Oswego East Student Athlete of the Week-Andre Wiggins Jr.

(Andre Wiggins Jr., #52, pictures above)

Senior Andre Wiggins Jr. embodies the spirit of the Oswego East Football team and their motto, "Let It Be By the Code." Andre leads by through his quiet demeanor, although he is consistently working on being more of a vocal leader, particularly for the junior and sophomore class. His work ethic, attitude, and buy-in to a defensive system that counts on all 11 being on the same page are why he is this week's Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

Andre started his career in football in the 3rd grade, and by 6th grade, he started taking the sport more seriously. As a freshman, Andre rotated in at outside linebacker. As a sophomore, Andre was offered an opportunity to move to the defensive line and has made the most of his opportunity. He became a starter and immediate impact player, helping the sophomore team to a 7-2 record. Sophomore head coach, Connor Downs, says, "Andre was always a kid who worked hard, and we knew we had to find a place for him on the field." He goes on to add, "He made the most of his opportunities and was a relentless worker."

Andre's parent, LaToya and Andre Wiggins, understand what has allowed their son to find success on the field. "[Andre] has committed himself to the weight room and the demands of the football program," says LaToya and Andre. They go on to add, "Andre understands the discipline it takes to succeed in the classroom and on the football field."

In the off-season, there may not have been a player who worked harder than Andre. "Andre embodies what we ask of our players in the off-season," says head coach, Tyson LeBlanc. He goes on to add, "Andre put in the work necessary to put himself in a position to be successful, and so far that has shown on the field."

The defensive line, led by Andre, and the Wolves defense have shown this season just how much hard work pays off. Through 6 games, the Wolves have given up 6 total points, an average of just one point a game. Last week, the Wolves gave up under 100 yards total and only 3 first downs to a Plainfield North offense with a number of weapons. Defense coordinator says, "The players buy into a philosophy being aggressive and playing as a unit, and up to this point it has obviously worked out well for us."

Having gone 6-0 for the first time in school history, and a match-up with crosstown rival Oswego tonight, has the Wolves thinking conference championship and beyond for the first time. Andre and his teammates would love nothing better to be the first time in school history to both beat Oswego and lay claim to a conference championship.

Andre's hard work and discipline also pays dividends in the classroom. Andre has earned a 3.62 G.P.A., 1340 SAT score, and 29 on the ACT will open many doors for him when he graduates this spring. Andre's goal is to attend a large university with a good engineering program and is hopeful to major in chemical engineering.

Andre's AP Chemistry teacher, Cari Carlton, saw some of the same qualities in Andre in the classroom as he shows on the field. "Andre is very intelligent and consistently challenges himself to be better," says Cari. She goes on to add, "I think Andre will be successful in the field of chemical engineering because of his natural intellectual abilities and his reasoning and problem-solving capabilities."

Family is also of the utmost importance to Andre. With one older and three younger brothers, there are plenty of opportunities for Andre to step up and be a leader. "We record [Andre's] younger brother's games for the Oswego Bears every weekend and review the tape on Sunday," says LaToya and Andre. They go on to add, "Andre is always there to give them pointers and advice on how they performed."

Being a leader has always meant doing the right thing to Andre, despite the opinions of others. His advice to future Wolves demonstrates this, saying, "Don't try to be something you're not to earn recognition or love from others, because that recognition and love, in the end, won't truly be for you, it would just be for who you're pretending to be." The Wolves and their potent defense are out to prove their stellar defense is for real, as they take on crosstown rival Oswego tonight. Andre and the other seniors on the team understand what a win would mean for themselves, the team, and the program, and are hopeful turning this corner will be one of many firsts this season.