Playing college sports is possible

“You don’t have to be from a big high school to be a good athlete.”

Those are words spoken from Eric Hemmelgarn, a 2014 Jay County High School graduate and recent national champion with the University of Saint Francis football team.

He said that, and more, when interviewed for a story about the Cougars’ 38-17 victory over the Baker Wildcats in the NAIA Football National Championship in Daytona Beach, Florida.

“Just work hard and you’ll get far.”

It’s a phrase that goes with any aspect in life, but it’s especially true in sports.

Hemmelgarn is a prime example.

As a freshman, he was redshirted. The following year he didn’t play very much. He almost gave up.

Instead, he continued to work, earned his playing time and started to produce for the Cougars, who lost in the national semifinal to the eventual champion and conference rival Marion Knights in 2015.

He finished his redshirt freshman season with 17 tackles, was second on the team with 9.5 tackles for loss and had one sack as he appeared in all 12 games as a backup defensive lineman.

This year, he cracked the starting lineup then proved why he deserved the role.

He was tied for fifth on the team with 63 tackles, and led USF with 25.5 tackles for loss. His 11 sacks were second to fellow defensive lineman Lucas Sparks, who was the most outstanding defensive player of the national title game. Hemmelgarn had at least one tackle for loss in 11 of the Cougars’ 14 games this season, including 1.5 in the opening half on Saturday.

“Just work hard and you’ll go far.”

Hemmelgarn is proof of it. And he offered some advice to other athletes from Jay County that can translate to those at Fort Recovery and South Adams as well.

“Any Jay County athlete, no matter what sport it is, just because the team isn’t as good as a Fort Wayne or (Indianapolis) team doesn’t mean that a player shouldn’t try out for a college sport.”

Since Hemmelgarn’s class of 2014 — the first graduating class during my time at The Commercial Review — there are 40 local athletes who have gone on to play sports in college.

Out of those 40, though, eight attend NCAA Division I schools — Gabbie Mann at IPFW, Cady Farlow at Purdue, Anne Vormohr and Sophie Bader at Ball State, Zane Shreve at Miami (Ohio), Emma Laux at Butler, Sydney Willis at Lipscomb and Megan Wellman at Indiana.

As of right now, that number will rise to 10 with the class of 2017.

But for each Division I athlete, there are three others who attend smaller schools, such as University of the Cumberlands, Brescia, Indiana Wesleyan, Trine and Taylor, to name a few.

Big or small, it does not matter. For any athlete, from basketball to baseball to track, there is a collegiate program out there that would love to have another player on its roster.

Just a little hard work and determination will provide any high school athlete the opportunity to play at the next level with — or against — those kids who attended larger high schools.

“It really makes me proud that I beat some of those guys out for the position and I’m able to help my team and help (represent) Jay County,” Hemmelgarn said.

Hemmelgarn could have chosen to walk away from the game he loved after being redshirted and relegated to the sidelines. But giving up was not his MO.

“Just work hard and you’ll get far.”

It earned him playing time, a starting spot and then a national championship.

Now, who will take his advice and follow the same path?

Your next set of teammates is waiting.