Gajewski signs to play football at ISU
Caption: Kaden Gajewski signed to play football at Indiana State University on Friday, Jan. 20. He is pictured in the front row center with his mother, Christie, and father Matt and stepmom Becky. In the second row are NCHS Athletic Director Shaun Renth and Hornets Head Football Coach Stephen Kozuszek. Photo by Charles Guffey.
Nashville senior Kaden Gajewski signed on Friday, Jan. 20, to continue his football career at Indiana State University.
He will be playing on the defensive line, along with his older brother who signed with the Sycamores last year. A second generation athlete, Gajewski said he is looking forward to giving ISU his best effort.
“I am just excited,” Gajewski said. “My dad went there and my mom went there. Kolten, my older brother,went up there recently so I kind of got some big shoes to fill. I’m just going to go up there and try my hardest. And hopefully live up to the expectation that my brother has put into the program.”
Hornets Head Football Coach Stephen Kozuszek said the Sycamores are getting a solid athlete who was able to play several different roles throughout his high school career.
“He’s very versatile. He is a great kid with a lot of toughness and a great work ethic, which is what he is going to need at ISU,” Kozuszek said. “To work, he is just going to have to fill out his frame. I think he has a lot of the in-game stuff… Now it’s just about getting his body ready.”
Gajewski said he has been playing football since he was in the Little Hornet program at 5 years old. Once he became an upperclassman and started seeing some playing varsity time, he knew he wanted to pursue football in college.
“When I found out what kind of talent I had, I just kind of put all of the hard work in and my time in the off-season preparing,” he said. “I finally got my opportunity to send some clips up to the recruiting coordinator and got in.”
Gajewski said he foresees the biggest adjustment in playing at the college level would be facing a tough caliber of athletes. But he said he is looking forward to the challenge.
“I’m just going to have to work really hard in the weight room and at practice and work my butt off and make the adjustment that those guys already have,” he said.
Gajewski is joining ISU’s defensive line as a linebacker.
“Defense is best,” Gajewski said. “It’s more complex than offense is, in my opinion, because you have to read the offense. You have to follow your keys and you have to know where you are going. You get to hit a bit more people. That is what football is all about.”
Gajewski said he has been playing football since he was five years old, first as part of the Little Hornet program. He said some of his favorite memories at NCHS have been the times he has spent with his closest friends.
“Anything we do is always memorable,” he said. “I’m never going to get to step on the field with them again, so my last season here I just kind of took everything in.”
Gajewski said he will forever look back fondly at his time at NCHS and the memories and opportunities that came with the journey.
“Going to state twice and last year getting to be a linebacker,” he said. “I’m always going to remember that, and also the game that got us there against St. Teresa. Amazing.”
Gajewski plans to major in architectural engineering. In addition to being a multi-sport athlete, he has been to state competitions in drafting.
Kaden Gajewski finds a path earlier this season. Gajewski has signed to play next year with Indiana State University. Photo by Charles Guffey.
Editor’s Note: An earlier article incorrectly had the wrong college in the headline. The Nashville News apologizes for the error.
