Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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Bartch said he studied online videos and tutorials as much as he could and fully committed himself to his new position.
"Definitely a little adversity transitioning. I was asked to switch after an entire spring ball as a tight end going into my junior year. I really only had about three months to learn offensive line for camp," Bartch said. "It wasn't incredibly difficult. I had the support of teammates. I made it a mission to learn as much as I could on my own from the internet about it. Then practicing and doing reps on my own.
"At St. John's, there a certain accountability and responsibility that you have to do it on your own," Bartch added. "We don't have personal chefs or people giving you a smoothie after practice. You have to take it upon yourself to stay motivated and hold yourself accountable."
Bartch impressed enough to get an invitation to the Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, in late January, where he more than held his own against a pool of players that mostly featured Division I prospects.
"I think I proved some things down in Mobile," Bartch said.
While Bartch did not play in the actual game due to a minor knee injury, he turned heads by constantly winning his reps and showcasing his skills in the valued practices.
"Michael Jordan said you have to expect things of yourself before you do them," Bartch said. "I expected of myself that I was going to perform well, whether or not other people thought I was some small-school scrub who was going to get destroyed.
"So, I think going down there, you get that first rep out of your system and you just relax a little bit," Bartch added. "Like, look we're just playing football. We're having fun. I think it was a great experience and really big for me."
Bartch's father, Jon, was born in St. Paul, and he has multiple family members who currently live in the Twin Cities. Two cousins also attend St. John's; aunts and uncles have roamed the campus in the past.
The 21-year-old Bartch will also have some ties to Minnesota in the two months leading up to the 2020 NFL Draft.
He will not participate in on-field drills in Indianapolis but will do them at the University of Minnesota's Pro Day on March 25.
Bartch also shares the same representation as Vikings right tackle Brian O'Neill, who also transitioned from tight end to tackle when he was in college.
"Yeah, Brian's a great dude. He's been around the facility (Sports Science Lab in Irvine, California) the last couple weeks," Bartch said. "We talked a little bit about Minnesota and stuff like that.
"I've watched a little bit of his film and stuff," Bartch added. "And I'll be going back there training, so I'll pick his brain and get advice."
Perhaps Bartch will stay in Minnesota and land with the Vikings, but if he continues to impress at the combine, there is no doubt he will be just the ninth player ever drafted from St. John's.
"I grew up obviously idolizing the NFL and always wanting to play in it as a young boy. But I think it kind of became surreal and actualized it, kind of my junior year, the beginning of when scouts started coming in a little more," Bartch said. "I kind of understood this is something I'm going to devote a lot of my time to, and I'm really excited about it. Before then, I took actions, sacrificing different things to focus more on football during my freshman and sophomore year.
"Stuff like that is definitely a chip on the shoulder," Bartch later added. "I controlled what I could control, which was performing well at St. John's."