Getting into his stance on the line of scrimmage, senior defensive end Andrew Schaetzke strikes fear into an entire offense, from the offensive linemen across from him to the quarterback and running back in the backfield.

What truly makes his opponents uneasy in the moments leading up to the ball being snapped, however, is his reputation as one of the most dominant presences in the Patriot League.

Schaetzke wasn’t always destined to play for the Blue and Gray. During his senior year at St. John’s Jesuit High School in Toledo, Ohio, the Georgetown standout considered accepting one of numerous offers extended by schools from the Mid-American Conference, primarily schools close by in the Midwest.

When Georgetown finally came calling, the decision was easy for him and his family.

“Once I found out that Georgetown was considering me, I knew that if I could get in here, I was going to come here,” Schaetzke said. “It was a family decision.”

And since the day he stepped onto campus over three years ago, the bond between athlete and school has flourished, with the star becoming perhaps the defense’s most irreplaceable member.

That became apparent towards the end of Schaetzke’s freshman season, when he began to earn significant playing time and produced almost immediately.

Schaetzke’s importance to the team was even more clear during his sophomore season, when he started every game and racked up 52 tackles.

In 2010, Schaetzke was twice selected as the Patriot League defensive player of the week for outstanding performances in contests against Lafayette and Sacred Heart. He was also honored as a member of the league’s first team all-defensive unit.

He recorded eight tackles (four for a loss), two sacks, and a forced fumble against Lafayette, leading the way in a close victory in the second game of the season as the Blue and Gray started the year with two wins.

Against Sacred Heart Schaetzke was similarly impressive, piling up seven tackles, including two and a half sacks and one more tackle for loss, and one pass defended.

Schaetzke finished with 59 tackles and led the league with 15 tackles for loss, accounting for -100 yards of offense. He also had nine sacks and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

Despite all of his individual successes, Schaetzke is a team player through and through, enjoying his time off the field even more than making his mark on it.

“My favorite part about football at Georgetown is being around the guys,” Schaetzke said. “We always go to Qdoba on Mondays and I live with six of the guys. We are a pretty tight knit group.”

Schaetzke partially attributes his close relationship with teammates to the rocky times they have experienced together, including 2009’s winless campaign.

“They always say it is easy when you are winning, but since we haven’t experienced too much of that, we have definitely grown as people and as a team coming through tough losses together,” Schaetzke said.

Thanks in large part to his contributions through thick and thin, the league-wide sentiment about the Hoyas is slowly changing.

“It was a turnaround win for this program,” Schaetzke said of the homecoming win over Holy Cross. “I think it really got the buzz going.”

But perhaps the greatest change can be seen in the demeanor and attitude of the players, who believe that the team can compete for a spot atop the league standings.

“We want to win the Patriot League, and I think it is definitely an attainable goal,” Schaetzke said.

Just a year ago people would have laughed if a Hoya were to say that the team’s goal was to win the Patriot League championship. That is no longer the case, and the players, led by Schaetzke both on and off the field, have a newfound confidence going into this weekend’s opener against Davidson.

Whether this goal comes to fruition or not, there is no doubt that Schaetzke will be remembered both at Georgetown and around the Patriot League.

But in keeping with his humble nature, Schaetzke does not mind if anyone remembers the stats he has accumulated.

“I just want to be remembered as a hard worker and a good guy and somebody who helped take this program to the next level.”