If you watch the highlight film of recent Texas commitment Michael Myslinski, you’ll see about 10 minutes of the Jacksonville Bishop Kenny prospect driving guys to the turf as a blocker, with a smattering of defensive line clips mixed in as well. What you won’t see is any standing around or anything less than 100 percent effort from the future Longhorn center.
For Myslinski, whose father Tom Myslinski was a nine-year veteran offensive lineman in the NFL and now serves as the strength and conditioning coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, playing football is just in his blood. He’s leaned on the experiences and connections of his father to help develop his talents, and Michael says he knows of only one way to play.
“I've been working out with (his father) since before I can even walk it feels like. We’ve had NFL players come over to the house and share their experiences with me ... I’ve worked out with a couple of them too. He’s brought me on some offensive line conventions. I’ve lived around this game,” Myslinski said. “And as much as he helps me, my brother is also a big help for me - he played me at Air Force and he's now a strength coach as well at East Tennessee State. So, I have a lot of people helping me out and have shown me how to play.
“How I play is how my dad taught me to play. I’m not one of these soft linemen. I don't believe in that crap. I'm going to try and drive you until the whistle blows and sometimes maybe even a little past the whistle. That’s kind of how it is. You can’t teach someone that. So that's kind of when I taught myself.”
Myslinski was recently bumped up to a three-star prospect by Rivals.com. Progress, but he still feels he’s being undervalued by some and he doesn’t mind admitting that those who overlook him is a big part of the reason he plays with such effort, with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. It also doesn’t hurt that he simply enjoys imposing his will on defenders.
“Honestly, I feel like people have always looked down upon me, or underrated me or don't think I'm very good,” Myslinski said. “I got bullied a lot when I was younger and I just really focused on football. That was my way out, I felt like. At basketball practice too, if you’re going to do something, do it 110 percent every time or don't do it at all. I try hard at everything I do.
“I love football offensive line for the reason that if I can push this guy against his will, that does something to him mentally and I love it. That's my favorite part about it and if you don't like that, you probably shouldn't play offensive line.”
Football has always been the focus, but Myslinski has participated in numerous other sports like basketball, boxing, Kali stick fighting and mixed martial arts to help improve his footwork, strength and hands to maximize his abilities on the gridiron.
“I really tried to do everything, really focused on my hands. Boxing really got me strong hands. When I punch defenders in the chest, they feel that. So that’s helped,” Myslinski said.
Myslinski held close to 30 scholarship offers when he committed to Texas. It was a close battle that went down to the wire between Texas, Michigan State and Iowa. About a week before his actual decision, Myslinski had pretty much settled in on Texas as his destination, but he took a bit of extra time to weigh all his options before making a public announcement on his commitment.
“I can see myself at all three of those schools, which helped me. No matter where I choose I knew I’d feel comfortable, in my opinion. But overall I really like Texas’s program,” Myslinski said. “I've always really liked it and originally when you called me that week, I really wanted to get to Texas but I wanted to make sure it was right so I waited on it for like a week just to make sure I was comfortable with it. And then when I was comfortable with it I pulled the trigger.”
And what was it about Texas that allowed the Longhorns to eventually win out?
“Coach (Herb) Hand does a great job with his offensive line. Coach (Tom) Herman is a great guy and a really good coach. I like the city of Austin a lot. I like where I'm going to be living. I like living in Austin and I like the program at Texas a lot,” Myslinski said. “All three of the programs I had on my list were awesome program as well. I definitely see myself in Austin, I definitely see myself as a Longhorn. So that’s why I was ready to make the decision.”
Myslinski actually told the Texas coaches of his decision on Monday, August 3. He waited a few days before announcing his commitment on August 6.
“I called coach Hand first and then he put me on the phone with coach Herman and we were on a connected FaceTime together. But I wanted to tell coach Hand first because he’s been the big recruiter for me. He was really excited, really happy,” Myslinski said. “He told me the first day they offered me, if you committed right now I’d be really happy. When I did it he was extremely happy, I'm excited for him to be my coach and I'm excited to play for him.”
At 6-2 ½ and 290 pounds, Myslinski plays both center and guard at the high school level (along with defensive line). Texas likes him as a pure center, which is where Myslinski said he feels most comfortable, but he also said he’s willing to do whatever is asked of him.
“(Hand) has told me I’m mostly a center. That's kind of what I've been recruited as. They see my height, I’m like 6-2 ½, most people think of me as a pure center. I play guard in high school a lot but I was a pure center last year. So snapping the ball and hitting someone is not a problem for me,” Myslinski said. “I see in college, me being a pure center, but he knows I’m comfortable playing guard as well.”
With his decision now behind him, Myslinski said he’s looking forward to playing his senior season (his team starts practice next week). From there, he’ll turn his attention to enrolling at Texas next summer.
“I'm just going to come to work every day and do the best I can to perform for coach Hand and the University of Texas. I’m just going to work hard every day and prepare myself, see what happens from there,” Myslinski said.
