he was eager to share with Coach Holtz and the Gamecocks staff who will work with the young athlete through in the coming years.

"He is setting himself up for the future, and we've sat down at length and had that discussion," said Swats. "He knows that football doesn't last forever and that's why he wants to have the opportunity to get his degree. In Mike's view, the thing is that he's able to get an engineering degree, and then that he can play football.

"I've talked directly with Coach Holtz and I think that (Holtz's) number one criteria is that (Gilmartin's) GPA and SAT are there, and that he is going to be an asset to the school. He's a kid of great character, he has a great family unit and his parents care about him."

Gilmartin said he suspects he could be redshirted next season, a situation he called "the best option" for someone getting acclimated to a new school, a new city, and the rigors of a Division-1 college football program.

Whatever the coaching staff ultimately decides, the 18-year-old said he'll soon start training for his first taste of SEC football, of which he was given a glimpse first-hand during his recruiting trips to Columbia.

"I've got to start hitting the weights harder and running more," he said. "It's going to be pretty tough to get used to their speed. I know (the defensive linemen) are real fast and they come off real hard too."

Swats said it was times like this, watching Gilmartin work on the field and in the classroom, that make his job at Estero High so rewarding.

"I'm very proud of him," the coach said. "Any kid today that sacrifices as much time and effort to prepare for this sport and keeps themselves out of trouble, it's just why I coach football. I love to look for those kids who want more out of life."

Contact Sports Editor Dana Oppedisano at 213-6045 or doppedisano@naplesnews.com