Hopkins QB Billy Gregg Talks About His Past, Present and Future

While most high seniors are celebrating their recent graduation by laying around the pool or hanging out with friends, Hopkins quarterback Billy Gregg has spent the past week in St. Peter with 100 strangers and loved every minute of it.

Gregg will play for the South team in Saturday’s Minnesota Football High School All-Star Game at TCF Stadium. The two teams, North and South, spent the week in St. Peter. Patch caught up with Gregg at the All-Star Game media session to learn more about his high school career, Saturday’s game and college future.

Gregg led the Royals to a 7-4 mark, losing to Eden Prairie in the Class AAAAA, Section 6 finals. Hopkins lost to perennial power Eden Prairie twice, Minnetonka and eventual state champion Wayzata. He completed 62 percent of his passes for 2,846 yards and 31 touchdowns. Gregg was one of the ten finalists for the Mr. Football Award and was named second team All-Metro by the Star Tribune.

Gregg also won the Apollo Award as Hopkins' top athlete.

Hopkins Patch: How does it feel to be out here in this type of experience?

Billy Gregg: It is amazing. It is humbling, because you have got all these great athletes. It is really nice and quite an honor to be chosen to play among them. 

Hopkins Patch: You were down in St. Peter getting ready for the game. What was it like hanging out in the dorms, getting to know some of the kids?

Gregg: It is a lot of fun. I met a bunch of cool guys and like you said, we are just hanging out in the dorms, having a good time. What more could 18 year-old boys like?

Hopkins Patch: There were some guys on your team that you were rivals with in high school. What was that like getting to know them?

Gregg: The head coach of my team (Dave Nelson) and one of my big lineman Josh Coville, they are both Minnetonka guys and that is our biggest rival. I kind of grew up hating them. But now I see them through a different lens, and I really like them a lot. They are both really nice guys.

Hopkins Patch: You won the Apollo Award this season. That had to be a big honor for you.

Gregg: That was something that I heard about when I was in ninth grade. It is the outstanding male athlete of the year. It is given to a senior every year, and it was something that I saw as a ninth grader and figured that was my goal—that is what I want to get. I worked as hard as I can in football and baseball for four straight years. I can’t even tell you how excited and proud I was that I was honored with that award.

Hopkins Patch: What about the transition to college? You are going to Saint John’s, which is a strong program year-in and year-out. 

Gregg: It is obviously a different offense. I come from the spread and shotgun, and we’ll be running more of a pro-style under center. It is going to be a transition, of course, but I am up to it. I really like what they’ve got going there and I am excited to add to the Johnny tradition.

Hopkins Patch: They are known for having a big roster. What are the chances of you playing as a freshman?

Gregg: I really don’t know. I am obviously going to go in and work my butt off to play as soon as I can, but you never know. It’s up in the air.

Hopkins Patch: When do you start practice?

Gregg: We start up August 13th.

Hopkins Patch: So you get to have a little bit of a summer before college?

Gregg: Yes, definitely. I am playing Legion baseball and having a good time doing stuff like this, and then I get to work my butt off in camp.

Hopkins Patch: When you look back at your career at Hopkins what is going to stand out as some of the high points?

Gregg: I would definitely say playing football, of course. Some of those days you are never going to forget in your entire life. You have 70 guys all working towards the same goal. That is really a powerful thing. Meeting all sorts of people and building those relationships that I will have for the rest of my life.

Hopkins Patch: Have you thought much about what you would like to major in at college?

Gregg: I am thinking English and political science and then go on to law school. I would probably like to be an attorney. I am not sure what kind yet, but I have always been interested in law and I like to argue, so I figured why not do it for a living?