When Manteno alum and former Illinois football standout Josh Gesky signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent back on April 25, it caused some conflicting feelings for his family and friends living in a town 10 miles from where the rival Chicago Bears used to hold training camp.

“At the end of the draft, I was hearing a little bit from people saying they’d have to be split now on game day,” he said. “I had the Bears training camp growing up down the road, but I’m going where I have the best opportunity, and the Packers are a great organization. The longer I’m here, the more I’m falling in love with.”

Heading through the pre-draft process after a season in which he earned his third straight Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors, and a strong pro day that boosted his stock a bit, Gesky said he felt Green Bay would be a good spot for him based on their meetings and conversations.

Now that he’s been spending some time there during offseason workouts, he said he’s feeling good about where he landed.

“I’m in Green Bay, working out, getting to know the team, fitting in with the culture,” he said. “I’m just beyond blessed for the opportunity to showcase my skills and be a Packer.”

Gesky was far from the only member of the 2025-26 Illinois football team with an opportunity to turn pro. He was one of six undrafted free agents from Brett Bielema’s team, joined by three draft picks and three players who were given invites to rookie minicamps across the league.

Of those 12 players, four came from the starting offensive line, and another was the quarterback, Luke Altmyer, whom they protected.

Left tackle JC Davis was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round, right tackle Melvin Priestly joined Altmyer as a free agent with the Detroit Lions and center Josh Kruetz was invited to rookie camp with the Bears.

After helping build up this offensive line that just helped put together the winningest two-year stretch in Illinois football history, Gesky said the chance to enter the pro ranks alongside his fellow linemen is definitely a source of pride.

“It’s awesome that we’re seeing so much success across the board from the Illinois offensive line,” he said. “I can speak for myself, but that’s all that I can ask for is the fact that we’ve all gotten the opportunity. It shows us that we obviously had something special there. We built a culture together that got us these opportunities.

“...It’s going to be cool to maybe see those guys in the future on the opposing sidelines, maybe the same sideline.”

Gesky is no stranger to top-level competition after five years in the Big Ten, but he is certainly aware that the jump to the NFL level is the biggest step he’ll make in his career.

But from his time playing at Manteno under IHSFCA Hall of Famer RJ Haines and then the jump to a Power Four program in Champaign, he said he’s grateful for everything he’s picked up over the years that have made him both a better player and a person primed to meet all the demands of a professional athlete.

“In high school, I learned a lot about how to get my body right and how to get bigger, faster, stronger,” he said. “I felt like being a part of a small town and a smaller program gave me a chance to compete with others, and then going from high school to a Power Four team was a great experience because I want to compete against the best and be the best.

“In order to be the best, you have to beat the best. A lot of the guys I competed with in college, I’ll get to see again in the NFL.”

The Packers’ OTAs are coming up on May 26, with mandatory minicamp following June 9 and training camp getting started on July 23.

As he moves into this pivotal summer, Gesky said he’s just trying to cherish the chance to compete with the best players in the world.

“It’s the National Football League,” he said. “Everyone’s got that X-factor to them, and it’s just that little inch of what you do in your off time.”