An Honored Johnnie: Jackson Erdmann's Road to Collegeville
Make your way up I-94W and you might miss them if you're not paying attention to the signs. They don't garner much attention from the outside, but they are sights to see when you make it to campus. First, the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, and if you miss that, Saint John's in Collegeville. The wonders about both campuses are like a movie: the preview as you drive by gives you an idea of what you will see, but you must fully immerse yourself into both campuses to receive the full experience. On Saturday, students from both campuses will converge into Clemens Stadium for one of the best experiences in college football: Johnnie-Tommie. How big is this game? Of the Division III attendance records, Johnnie-Tommie holds three of the top five spots, including the top two (with a record of 17,327 last year). Every year is exciting in this rivalry, and everyone, including ESPN, wants to be a part of it. Everyone knows the classic rivalries of Division I from Alabama-LSU to Minnesota-Wisconsin, but if you haven't experienced Johnnie-Tommie, you're missing out. First year players don't know what they're getting into as they've only heard rumors, and today's subject is hoping his first experience is a memorable one.
From being the coaches kid to being a Division I recruit, expectations have always been high for Jackson Erdmann. Fair or not, those expectations drive him to succeed in every situation he's put into, whether on the field or off. He always loved football, but there was a time when he thought he may never play another snap. In 2013, right after Erdmann brought the Rosemount Irish football team to the state championship game (a loss to Eden Prairie), he was diagnosed with mono. "For the next three weeks, I kept getting worse, which was concerning," he said. Finally, a trip to Children's Hospital revealed he had Acute Cerebellar Ataxia, a disease that was affecting his ability to walk and even sit up straight. "I couldn't even sit up by myself, and when I did, I got nauseous," Erdmann said. After being pumped with IV's and having to learn how to walk again via physical therapy, Erdmann finally was back to normal after missing a month of school. The setbacks, unfortunately, wouldn't end there.
2014 was a great year for the Irish, going undefeated in the regular season and making it to the state quarterfinals against Lakeville North. Rosemount and Erdmann had momentum heading into the game, but that was quickly halted three plays into the game. A Panthers defender rolled up on Erdmann's leg after throwing a pass, and the pain was immediate. Trainers brought him to the locker room and told him he couldn't play, "but I honestly thought I just sprained it." He would return to the game in one of the grittiest performances I have ever witnessed in football. Some of the throws he made could not be made by anyone else on the field, and he did it while injured. His health's importance showed through, however, as Rosemount would lose the game 14-13. He would find out after the game he had a broken left fibula. As if Erdmann's journey hadn't produced enough content, a new chapter was beginning for him: the recruiting process.
When interviewing Jackson, his list of schools surprised me: Penn State, Iowa State, and Saint John's. The first two schools are Division I, Saint John's is Division III, and both of his parents went to fellow MIAC school Gustavus. To say I was surprised was an understatement. "My dad actually recommended I check out Saint John's," Erdmann said. "Coaches [Brandon] Novak and Dumo [Damien Dumonceaux] were great throughout the process, even texting me after the Lakeville North game, which no other school did." While Saint John's was recruiting him hard, he still took visits to Iowa State and Penn State. After visiting Ames, Iowa, "I told the coaches [at Saint John's] thank you for being so great during recruiting, but I'm going to try and play Division I." He loved Iowa State and was very close to committing to the Cyclones, but a visit to Happy Valley and Penn State helped him commit to be a Nittany Lion. The joys of being a Division I football player quickly were overwhelmed by an itch to play in games. "With all of the talent there, the odds just weren't good, and I wanted to play football so bad," Erdmann said. Eventually, he decided to transfer, and reached out to Novak to inquire about transferring to Saint John's to play. They took him in, and got started implementing him into the offense immediately.
It would be quite easy for the success and accolades to go the his head, but Jackson won't let that happen. Just try asking him about his stats or his game, and the attention gets quickly turned elsewhere. "I'm just honored to be a Johnnie," Erdmann said when asked about his game, "we have so much talent on this team, and all I care about is winning. I just want to live up to people's expectations." All credit is directed outward towards others, and his teammates and coaches are usually the recipients. This will be, by far, the biggest test Erdmann has ever faced, and will have to lead his team as a freshman. All of the attention will go to St. Thomas in pregame, but he is okay with that.
Saint Thomas is no cakewalk, and the Johnnies will put in extra work this week. Erdmann will watch film to prepare for a defense that blitzes frequently. His lineman will give him the time to showcase the arm that can make defensive backs retreat (something his predecessor couldn't do), and the offense will benefit immensely from his abilities. As for those concerns of living up to expectations? He's already surpassed many by his character and resiliency. His triumphs and tribulations bring excitement to a team filled with tradition. No one knows how the game will play out, but you can guarantee Erdmann is prepared for any adversity that heads his way. "Beating Saint Thomas is what I'm focused on, because we need to do that to win the MIAC and make the playoffs," he said, "Our team works hard for each other, and we focus on what we need to do for the team." This team will benefit from having Erdmann's arm, and will feed off of a crowd eager for revenge from 2015.
Clemens Stadium is a unique venue, with multiple areas for fans to view the game. Clemens holds 10 of the top 25 attendance records (the next highest venue holds five-UW Whitewater's Perkins Stadium), while it's opponent's venue holds one-proving money can't buy everything. The natural bowl of Clemens allows for people to sit on the hill surrounding the South endzone, while also increasing the decibel level of the 17,000+ fans watching. As if the game wasn't reason enough to attend, the elements of the stadium makes Saturday's contest a can't miss event. Saturday's game is vital for either team's championship aspirations, and the winner likely will determine who wins the conference. Johnnie-Tommie, it doesn't get much better than this.
GROUP OF 5 TOP 4
#1 Houston Cougars (3-0)----Last week, W 40-16 at Cincinnati. Defense scored twice in seven seconds to pull away. Up next: at Texas State.
#2 San Diego State Aztecs (3-0)----Last week: W, 42-28 at Northern Illinois. Donnel Pumphrey is really good. Up next: at South Alabama.
#3 South Florida Bulls (3-0)----Last week: W, 45-20 at Syracuse. Bulls came back from down 17-0. Up next: vs #13 Florida State.
#4 Boise State Broncos (2-0)----Last week: Bye. Two weeks to prepare for Beavers should be enough. Up next: at Oregon State.
Other 4: Western Michigan (3-0), Toledo (3-0), Army (3-0), Air Force (2-0)
TPO TOP 4
#1 Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0)----Last week: W, 48-43 at Ole Miss. Tide showed resiliency to comeback against Rebels. Up next: vs Kent State.
#2 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0)----Last week: W, 45-24 at Oklahoma. Young team is looking scary. Up next: Bye.
#3 Louisville Cardinals (3-0)----Last week: W, 63-20 vs Florida State. Lamar Jackson. If you don't know him, what have you been watching? Up next: at Marshall.
#4 North Dakota State Bison (3-0)----Last week: W, 23-20 at Iowa. Give 'em Bama at this point. Who can't they beat? Up next: Bye.
Other 4: Houston (3-0), Stanford (3-0), Clemson (3-0), Michigan (3-0)
GOPHERS UPDATE
This week's opponent: Colorado State Rams
Opponent record: 2-1
Site: TCF Bank Stadium
Player to shut down: Running backs Dalyn Dawkins, Marvin Kinsey Jr., and Izzy Matthews
Outlook: Promising. This could be a good stepping stone to determine how good the Gophers will be. Last year, they struggled to beat the Rams in overtime. This year, Mike Bobo's team has struggled in their opener against Colorado and beat UTSA and FCS Northern Colorado. This should be another game that Minnesota wins comfortably, and they've had plenty of time to prepare. Mitch Leidner should continue to get time in the pocket to throw, and the running game should continue to hammer opposing defenses. With a potential return of Shannon Brooks, it may get crowded for carries, but it's not usually a bad thing to have multiple options (unless you're an Ohio State quarterback). Defensively, Minnesota needs to improve as they have allowed 51 points to two inferior opponents. Now that they had time to fix mistakes, DC Jay Sawvel should have his unit ready to compete heading into the rest of the season. If the Gophers can stop the Rams' running game, it will force whoever is playing QB (a position that is unsettled) to beat them through the air.
GAMES OF THE WEEK
Overall: 44-30 Season: 8-6 Last week: 2-2Other games: USC at #24 Utah (Friday), BYU vs West Virginia (Fed Ex Field), Pittsburgh at North Carolina, Penn State at #4 Michigan, Colorado at Oregon, Oklahoma State at #16 Baylor, #7 Stanford at UCLA, Cal at Arizona State
#12 Georgia (3-0) at #23 Ole Miss (1-2)
Both teams need to shake off negative trends. Ole Miss starts off games fast, only to let their opponents storm back and take the lead. Georgia has struggled against inferior opponents, yet somehow is 3-0. The Kirby Smart era has gotten off to a rough start with consistency, but the Bulldogs' record is unblemished heading into week 4. After beating North Carolina, Georgia struggled to beat Nicholls by 2 and needed a last second touchdown against Missouri to beat the Tigers by 1. Passing and rushing offense and defense has been less than stellar, and they rank in the top 50 in only one category, rushing yards per game (they're 50th). Not what you want to see with a big matchup coming this week. Ole Miss may have a losing record, but those two losses have come to (at the time) #4 Florida State and #1 Alabama. The Rebels need to find a way to kick the second-into-third-quarter slumps they keep falling into, but that's not all on the offense. Defensively, they give up an average of 459 yards per game, with nearly 243 of those yards coming on the ground. That is alarming considering Georgia and star RB Nick Chubb love to run between the tackles. There is good news still in Oxford: Chad Kelly is still one of the top quarterbacks in college football. Even though he looked bad against Alabama (let's be honest, not many can look good against the Tide), Kelly is a dangerous threat with the ball in his hands. Coach Hugh Freeze needs this win badly, as he may be on the hot seat if he doesn't. The Rebels are hungry for a win, and should be able to do that at home.
My pick: UPSET (kinda) SPECIAL: Ole Miss 38 Georgia 24
#11 Wisconsin (3-0) at #8 Michigan State (2-0)
This is what I find comical: your first game you beat a top 5 team, and three weeks later you have a quarterback controversy. You also struggled to beat a winless Georgia State team that has zero notable names, but you could keep the best back in the league in check most of week 1. Add me to the list of people that can't understand the Badgers. Supposedly, Wisconsin is turning the reigns over to redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook after Bart Houston struggled mightily against the Panthers last week. Injuries are starting to pile up for the Badgers on both sides of the ball, which is a cause for concern. Michigan State is coming off of an impressive win against then-18th ranked Notre Dame on the road, but the Spartans aren't celebrating anymore. Coach Mark Dantonio once again has let his team accept the underdog/little brother role in the Big Ten, a role they are comfortable playing. Michigan State relies on a rushing attack featuring LJ Scott and Gerald Holmes, while they're defense is led by star DL Malik McDowell and LB Riley Bullough. That recipe for success has worked in the past and continues to pay dividends for Dantonio. It's never a good sign when your redshirt freshman's first start is on the road against a top ten team, but then again, who am I to doubt the Badgers after week 1? That being said, this game figures to be a grind-it-out type of game that's low scoring. Michigan State has the experience and depth to survive.
My pick: Michigan State 21 Wisconsin 17
#19 Florida (3-0) at #14 Tennessee (3-0)
Last time Tennessee beat Florida: the Olympics were in Greece, Facebook hadn't even launched yet, and USC was the top ranked team in college football. UT was so close last year to breaking the streak, but we won't dig up those harsh memories. Florida has given up a total of 14 points, Tennessee has struggled against two Group of 5 teams (Appalachian State and Ohio) but beat a solid Virginia Tech team by 21. Which Volunteers team will we see? No one knows but them. Butch Jones' seat will be scorching if they lose for a 12th consecutive year, because they talent he brought in should be ready by now. RB Jalen Hurd is a monster in the backfield who is waiting to be unleashed, but it hasn't been easy with a shaky quarterback next to him. QB Joshua Dobbs' play has let teams stack the box and force him to beat them with his arm. So far, it's been a near failure experiment. If Dobbs can break out against the Gators, Hurd and the defense will excel even more. Florida just lost its starting quarterback in Luke Del Rio after a questionable hit by a North Texas defender. Del Rio is supposed to be out 2-3 weeks, but has been practicing with the team and will travel to Tennessee. Coach Jim McElwain has done a marvelous job of bringing the Gators back to national relevance, but needs to win a big game to take another step. With Tennessee's hunger for a rivalry win, and Florida leaning on a Purdue transfer, I think the streak ends.
My pick: Tennessee 30 Florida 28
#17 Arkansas (3-0) vs #10 Texas A&M (3-0)----AT&T Stadium, Arlington TX
Oklahoma fans may wonder if letting Trevor Knight get away was a bad idea. The Aggies certainly don't mind having him on campus. Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin knew his defense would be solid, but the quarterback position was a big question mark heading into this season. While there is still some concern as to how the Aggies lost two 5 star quarterbacks in the same offseason, they are focused on Saturday night in Jerry's World. Aggies' DE Myles Garrett is still dominant, even with double teams and chip blocks being thrown his way. His teammates have helped him out, putting the Aggies 10th nationally in total sacks. Arkansas has been on a roller coaster all year: surviving Louisiana Tech by 1 and stunning TCU in double overtime. Which team will we see Saturday? I have no idea, and I've stopped trying to figure out any team coached by Bret Bielema. Bielema's Razorbacks are just as hard to figure out as his Badgers were in Wisconsin. Honestly, this game is the proverbial coin flip to me, but the Razorbacks consistency is a big concern.
My pick: Texas A&M 35 Arkansas 28
