Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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football recruiting Rated as a four-star prospect and the No. 5 tight end nationally by 247Sports, Weishar is given three stars by both Rivals.com (No. 13 tight end in the country) and Scout.com (No. 15 tight end in the country). He was a first-team Class 8A all-state selection as a junior and earned a spot on the Illinois High School Football Coaches All-Academic Team. Northwestern was a prime competitor for him, but other schools to extend offers included Arkansas, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin. Earlier in Weishar's career, the issue was not so much about what position he would play in college but which sport. In basketball, Weishar played center by his freshman year for Marist, and he averaged 13 points and nine rebounds per game as a sophomore during a 23-7 campaign. He was still a regular double-double man for Marist this past season, but put some brakes on his basketball career last summer by no longer playing for his club travel team, the Illinois Wolves. Blessed with ample physical gifts, Weishar had his mental, emotional and spiritual strength tested last Oct. 12 when older brother Andrew, a football player at Illinois Wesleyan, died of colorectal cancer. About 18 hours later, Weishar suited up in memory of his brother and caught 14 passes for 150 yards in a 34-24 loss to Benet. "They're the strongest people I've ever been around," Marist head coach Pat Dunne said of the Weishar family in an interview with Evergreen Park Patch. "He's one of those guys who strives to compete in everything and really excels. On top of it, he's one of the most humble people around, too."