Josh Gesky, former Manteno star, Illinois lineman, hosts football camp

MANTENO – Young and aspiring football players got the chance Saturday to learn from a college football standout who used to be in their position.

Former Manteno High School star and current offensive lineman at the University of Illinois, Josh Gesky, was in his hometown at Legacy Park to host a youth camp for fifth through eight graders who wanted to learn more about playing one of the most important, and least glamorous, positions in football.

“The main point of the camp was trying to give back to the community and bring some popularity back to being an O-lineman,” Gesky said. “No one really wants to be an O-lineman. It’s not the coolest, not the flashiest thing to do. But everyone needs an O-line. ... It’s the backbone of team, and it’s what creates healthy cultures.”

Gesky, who started all 13 games at left guard for the Illini as a junior last season, has worked at youth camps hosted by Illinois throughout his time there and wanted to put on one of his own.

“I saw how much those kids really enjoyed it, and I wanted to bring some of that energy here to Manteno,” he said.

Starting with slightly simplified versions of the warmups he does as a Division I offensive lineman, Gesky then had the campers start to learn and improve some of the baseline skills for offensive linemen that translate to all levels of football. Things ended more on the casual side, with a tug-of-war and some fun with inflatable bumper balls bringing the day to a close.

Coltan Worobey, a fifth-grader at Manteno Middle School, said it was nice to be able to spend the day learning from someone who has as much football success as Gesky.

“My stance, my football stance, we worked on that,” he said. “All the drills were fun. It’s cool, especially because he’s at a D-1 college”

In order to bring Saturday’s camp to reality, a lot of support was provided by members of the Manteno football community. In addition to Gesky and his father Joel, who played offensive line at Nebraska, and older brother Jeremy, who played offensive line at Olivet Nazarene, members of the Manteno High School coaching staff and several current Panther players were on hand to assist with the camp. Tony Pashos, a Manteno resident and assistant coach at Bishop McNamara who spent 11 years as on offensive lineman in the NFL, also lent his expertise.

“I can’t possibly thank them enough for everything that everyone has done,” Gesky said. “Without them, it wouldn’t have been possible for me to run the camp. They were very beneficial and crucial. The kids were wonderful, and they held their attention spans great. They were listening and taking the coaching, and overall it was a great experience.”

Manteno head football coach RJ Haines was one of the coaches on hand Saturday to help out one of his former players.

“It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a while, and Josh was gracious enough to come back,” he said. “Josh is a great example of doing things the right way. He went in and developed himself and has earned everything he’s got. He’s at that level because of the work he’s put in.”

That work Gesky has done throughout his football career has helped him get to the point where he has earned All Big-Ten Honorable Mention recognition in each of the past two seasons. He also has earned Academic All Big-Ten honors twice.

The Illini finished 10-3 last season, reaching double digit wins for the first time since 2001, and they finished the season with a 21-17 win over South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Eve, the program’s first bowl win since 2011.

The Illini will have the entire starting offensive line from last season back in 2025. With playing as a unit being vital to an offensive line’s success, Gesky said he feels confident about the group ahead of his senior campaign.

“We were able to communicate really well, and we’re building a lot of team chemistry,” he said. “It’s going to be a great year, and I thought last year was beneficial for us in so many different ways.”