Tim Walz’s former student shares his fondest memories

DULUTH, Minn. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Before he was Governor Walz, many knew him as Mr. Walz at Mankato West High School, where he taught social studies and coached football.

A well-known member of the Duluth community, Noah Hobbs, talked about his favorite high school teacher who is now the man joining the Kamala Harris ticket.

"I go to the classroom, go to open the door, it's locked...Do I go home for the hour because can't go to school? The door opens and it's Mr. Walz and without missing a beat, he just says, 'I saved a seat up here for you. Some things never change.' There's a front row seat, because he knew I was always late."

Noah Hobbs, Gov. Walz' former student

Hobbs shares this memory of Governor Tim Walz from two years after the now politician was his global geography teacher at Mankato West High School.

A self described "C-ish" student, Hobbs says Walz was his favorite teacher.

"There's this man that paid as much attention to lower performing students academically, as he did to the 4.0 kids. And, you know, at the age of 14, 15, like that, that was huge," Hobb shared.

So huge, Hobbs took his education more seriously and learned how to leverage it to help those in his community, becoming a Duluth City Councilor, working at One Roof Community Housing and most recently, as a Denfeld High School baseball coach.

"He was our catching coach. So then I became a catcher. I never really caught before and then by the end of senior year, I was our starting catcher," said Brady McGinn, a former Duluth Denfeld baseball player.

Hobbs' former players at Denfeld say in the few years they played for him, they noticed the way he would notice them.

"He was trying to fix my swing and even like, he would notice that the little things that make your swing like so much better," said Tyler Stuart, another former Duluth Denfeld baseball player.

The same way Hobbs says Walz paid attention to the details, even if Hobbs doesn't see it himself.

"I will never be a Mr. Walz, but if you can, you know, aspire to be the best version of yourself, and also then try to have others see that and act upon it, is really, is really great. And I think that's something that Mr. Walz taught," Hobbs expressed.

A lesson carried out of the classroom and into the community.

Hobbs had Governor Walz as a teacher in 2004, making him a member of the last class he taught before running for Congress.