QB Lee Mondol Talks about Michigan

The University of Michigan football program received a commitment last week from Ventura, Calif., High School quarterback Lee Mondol. Mondol will begin his college career as a preferred walk-on, and will enter school in the fall. He spoke with GoBlueWolverine.com about his reasons for choosing the Wolverines.

When GoBlueWolverine.com last spoke with the family of Ventura, Calif., High School quarterback Lee Mondol, they were preparing to head to Ann Arbor in order to visit his mother's alma mater. While a scholarship offer didn't come from the trip, Mondol had no reservations about where he would attend college. "The visit was awesome," said Mondol. "We had front-row seats for the Michigan State game and we got to meet Coach (Mike) Debord and (running back) Mike Hart. They told me I would be a preferred walk-on, and could earn a scholarship in later years. I'm just happy to be on the team and hope to help them win a national championship."

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Mondol said Holy Cross was another school high on his list, but that it was his childhood dream to play for Michigan. "I had always thought about Michigan," he said. "Once they offered the preferred walk-on I wasn't going anywhere else."

In 2005 he led the Cougars to a 10-2 record on the road to the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division 1 finals, losing 14-7 to Moorpark. He had 198 completions on 339 attempts for 3,172 yards and 35 touchdowns, with 10 interceptions. "I was told there was a limited number of quarterbacks for the spring," said Mondol. "I know they have David Cone coming in the fall, and they told me they'd take one quarterback this year."

Mondol is also the starting shooting guard for the Ventura High basketball team, and led them to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 title. However, he said he is now football all the way. "I've done track before," Mondol said. "But now I'm just going to do weight training and concentrate on football."

While Mondol said he wasn't certain when he would move to Michigan, he is hoping to take a trip to Ann Arbor during his spring break. "The coaches told me they would let me know when they wanted me to come back, either in the summer or fall," he said.