Griff Koch on Leadership, Resilience, and Raising the Standard of US Football | Season 2, Ep 7

In Episode 7 of Season Two of The Late Start Show, we sat down with Griff Koch, a Sanders House prefect, varsity football captain, and Columbia Football commit. A US lifer who grew up minutes from the Shaker campus, Griff reminisces about castle-marshmallow launches, eighth-grade current-events classes that sparked a love of history, and the lower-school coaches who first showed him what great teams feel like. He traces his path from multi-sport kid to the varsity O-line, through an ACL setback and back again, and credits his older captains and teachers for pulling him in and showing him how to lead.The conversation spans recruiting highs and hard lessons like gaining 50 pounds the right way, turning “I’m nervous” into “I’m excited,” dimmer-switch game-day prep, and why Twitter and persistence finally put his film in front of the right coaches. Griff opens up about choosing Columbia, loving the staff’s intensity, and a program on the rise, plus his academic curiosity that ranges from biology to economics. He reflects on prefect duties, house culture, and what he’ll miss most about US. He closes with his “why”: to honor the sacrifices of family, classmates, and teachers by chasing excellence every day, so that his effort matches what others have poured into him.Credits to Theo Walter for Production and Editing, Russ Nobles for the Intro and Outro songs, Mr. Wickboldt for being our advisor, and you for listening to our podcast and keeping up with the latest US news.