Before Jimmy Garoppolo was a potential franchise quarterback, he was chasing quarterbacks as a sophomore at Rolling Meadows High School in suburban Chicago.
The 15-year-old was promoted to the varsity as an underclassman because of his athleticism, but he didn’t yet have the size to match his skills. The result: The lanky 175-pound outside linebacker had a constant question for his position coach, Scott Otahal.
“Jimmy would always ask in film sessions, ‘Hey, coach, how big is that guy that might come out and block me?’” Otahal said. “Honest to God truth, we used to laugh about it all the time.