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Thank you for reading Football Across Minnesota (FAM), my weekly column that tours football topics in our state from preps to pros. You can find all the previous FAM columns right here. — Chip
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Alex Larson took a break from playing football as he entered high school. He had suffered two concussions in eighth grade and decided to focus on basketball and baseball at East Ridge, unsure if he would ever put on a football uniform again.
He threw himself into basketball especially and had opportunities to play in college. When his buddies on the football team kept urging him to join them for their senior season, Larson discussed the idea with his parents and ultimately gave football another shot.
"We didn't have expectations," mom Kristie said. Dad Gregg admits he wasn't sure if his son would get any playing time.
They all agreed that Larson should just enjoy the team camaraderie and make senior memories with his best friends.
Something else happened.
"It really sparked his love and passion for it again," Kristie said.
Four years after putting on pads again, Larson is a Division III All-America tight end at St. John's who has caught the eye of NFL scouts.
His express-train trajectory has put him on pace to set a host of St. John's receiving records by a tight end. He now has his sights set on playing professionally.
"Playing football as a job, there's nothing better than that," he said. "I'm trying to get there."
That he's even entertaining that thought underscores Larson's natural athletic talent and his work ethic in making up for lost time.
He played wide receiver as a 6-7, 200-pound senior at East Ridge. His basketball background became apparent as he made leaping, contested catches that required body control and strong hands.
St. John's coach Gary Fasching saw Larson's body frame and ball skills and envisioned a prototypical pass-catching tight end.
"We thought he could be a really good college player for us," Fasching said.
Larson already was committed to play basketball at St. John's, so he enrolled with the idea of playing both sports. He fell in love with football as a freshman and gave up basketball.
He appeared in only one game that season. The coaching staff asked after the season if he would be willing to change from wide receiver to tight end, a move that would require him to gain 35 to 40 pounds.
Larson dedicated himself to the transformation. He worked out six days a week — often in his driveway at home during the start of the pandemic — and ate so much that his mom joked she had to buy him a new wardrobe.
"Alex is one of those kids who when he puts his mind to something, he's all in," Kristie said.
The pandemic wiped out his sophomore season, meaning last season was his first true season of game competition. He caught eight touchdown passes and averaged 14.4 yards per catch.
"Having a year like that, knowing I can do great things on the field, it gives me confidence," he said.
He has nine touchdown catches so far this season, which is tied for the MIAC lead and ranks 11th nationally in Division III. He is second on the team in catches (42) and third in receiving yards (553) despite frequently drawing extra defenders in coverage, particularly in the red zone.
"He's a little bit of a matchup nightmare for some teams," Fasching said.
Larson's biggest adjustment has been learning to block. He moves around the formation — even split out wide — to maximize his strengths as a pass catcher and to create favorable matchups. But being a tight end also requires him to play on the line and block defensive ends.
"That definitely didn't come easy," he said.
He spends extra time in practice working on his technique, and he loves to dissect video with coaches.
"Because of his work ethic," Fasching said, "he's been able to accelerate his learning of the game very quickly."
That has attracted the attention of NFL teams. Scouts from five teams, including the Vikings, have visited campus to watch Larson practice and/or meet with him. More have called to inquire about him.
Larson has one more season of eligibility left because of eligibility rules changes during the pandemic, and he currently plans to use it. Feedback from scouts has revolved around gaining more weight and strength while continuing to improve as a blocker. But they are intrigued by him as a prospect.
His parents have given him the same advice as when he debated returning to football for his senior year in high school: Go for it.
"Don't live life with regrets," his dad told him. "If doesn't work out, you know that you did your best, and you went after it."
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LOVE OF THE GAME
The fifth-string QB
St. Croix Lutheran senior running back Jack Thome had a running joke with his quarterback Marco Rodrigues before the season. Thome would tell Rodrigues at practice that he was going to take his spot.
Never mind that Thome had never played quarterback in his life. He was No. 5 on the depth chart at quarterback in an emergency, flying-pigs scenario.
"I never thought it would actually happen," Thome said.
It happened.
An unusual and cruel bout of injuries forced Thome to switch positions and become the starting quarterback by the third game of the season.
He rushed for 94 yards and five touchdowns in a Class 3A playoff win over Minneapolis Henry last week to lead St. Croix Lutheran to the section championship game against Breck on Friday.
The Crusaders defeated Breck 41-14 during the regular season, but as coach Adam Frey said, "We're quite a bit different than we were in Week 2."
Rodrigues suffered a season-ending knee injury late in that first meeting against Breck. The No. 2 and No. 3 quarterbacks already had suffered knee injuries before that game. Another backup injured his collarbone playing special teams in the Breck game.
That left Thome to run the offense.
"We've got to be the only team in the state who had to play our fifth-string quarterback even one snap," Frey said. "And we've been doing it since Week 3."
The Crusaders run a version of the veer, and passing is not a big component of their offense under normal circumstances. Thome attempted only four passes against Henry last week, completing none.
Thome is a senior who has put his team first ahead of any individual goals. He has been in the offensive system since eighth grade, so he knew the entire playbook. But he's had to learn the finer points of being a quarterback as he goes.
"It's a lot easier taking the handoff than being the one doing it," he said. "Lots of nights staying after practice, taking snaps and working on footwork. Taking snaps is not something I ever thought of being a tough thing, but it took some time to get that down."
Rodrigues and the coaching staff have helped him on reading the defense as the play unfolds and knowing when to keep the ball and when to pitch it.
"He's done a really nice job doing what he can with it," Frey said. "He knows he's not a true quarterback, but he's got a good attitude about it."
That's not the only sacrifice Thome made. He usually plays outside linebacker on defense, but when the secondary needed help, he moved to safety.
He also plays on most of the special teams. Frey estimated that Thome is on the field for 100-plus plays each game between offense, defense and special teams.
"It's been going good," Thome said. "I've been able to learn a little bit more what the position is like and obviously we've had some success."
The Crusaders have a 4-5 record and are one win away from a berth to the state tournament. Their goals have not changed despite the patchwork nature at quarterback.
"I've never seen anything like it," Frey said. "It's been interesting. But our kids have really reacted well to it. They're still battling."
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WEEKEND REWIND
Game balls
- Za'Darius Smith: Vikings linebacker sacked Kyler Murray three times to increase his season total to 8.5, tied for the NFL lead. He added seven tackles and a pass breakup.
- Mohamed Ibrahim: Gophers workhorse running back carried the ball 36 times for 159 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Rutgers.
- Andrew McElroy: St. Thomas sophomore became the first Pioneer League receiver to post 200 receiving yards in a game this season and finished with 314 all-purpose yards and three TDs in a win over San Diego.
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He said what?!
"I promise you this, if I get challenged, I will show up on the stat sheet. And that's why I've been missing out on Pro Bowls and All-Pros. I'm here. Twelve years in and I'm still standing strong." — Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson, letting his former employer, the Arizona Cardinals, know with his performance and postgame comments that he's still an elite corner.
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Numbers to know
- 10: Pass breakups for Patrick Peterson through seven games, a career best.
- 37: Consecutive games with at least one touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins, seventh-longest streak in NFL history. He broke a tie with Brett Favre (2002-04) on Sunday.
- 25: National ranking for St. Thomas in the FCS poll, the first time the Tommies have been ranked since moving to Division I.
- 8,193: Career passing yards for Bethel's Jaran Roste, becoming the school's all-time passing leader.
- Minus-22: Rushing yards for Minot State in a loss to Minnesota Duluth. The Bulldogs defense allowed only 100 yards total and five first downs.
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15-yard penalty
The NFL fined Dalvin Cook $7,426 last week for throwing the football into the stands while celebrating a long touchdown run that sealed a win against the Dolphins in Cook's hometown of Miami. Seriously, NFL?! No Fun League is right.
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UP NEXT
Grab your popcorn
Gophers at Nebraska, Saturday at 11 a.m. The Gophers lost their previous two road games, scoring 31 points combined against Illinois and Penn State. Nebraska ranks 100th nationally in scoring defense, allowing 30.6 points per game. The Cornhuskers are 110th in pass defense. The Gophers need their passing game to be strong Saturday against that vulnerable defense.
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A FAM FINAL WORD
"Revenge"
Patrick Peterson played like a man who had a point to prove Sunday. He had three pass breakups and let the Cardinals sideline hear about it after each one. Peterson did not hide his anger over how his tenure in Arizona ended in a postgame interview, and it became abundantly clear watching his emotions pour out on the field and in the locker room that Peterson felt extra motivated to stick it to his former team. He proved once again that revenge is a powerful motivator.
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Thank you for reading Football Across Minnesota. I'll publish this each Tuesday morning in time for your lunch-hour reading. I appreciate feedback so please reach out anytime.
Thanks again,
Chip (@chipscoggins on Twitter)
