Senior defensive end/tight end Jonathan Bonner achieved a lifelong dream this summer and earned a football scholarship to the University of Notre Dame. Bonner will be heading to South Bend next fall after committing in late June. Bonner will be following in the footsteps of some of his family members who were former Notre Dame football players.
“It would be a nice thing to follow up what they did,” Bonner said. “Notre Dame has great history, they run a great program and, especially with academics, it all fit together really well.”
Bonner was also receiving scholarships from other college football programs such as Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Purdue and Northern Illinois. With the offers in mind, Bonner stuck with his dream to play for Notre Dame.
“Other schools understood that Notre Dame is a huge school to go to,” Bonner said. “So the schools had no problem with the credit that Notre Dame has.”
A big difference next year for Bonner will be experiencing the strict coaching staff of Notre Dame. Varsity football Defensive Coordinator Michael Wright thinks Bonners leadership will help him a lot.
“Character, behavior, grades in school, citizenship, all those things you look for in a player off the field and he exemplifies them all,” Wright said. “He’s truly a leader off the field and sets a great example for our guys.”
Not only is Bonner a leader off the field, he is just as good a leader on the field as well, which stands out to the Parkway Central coaching staff.
“Working his rear end off every single play, playing his heart out every day, every play that we have out there,” Wright said. “Thats what we look for, a guy that goes 100 miles an hour, plays over, and does it again on the next play.”
Bonner’s leadership is a key motivator for his teammates as well as the coaching staff. Senior center Jason Piles, who has known Bonner since second grade and been his teammate since sixth grade, has been motivated by Bonner and his growth as a player.
“ I’ve gotten to watch him grow and see how he has gotten better and better throughout the years,” Piles said. “To watch Jon get sacks every game motivates me to play just as good as him.”
Bonners commitment marks the first time Parkway Central will be sending a football player to a Division I school since Brandon Sheperd committed to Oklahoma State in 2011.
“You’ve got to be dedicated to football, but you also have to be dedicated to school to be able to get to where those guys are,” Wright said. “They made the commitment and really worked hard to get there.”
Bonner expects to make an impact next year with his flexibility and Notre Dame’s need of depth on their team.
“ I’ll be at the bottom of their roster so i’ll have to get in with their coaching staff,” Bonner said. “I’m capable of playing all the linebacker positions, as they mentioned to me, so they can move me all around.”