John Michael Schmitz

Originally a 2nd-round (57th pick overall) draft choice by the Giants in 2023.

TRANSACTIONS:

• Originally a 2nd-round (57th pick overall) draft choice by the Giants in 2023.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

• As a rookie in 2023, started all 13 games in which he played at center…Inactive at Miami (10/8), at Buffalo (10/15) and vs. Washington (10/22) with a shoulder injury and vs. Philadelphia (1/7) with a shin injury…Schmitz's 13 starts at center were the most by an NFL rookie in 2023.
• When Schmitz started vs. Dallas (9/10), he became the first rookie center to start a season opener for the Giants since Derek Engler in 1997…It was the 3rd time in 4 season openers the Giants started an offensive lineman taken in the first 2 rounds of the NFL Draft that year. In 2020, it was left tackle Andrew Thomas and the following season it was right tackle Evan Neal.
• In addition to Schmitz, rookie cornerbacks Deonte Banks (first round) and Tre Hawkins (6^th) started the opener…The Giants started 3 rookie draft choices in their season opener for the first time since 2018, when running back Saquon Barkley, left guard Will Hernandez, and defensive lineman B.J. Hill all played the first snap.

COLLEGE:

• Spent 6 seasons at Minnesota, a redshirt year in 2017 and 5 on the field…Played in 57 games with 35 starts and started all 31 games in which he played in his final 3 seasons…Academic All-Big Ten in 5 consecutive seasons (2018-22)…Schmitz was the 5th Gopher ever to be both an All-American for his play on the field and an Academic All-American, joining Bob Hobert (1956), Bob Stein (1968), Greg Eslinger (2004, 2005), and Maxx Williams (2014).
• In 2022, started all 12 regular-season games at center…Opted out of the Pinstripe Bowl and accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl…Selected AP and FWAA first-team All-American…Voted first-team All-Big Ten by coaches and media…In 2021, started all 13 games at center…Selected 2nd-team All-Big Ten by the conference coaches and 3rd team by the media…In the abbreviated 2020 season, started 6 games at center…Did not play at Nebraska.
• In 2019, played in 13 games, including his first 4 career starts…Received the school's RTB Trust Award…Made his first career start at center vs. Nebraska and helped the Gophers rush for 322 yards and 4 touchdowns…As a redshirt freshman in 2018, played in all 13 games, primarily on special teams…Made his collegiate debut vs. New Mexico State…Redshirted in 2017.

OFF-THE-FIELD ACTIVITY:

• Joined Project Kind, an organization to support those experiencing homelessness, to host an event with 125 people from the organization for a day of haircuts, spa treatments and lunch at MetLife stadium…Celebrated the 2023 New York Gay Football League Hall of Fame class during pride month at the Quest Diagnostic Practice Facility…The entire 2023 rookie class visited Harlem, where players were split into groups to visit 4 different schools and hosted a flag football clinic for 50 of the boys in the Harlem Giants program...Helped honor the firefighters who gave their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, with a visit to Edgewater Company 1 in Edgewater, N.J., where they learned about the firefighters who passed away and spent time and shared a meal with firefighters…Attended the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Champions for Children Gala to assist families experiencing cancer and celebrate Giants head coach Brian Daboll for his efforts to support families experiencing cancer…To celebrate Halloween, dressed in costume to visit patients and distribute giftbags at Hackensack University Medical Center's Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital…Continued the annual rookie Thanksgiving tradition at the Community Kitchen located at the Food Bank for New York City in Harlem to hand out turkeys and meals for people in need…Met with members from the Wounded Warriors Project during their visit to the Quest Diagnostics Training Center to watch practice and enjoy a day with the Giants…Represented the American Cancer Society during Week 13 of the NFL season for My Cause My Cleats…Received the Week 14 Way to Play Award and donated a $5,000 equipment grant to Homewood-Flossmoor High School.

PERSONAL:

• Graduated with a degree in sport management…Grew up on the South Side of Chicago…Initially attended Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, where he played defensive end on the freshman team…As a sophomore, Schmitz moved up to varsity and was a 2-way starter on the offensive and defensive lines…Seeking to play for a larger program, he transferred to Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Flossmoor, Ill…Started at left tackle his junior and senior seasons when the Vikings were 20-3 and averaged more than 40 points a game…As a senior, named IHSFCA 8A all-state and earned all-state honors from the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette and Chicago Tribune…Selected to the Southwestern Suburban all-conference team…Also lettered in wrestling…Originally committed to play for coach P.J. Fleck at Western Michigan…When Fleck was named the coach at Minnesota, Schmitz, who never visited the Minnesota campus but had a strong desire to play in the Big Ten, was one of several recruits to follow Fleck to Minneapolis…Son of John and Deborah Schmitz…Married to Daniella…Has 2 older sisters (Gabrielle and Hannah) and one younger brother (Jack).