‘They can’t measure heart’: Montgomery’s Vili Trollinger leads from linebacker spot

It didn’t take Vili Trollinger long to catch the eyes of opposing football coaches.

A middle linebacker, Trollinger started as a freshman at St. Augustine High School. A year later, he was named the unanimous Western League Defensive Player of the Year after collecting a team-high 101 tackles. That league included powerhouse teams Lincoln and Cathedral Catholic.

Transferring to Montgomery High as a junior after a coaching change at St. Augustine, Trollinger went about convincing a different set of coaches.

He did just that, earning Metro-South Bay League Defensive Player of the Year honors as a junior and being named second-team All-CIF after registering 93 tackles over just eight games. (He sat out the first five as a transfer.)

Through eight games this season, Trollinger has 94 tackles. One more game like last week, when he had 14 tackles for the Aztecs in a triple-overtime loss to Olympian, and he’ll surpass his best single-season performance. That should come Friday against rival Hilltop. Montgomery (5-3) closes the regular season next week against Bonita Vista and is solidly in the Division 3 playoff mix.

Trollinger should repeat as league defensive player of the year, and there’s a pretty good chance he’ll be in the mix for first-team All-CIF honors.

There are two sets of numbers preventing him from being compared to all-time section linebackers like Junior Seau and Fred Warner.

He’s listed at 5-foot-11 and 220 pounds, small for a major-college prospect.

So Trollinger has taken matters into his own hands.

“I send 10 to 15 messages and emails to colleges every day,” said Trollinger. “I always send videos so they can see how I play. So far, I’ve gotten some Division I interest, but only one school, Ottawa University, has given me an offer.”

Ottawa is an NAIA university located in Surprise, Ariz.

“I just think if enough college coaches see me, I’ll eventually get more offers,” Trollinger said.

He certainly has the support of Montgomery coach Freddy Dunkle, a former San Diego State linebacker who knows plenty about the position.

“If he were 6-2 or 6-3, he’d be buried in Division I offers. Even if he were 6-foot,” Dunkle said. “But once COVID hit, kids like Vili have been left behind because of the transfer portal. Why play an 18-year-old freshman if you can reach into the portal and get an experienced player who you don’t have to develop?

“It’s 10 times harder now than it was for high school kids to get those Division I scholarships.”

Dunkle says Trollinger counters his lack of size with surprising speed for the position.

“We use their speed for a 10 to 20-yard sprint,” said Dunkle. “Vili ran 19 mph, and Division 1 players are considered fast at 20. In the NFL, it’s 23 mph. He really deserves the opportunity to prove himself at the next level. He never quits and leads by example. They measure height and weight, but they can’t measure heart, and that’s where Vili excels.”

Trollinger showed his leadership beyond the football field when he went out for the basketball team last season. Montgomery basketball coach Ed Martin said he was a little surprised when Trollinger showed up because the Aztecs had a veteran team that had played together for three years. It was the first time he’d seen Trollinger on the court.

“As it turned out, he was the missing link between making the section finals two straight years and then winning it all last year,” said  Martin. “He wasn’t a starter, but you could put him in to get a rebound or cut off players going to the basket. When he wasn’t in the game, he was cheering on the team from the bench. Although he only played two to three minutes a game, he was the ultimate teammate. Here he was, a star in football who came out and wanted to be part of the basketball program, where he was maybe the No. 8 or 9 player.

“At the end of the season, he was voted the teammate of the year.”

Trollinger also tossed the discus and put the shot in track. Trollinger carries a 3.7 GPA, and says he plans on majoring in kinesiology in college.

“School is No. 1, 100%,” said Trollinger. “My family has made that clear right from the start, and I agree. I’m playing football so I can further my academic career. I enjoy being with the guys, building relationships, but I’m hoping to get a scholarship playing football.

“I’m physical, I like to hit, but what I really like are momentum-changing plays that help the team. A tackle for a loss, batting down a pass, a sack … anything to help the team.

“The other things will work out.”