Getting the privilege to play a collegiate sport is an honor few high school athletes get the opportunity to do. One Xavier alum gets to be a part of this very unique experience.

Kyle Krezek graduated from Xavier in 2019. He currently attends Iowa State University and is a member of the football team as a preferred walk on and defensive tackle. This year, the Cyclone football team will play in the Big 12 Championship Game for the first time in school history. 

Within the last two seasons, Krezek has helped the team in multiple capacities and his roles impact the team in different ways.

“My biggest role right now is on the defensive line scout team and the key part of that is making sure that the offense is ready to go and is prepared for each weekend,” Krezek said. “When it comes down to it, we are the ones who push them every day and try to give them the best look of the opposing defense so that we can have great success on game days.” 

Krezek explains how getting to play on a team at this level can be a challenge, but is overall a wonderful experience.

“Playing at a division one school is definitely challenging and is hard work,” Krezek said. “It takes countless hours of hard work each week, but the culture and the community at Iowa State makes it all worth it. To me, it feels like one big family and it is a great feeling to be a part of it when we are all working towards the same goal.”

Krezek’s father, Kevin Krezek, talks about how Xavier laid the foundation for his son. 

“We think Coach [Duane] Schulte and the staff at Xavier impacted Kyle immensely,” Kevin said. “It is no secret that the Xavier football program has  a long history of success.  That success does not come about by accident.  From early on they instill hard work, toughness, being on time, personal responsibility and maybe most important, the one you see listed on Xavier T-shirts all the time, “Do Your Job”’.

Kevin mentions how certain rules and tactics have carried over from Kyle’s transition from Xavier to Iowa State.

“The expectations that are stressed by Coach Schulte are also stressed by Coach [Matt] Campbell and his staff at Iowa State,” Kevin said. “In fact, Kyle has said the transition from football at Xavier to Iowa State has been pretty seamless because the expectations of both programs are pretty much the same. Coach Campbell puts a big emphasis on academics, and as we know, that is also a big priority at Xavier. This has also provided Kyle with a pretty easy transition on the academic side.”

Kyle explains some of his favorite memories that have led up to Iowa State clinching a spot in the Big 12 Championship.

“Some of my best experiences are really just the daily memories and moments with my teammates,” Kyle said. “We spend so much time together as a team and as a defensive line that the relationships grow very strong. Some of my favorite times are just everyday practices and meetings and the relationships that are grown from working together. Coach Campbell and his staff have really transformed this program and his emphasis on loyalty and culture has bonded the team together to build it into what it is starting to become now.”

Watch this Xavier alum carry on the lessons he learned at Xavier as his team takes the field in the Big 12 Championship Game. The Cyclones will play the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday,  December 19, at 11:00 a.m., at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.