On just his second day of camp, Lyons Township High School senior Travis Stamm was promoted to the varsity football team as a freshman. All of a sudden, his mentors were now teammates.
“[2022 graduates] Joey Antonietti and Owen Cherry and [2023 graduate] Danny Pasko, guys who are playing in college,” Stamm recalled. “From a very early stage, they made it known that they thought I could do it. As a young kid, those were the guys I looked up to. That gave me confidence that I could do it.”
Now one of the area’s premier wide receivers, he will likewise join the college football ranks after verbally committing, June 18, to Illinois State University, the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision program in downstate Normal.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Stamm accepted almost immediately after returning from his official visit. The scholarship offer came May 31 while he attended football camp at Lindenwood University [St. Charles, Missouri].
“I love the [ISU] coaching staff. They all have a common goal and seem like great people as well as coaches,” he said. “I went to a couple of practices and [observed] their receivers coach Mickey Turner, the way he coaches them, the things they do. He and I are similar in the way we thought about football and the way he coaches; he checked all of those boxes. And head coach Brock Spack, he’s been there over 15 years [since 2009]. I like what he’s done with the program.”
Stamm plans to major in business. He also likes the proximity of the school, which results in seven of 12 regular-season games being in Illinois this season.
“It’s like an hour and a half away. My parents come out and see [LTHS football] and my grandparents can see me. At all of our home games, you can see them sitting in the end zone,” said Stamm, who saw the end zone often as the Lions’ leading receiver the past two seasons with graduated quarterback Ryan Jackson [St. Thomas]. The Lions reached the 2022 Class 8A state quarterfinals and the second round in 2023.
Last season, Stamm had 57 receptions for 789 yards with nine touchdowns, three in the victory over rival Hinsdale Central. Two 100-plus games were led by personal bests of 15 catches and 146 yards against Glenbard West with one TD.
As a sophomore, he had his first 100-yard effort in the season opener at Buffalo Grove (6 catches, 105 yards, TD). He finished with 632 yards on 43 catches with 11 TDs.
He could threaten the LTHS single-season record of 941 receiving yards (with 13 TDs) by then-senior Jemari Burks for the 2012 8A state quarterfinalists.
Last season, Stamm also played cornerback and is a projected starter for new secondary coach Anthony Gebhart, who previously coached at Willowbrook.
“Being my senior year and playing with all the guys my age one last time, I just want to win football games and do whatever necessary — play defense, special teams. I’ll run the ball,” he said. “I just want to win some games and go as far as we can.”
Last season, the Redbirds were 6-5 (4-4 in Missouri Valley Football Conference). The 2019 Redbirds reached the FCS quarterfinals before losing 9-3 to eventual national champion North Dakota State.
