Male Most Valuable Athlete: Nathan Hull

Name: Nathan Hull

School: St. Charles East, senior

Sport: Football

Why he was selected: Hull scored three touchdowns in a 30-29 victory over Batavia on Oct. 11. Chronicle sports reporter Jacob Bartelson caught up with Hull to discuss his season and more. Below is an edited transcript.

Bartelson: You’re having a real nice breakout season. What did you do in the offseason to prepare for the workload you have?

Hull: Coach [Bryce] Farquhar set up a great offseason plan for the whole team this year, and that was the main thing I was doing. I also went to a training facility called Pro Force to work on speed and quickness. I knew coming into the season I would be the main receiver, so I always kept that in my mind to push myself that little bit more everyday.

Bartelson: How would you describe your on-field connection with Nathan Hayes and how has that developed over the season to you?

Hull: Hayes and I started getting reps together in 7-on-7 [games], as well as early morning practices. At first, it wasn't smooth, of course, but we started to feel each other out. Now he knows where I like the ball to be and I know where and when the ball is going to get to me.

Bartelson: Is there a sports book or movie that is your favorite and why?

Hull: "Remember the Titans" is an all-time favorite because it’s a great movie that shows a lot can happen when you play as a team. Secondly, "The Blind Side" because it shows it doesn’t matter where you came from, if you put in the work, you’ll be good. And lastly, "The Waterboy" because Bobby has a speech impediment like I do, so that always spoke to me and was more personal to me.

Bartelson: Do you have a favorite quote, and if so, from whom and what does it mean to you?

Hull: This summer, I was watching college pump-up videos on YouTube, and a video came on. It was [motivational speaker] Eric Thomas giving a speech about wanting success more than you want to breathe. That really hit [me] because as I looked back at when I stop my rep, it was always when I got tired or I felt like I did enough. But when I heard that quote, it changed my work ethic for this season.