2010 Highlight Video!

After much delay and drama, here's the 2010 Pioneer Highlight Video:

Marquis Bradley In The Wichita Eagle!

Marquis Bradley '11 and his mother, Jodee Bradley

MWC All-Conference performer, Marquis Bradley '11, played in the Tazon de Estrellas, also known as the former Aztec Bowl as a member of the American All-Stars.  The Stars and Stripes team made up of 44 Division III players beat the CONADEIP All-Stars on Saturday December 18th, by a score of 48-7.  It was a great way to cap Marquis' career and his home town newspaper, The Wichita Eagle, spotlighted Bradley the week of the game.

Wichitan Marquis Bradley is a whale of a football player who dreams of playing in the NFL, a guy who works harder than almost anyone to make that dream come true, a defensive player of the year at Division III Grinnell College in Iowa, a hard- hitting linebacker with the nickname "Marquis the Beast."

But his story is more than football.

It's hopeful and uplifting. It involves a dynamic mother and male role models who couldn't resist Bradley's illuminating smile or his mother's strong work ethic and gave both the support they needed.

Check out the whole story here.

Eleven Pioneers Named Academic All-Conference!

After the best season in 6 years, the Grinnell College Pioneers were equally as impressive in the classroom boasting 11 MWC Academic All-Conference award winners!  The entire Grinnell Athletic Department had 85 Fall Academic All-Conference athletes named pacing the rest of the conference and well ahead of Beloit's 62 honorees, which was good for 2nd most.

Congrats to all the Grinnell student-athletes to be so named, but in particular to the 11 Pioneer Football players:

Drew Blumberg '13, Mike Bogard '12, Ryan Creps '12, Ryan Fletcher '11, Clinton Follette '11, Logan Granera '12, Marc Heronemus '11, Chris Jarmon '12, Augustus Karisch '11, TJ Schaid '13, and Joe Sinnwell '12.

See the entire MWC release here.

Coach Pedersen is 2010 MWC Coach of the Year! Pioneers Garner 7 All-MWC Honors!

The Grinnell College football team had an amazing run in the 2010 season, and that success has been reflected in the All-MWC selections.

Head Coach Jeff Pedersen ’02 (top, left) has been named MWC Coach of the Year, and linebacker Marquis Bradley ’11 (top, second from left), wide receiver Robert Seer ’12 (top, second from right) and returner Logan Granera ’13 (top, right) have been named to the All-MWC first team in voting by the league’s coaches.

Granera was also a second-team pick - at the wide receiver position - and was joined on that team by linebacker Ryan Fletcher ’11 (bottom, left), safety Marc Heronemus ’11 (bottom, second from left) and running back TJ Schaid ’13 (bottom, second from right). Offensive tackle Jake McVeigh ’11 (bottom, right) was an honorable mention pick for a team that won as many games in 2010 as the three previous Grinnell squads combined.

Under Pedersen’s guidance, the Pioneers achieved success not seen at Grinnell in quite a few years. Among them were beating Monmouth College for the first time since 2000, winning four of their first five games for Grinnell’s best start since 1999 and finishing at 6-4 for the team’s best record since 2004.

See the entire Grinnell release here.  See the entire 2010 All-MWC team here.

2010 Season Recap

 The 2010 Grinnell Pioneers finished the season with a record of 6-4, which is the school's best record since 2004.  After 5 consecutive seasons of 3 wins or less, the 2010 version of the Pioneers broke out in a big way.  They won 4 of their 5 home games and despite having the smallest roster size in the conference, went on the road and defeated the two-time defending conference champions Monmouth Scots in Week 2.

Under first-year head coach Jeff Pedersen, the 2010 Pioneers were an attacking, fast, and intelligent team that bought into the three tenors of Coach Pedersen's Pioneering Spirit:  VISION, COURAGE, AND CONVICTION.

There were numerous individual standout seasons, as the Pioneers had two receivers finish in the top 5 in the MWC in both receptions per game and receiving yards per game (Logan Granera '12 and Robert Seer '12).  Seer also finished 2nd in the conference in scoring with 14 TDs.  Granera led the MWC in All-Purpose yardage, racking up 900 return yards and 1 TD.

Defensively, the Pioneers were led by 3 seniors.  Linebackers Marquis Bradley '10 and Ryan Fletcher '10 were all over the field, both finishing in the top 6 of the MWC in tackles.  Bradley had 103 total, 3 sacks, and 3 INTs.  Fletcher had 87 tackles, 10.5 of which were TFL.  Marc Heronemus '10 led the Pioneers' secondary with 59 tackles and 10 passes defended, which was good for 5th in the MWC.

Coach Pedersen and company are already excited for the 2011 season and bringing in the next batch of Pioneers to help continue the winning at Grinnell College!

Pioneers Fall in Season Finale

The 2010 Pioneer Seniors finished their careers on Saturday afternoon

The Grinnell College football team lost its 2010 season finale Saturday, falling 40-7 at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wis.

The first quarter was scoreless before the hosts tallied 27 points in the second period and 13 more in the third for a 40-0 lead.

Grinnell scored its lone touchdown at the 4:08 mark of the game when Jason Peters ’14 ran the ball in from a yard out. Logan Granera ’13 kicked the point after. The two-play drive was set up when Jeremy Wiles ’14  recovered a fumble at the Carroll 34-yard line, and Mike McCabe ’13 then completed a 33-yard pass to Robert Seer ’12.

Wiles had 15 total tackles for Grinnell, which finished 5-4 in the Midwest Conference and 6-4 in all games. Carroll is 6-3 in the MWC and 7-3 overall.

Marquis Bradley ’11 added seven tackles and Marc Heronemus ’11 and Kelsey Davis ’14 six each. McCabe completed 12 passes for 142 yards and Peters had six catches for 56 yards.

Grinnell Secures Winning Season!

The Grinnell College football team came up with a stellar effort in its final regular-season home game Saturday, and secured its first winning season since 2004 in the process with a 42-29 victory over Illinois College at Rosenbloom Field.

Illinois College entered the game in a tie for the Midwest Conference lead, but now falls to 5-3 in the league while Grinnell improves to the same record. That puts those two in a five-way tie for second place in the MWC. Grinnell is 6-3 overall and the Blueboys are 5-4.

Jason Peters ’14 (pictured) had a huge day for the Pioneers with eight catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. Mike McCabe ’13 completed 21-of-36 aerials for 293 yards and four scores, while Logan Granera ’13 had five catches for 69 yards and a TD.

Grinnell’s defense shut down the high-octane Illinois College defense and intercepted last week’s Midwest Conference Offensive Performer of the Week, Mitch Niekamp, three times. The Pioneers were sparked by two defenders celebrating Senior Day, Marquis Bradley ’11 and Ryan Fletcher ’11, who each had 14 tackles. Ryan Creps ’12 added two interceptions.

See the game box score here.

The Pioneers take their 6-3 record up to Wisconsin this Saturday for the 2010 finale versus Carroll University (6-3, 5-3 in MWC).  The winner secures at least a share of 2nd place in the MWC and with a St. Norbert loss would earn a share of the MWC title.

Go Pioneers!

The D3 Experience!

Junior offensive lineman, Chris Jarmon, writes a very popular blog entitled The D3 Experience that he started when he was at Colorado College.  Obviously, Chris' loyalties have turned in favor of the Scarlet & Black and we couldn't be happier to have him as a leader and a player for us.  Not to mention as a fellow blogger he's a pretty entertaining and informative writer.  Enjoy Chris' latest post and please check out all his previous work on his site.

The D3 Experience

Pioneers at Lambeau Field

On our way up to St. Norbert in De Pere, WI this past weekend, the Grinnell College Pioneers were able to take a tour of Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI and here are some of the photos from the trip!

The Pioneer Offense

Walking out of the Packer Tunnel

The Pioneer Defense

Marquis Bradley '11 overlooks the field from one of the corporate suites

Marquis Bradley '11 Chosen to Play in Stars & Stripes All-Star Game!

Grinnell College’s Marquis Bradley ’11 has been chosen by a panel of NCAA Division III coaches to represent Team Stars & Stripes in the second annual Tázon de Estrellas (Bowl of the Stars).

The D-III All-Star team’s contest against the CONADEIP All-Stars from Mexico is slated for Dec. 18 at Tec de Monterrey Stadium in Toluca, Mexico.

Bradley, a 5-foot-11, 202-pound linebacker from Wichita, Kan. (Independence HS), has earned his share of honors this season. He was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week once and was also tabbed a Midwest Conference Defensive Performer of the Week.

Through eight games, Bradley has team-highs of 82 tackles, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. He also has two sacks, eight tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries for the Pioneers, who sit at 5-3 and are tied for 2nd place in the MWC.

Grinnell's Granera Named to D3Football.com Team of the Week!

 

For the second time this year, the Pioneers have a player named to the D3Football.com Team of the Week!  After his versatile performance in the dramatic comeback against Lawrence, Logan Granera was named to the team as a Special Teams performer.

Not only did he boot a 42-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the first half, he also returned two kickoffs for 74 yards including a 50-yard return, punted three times and kicked off six times for a 53.3-yard average.


He also had an 18-yard touchdown catch for the final score of the game while finishing with six catches for 69 yards overall.

See the full team here at D3Football.com.

Pioneers Serve Community Meal!

Last night, the Grinnell Pioneers took a couple hours to help prepare, serve, and clean up at the SAJG Community Meal here in town.  The community meal is free and helps senior citizens and the underprivileged and is put on by SAJG along with helpful groups like the Pioneer Football program.  Here are some photos from the meal:

Quinn Rosenthal '14, Hart Russell '14, Ki Harris '14, and Drew Blumberg '13 stir some chili

The Pioneer serving line

Logan Granera '12 helps carry a tray for a senior citizen

TJ Goetz '14 sits and chats with some dinner guests

Bradley and Granera Named MWC Players of the Week

Grinnell College players have claimed two of the three Midwest Conference Football Players of the Week honors.

Marquis Bradley ’11 (left), a 5-11, 218-pound linebacker from Wichita, Kan., was named Defensive Player of the Week and Logan Granera ’13 (right), a 5-11, 180-pound wide receiver/kicker/kick returner from Keokuk, Iowa, was tabbed Special Teams Player of the Week.

Bradley and Granera both had dominating performances in the Pioneers’ 31-17 come-from-behind win over Lawrence University Saturday.

Bradley had a coming up with a game-high 13 tackles to go along with a momentum-shifting interception and fumble recovery. He now has 75 tackles on the season.

Granera put his versatility on display against Lawrence. Not only did he boot a 42-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the first half, he also returned two kickoffs for 74 yards including a 50-yard return, punted three times and kicked off six times for a 53.3-yard average. He also had an 18-yard touchdown catch for the final score of the game while finishing with six catches for 69 yards overall.

It was the second time this year that Granera was named Player of the Week, having earned the honor as the Offensive Performer of the Week back on September 20 for his performance against Ripon.

The efforts of Bradley and Granera helped Grinnell rally from a 17-0 deficit against Lawrence with 31 unanswered points as the Pioneers improved to 5-2, their best start since 1998.

Big Rally Secures Fifth Win of Season!

Saturday afternoon at Rosenbloom Field provided the stage for a phenomenal comeback as the Pioneers overcame an early three-score deficit to rally and triumph over the visiting Lawrence Vikings 31-17.  The victory improved Grinnell's record to 5-2 overall and they remained tied for 2nd place in the MWC just one game behind conference leader, Ripon.

Leading the fervent rally were Mike McCabe '13, who threw 4 TDs and 240 yards, and Robert Seer '12, who hauled in 3 TDs and 113 yards on 7 catches.  Defensively, Marquis Bradley '11 led the home team with 13 tackles, an INT and a fumble recovery.

Read the full game story here.

The Pioneers head to battle St. Norbert, also 4-2 in MWC play, on their Homecoming this Saturday! 
Go Pioneers!

Grinnell Falls to Knox

Committing 8 turnovers and 11 penalties, the Pioneers lost to the Knox Prairie Fire 31-21 on Saturday on a hot October day in Galesburg, IL.  The win drops Grinnell to 4-2 on the season and at 3-2 in MWC play, still just one game back of league leaders Ripon and Carroll with four to play. 

The game got off to a great start as the offense took the first series down and scored on a Mike Bogard '12 to Kelsey Davis '12 17-yard strike.  From that point forward however, nothing went right for the visiting Pioneers.  Trailing 17-7 at halftime, the Pioneers had plenty of fight in them as they cut the lead to 3 points twice in the 2nd half, to 17-14 on a Robert Seer '12 28 yard catch and run with 5:30 left in the 3rd quarter and then again cut the lead to 24-21 on a Jason Peters '14 two yard scoring plunge with 13:00 minutes left in the game. 

Knox proved up to the challenge and played the better game on Saturday, now it's time to regroup and get back to playing Pioneer football!  With energy, pride, and passion!

Next game brings the Vikings of Lawrence University to Rosenbloom Field this Saturday for a 1 pm kickoff!

Go Pioneers!

Game Photos!

Grinnell College student Ben Brewer '11 took some more action photos during the Pioneers win over Beloit this Saturday.  Here are some of the best.  Thanks Ben!

Ryan Fletcher '11 corrals a Beloit returner

The Pioneers line up for another extra-point attempt

TJ Schaid '13 finds a crease behind Jake McVeigh '11

Logan Granera '12 hauls in one of his 11 catches

Colton Feller '14 and Ryan Fletcher '11 celebrate Feller's fumble recovery

Pioneers Victorious Over Beloit!

Jumping out to a 24-7 halftime lead was plenty for Grinnell on Saturday afternoon at Rosenbloom field as the Pioneers beat the visiting Beloit Buccaneers 24-21.  Grinnell now sits at 4-1 overall and 3-1 in MWC and is tied for 2nd place in the MWC standings trailing only the Ripon Red Hawks.  Grinnell is off to their best start since the 1999 season.

Colton Feller '14

The game was a balanced affair aside from the Pioneers collecting 4 turnovers defensively and only giving away 1 on offense.  Colton Feller '14 had an interception and a fumble recovery, while Ryan Fletcher '11 had a pick off a batted ball by defensive end Matt John '12.  Marc Heronemus '11 also had a fumble recovery and 3 pass break-ups.

TJ Schaid '13

Offensively, the men in black were led by running back T.J. Schaid '13, collecting 1 TD and 89 yards on 23 carries.  Schaid's help in pass protection also kept quarterback Mike Bogard '12 from being sacked and allowed receiver Logan Granera '12 to haul in another big day with 11 catches for 126 yards.

Read the full game story here.

The Pioneers head back on the road next Saturday to take on Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.

Go Pioneers!

Marquis Bradley Named to D3Football.com's Team of the Week!

With Saturday’s impressive defensive performance against Lake Forest College, Grinnell College’s Marquis Bradley ’11 has earned national attention.

Bradley, a 5-foot-11, 202-pound linebacker from Wichita, Kan. (Independence HS), was named to the D3football.com national Team of the Week. He recorded a team-high 11 tackles, including two sacks, and an interception in Grinnell’s 41-20 victory over the Foresters.

For the season, Bradley leads the Pioneers, and is second in the MWC, with 45 tackles (11.2 per game), he also has two sacks, 4.5 TFL, 1 INT, 2 PBU, 3 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.

Saturday's victory pushed Grinnell to 3-1 on the season, the Pioneers’ best start since the 2000 season.

See the entire D3Football.com Team of the Week here.

Mike Bogard Named MWC Player of the Week

For the second week in a row, the Grinnell College football team has had the Midwest Conference Offensive Performer of the Week.


Mike Bogard ’12, a 6-foot, 196-pound quarterback from Brookfield, Wis. (Brookfield Central HS), earned the honor this week.

Bogard completed 26-of-37 passes for 394 yards and four touchdowns in Grinnell’s 41-20 victory over Lake Forest College. Grinnell’s 478 total passing yards (Mike McCabe also had 84 yards) is the most by the Pioneers since a 510-yard effort against Lawrence University in 1994, and their 570 yards of total offense is the most since a 2003 game against Macalester College.

Read the MWC release here.

Pioneers Win Big Road Game!

Posting Grinnell's highest total offensive output since 2003 and the school's highest passing yardage since 1994, the Pioneers rolled to a 41-20 win on the road Saturday against conference rival Lake Forest.  Grinnell improves to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in MWC play. 

Mike Bogard '12

Grinnell out gained the Foresters by almost 200 yards and had 478 yards of their 570 through the air.  Quarterback Mike Bogard '12 led the way throwing for 390 yards on 26-37 passing and threw for 4 touchdowns.  Receivers Logan Granera '12, 8 catches for 170 yards and 2 TDs, and Robert Seer '12, 9 catches 112 yards and 2 TDs, were the favorite targets of the Pioneer quarterbacks.  Rookies Jason Peters '14 and Augustus Karisch '11 also recorded their first career touchdowns.

Marquis Bradley '11

 Defensively, the Pioneers were led by senior captain Marquis Bradley '11 who had 11 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT, and 1 pass break-up.  First-year Colton Feller '14 also had 9 tackles, .5 for a loss, and a fumble recovery.  As a unit the Black Swarm had 10 TFL, 3 sacks, got 2 turnovers and held Lake Forest to 6-for-19 combined on 3rd and 4th down conversion attempts.

The Pioneers are back at home this Saturday to take on Beloit College (2-2, 2-1 MWC) in a big conference battle.

Go Pioneers!

Read the Lake Forest game story here.

Game Photos!

Local photographer Cory Hall took some pictures at our game against Ripon this past Saturday.  Here are some of the best!

Jake McVeigh '11 prepares for the snap

Logan Granera '12 runs away from the Ripon defense

Marquis Bradley (#21) '11 and the Pioneer defense

Mike Bogard '12

Seth Gustafson '14 returns a kick off

PIONEER FOOTBALL IN ESPN.COM ARTICLE!

ESPN.com blogger Ryan McGee highlighted the Pioneers upset over the Monmouth Scots in a recent blog post. 

After last week's blog when I wondered aloud where James Madison's win over Virginia Tech ranked among the all-time greatest upsets, I received an e-mail from reader Brian Taylor, who made a pretty good argument that the Dukes might not have even had the biggest upset that weekend.

On Sept. 11 Grinnell (Iowa) College knocked off fellow NCAA Division III (non-scholarship) foe Monmouth (Ill.) College 17-15. That doesn't seem like a big deal until you consider that in their previous three meetings the Pioneers had been beaten by the Fighting Scots by a combined score of 170-0 (2007: 42-0, 2008: 69-0, 2009: 59-0). According to Taylor, Grinnell sports a 48-man roster, multiple two-way players, and carried a preseason ranking of 214th out of 238 D3 schools. Monmouth, led by the '09 D3 Player of the Year, QB Alex Tanney, was ranked 17th. I don't care what game you're playing, if you beat a guy ranked 197 spots ahead of you, that is a pretty nice upset.

Read McGee's whole post here.

Jump on board the Pioneer train because we are starting to roll!

Logan Granera Named MWC Player of the Week

Wide Receiver Logan Granera '12 was named the Midwest Conference Offensive Player of the Week today after grabbing 9 balls for 195 yards and 2 touchdowns in Saturday's game versus Ripon College.  Granera also had 140 kick return yards and leads the Pioneers on the season with 19 catches for 350 yards and has the second-most touchdowns with 3.   

Read the MWC Release here.

Pioneers Fall to Ripon RedHawks

A battle of unbeatens between Grinnell and Ripon on Saturday led to one of the more interesting gameday experiences witnessed at Rosenbloom Field.  First, Head Coach Jeff Pedersen left campus shortly after the team breakfast to be with his wife who had gone into labor and later delievered their second child, a girl Nora Jane.  Obviously, a big congratulations is in order for the Pedersen family!

Without their leader, the Pioneers struggled in the first half falling behind 27-0 before halftime.  As soon as the 2nd quarter ended, a storm system rolled into the area and the game was delayed for over 2 and 1/2 hours.  When we finally got the third quarter started it was almost 5:00pm and we quickly regained our composure and fought back into the game with three touchdowns in the 3rd quarter before eventually falling 48-21. 

Individual highlights include wide receiver and return specialist Logan Granera '12 racking up 336 all-purpose yards (195 of those were of the receiving variety) and 2 touchdowns.  Quarterback Mike McCabe '13 came in in the second half and threw for 238 yards and 2 touchdowns on only 15 completions.  He also ran for 41 yards and a TD on 7 carries.  Defensively, linebacker Marquis Bradley '11 had 13 tackles and fellow linebacker Jeremy Wiles '14 had 11, 8 of which were solo.  Cornerback Andrew Clark '14 also added an INT.

Game story is here.

The Pioneers head to Lake Forest College this weekend for a tough road test and look to stay in the hunt for a conference championship.

Go Pioneers!

The Pioneers beat Monmouth!

After opening the 2010 seasons with a win over Macalester, the Pioneers got another big win this past weekend!  We played two-time defending conference champion Monmouth and beat them 17-15 at their place.  We hadn’t beaten them since 2000, and they had won 21 straight conference games!

We took the opening kickoff and put together a 15 play touchdown drive that used up 6:40 of the first quarter.  Our next score came in the second quarter on a one-yard run by Nick Hinojosa.  The run capped a 5 play, 70 yard drive.  The big play of the drive was 41 yard pass from Mike Bogard to Robert Seer.  The score gave us a 14-0 lead, which we took into halftime.

Coming out of the half, our defense forced a three and out, and the offense launched a 13 play drive that used up another 6:32 of game time.  Unfortunately we were only able to get a field goal out of the drive, but that would prove to be enough.

The defense came up huge the entire game.  On Monmouth’s first drive of the game we stopped them twice for short gains on running plays.  On third down Coach Martinez called the perfect blitz and senior Ryan Fletcher was able to get the big hit on their quarterback.  He ended up coming out of the game after that play, and he never returned.  Monmouth’s offense took a while to adjust to a new quarterback, and our defense kept bringing the pressure all game.

Marquis Bradley and Ryan Fletcher

Monmouth eventually closed the gap to 17-15 late in the fourth quarter, and had the ball with a chance to win the game.  The defense came up clutch again however, when Marquis Bradley forced a fumble with under five minutes, and on the next drive they stopped  Monmouth on fourth down with less than one minute remaining.

This was a great victory for our program and for our players.  All the hard work of the past few years has begun to pay off, but nobody is satisfied with our 2-0 start.  We know that we have the potential to win every game left on our schedule, but we have the potential to lose them all as well.  There are no guarantees for this team, so we’ll just keep working hard and try to make our own breaks!

Game Photos!

Some action photos taken on Saturday by Grinnell College student Ben Brewer '11.  Thanks Ben!

Kelsey Davis '12 makes a running catch for a big gain

Coach Pedersen is fired up

Logan Granera '12 kicks off the 2010 season

Mike McCabe '13 throws a TD

Robert Seer '12 caught 4 TDs on the day, tying the school record.

Marquis Bradley '11 takes a breather

Chris Jarmon on D3Football.com

Pioneer Offensive Lineman Chris Jarmon was interviewed by D3Football.com about his experiences as a student-athlete, life at Grinnell College, and his own personal blog (www.thed3experience.com).  Read the entire interview below.  The feature was published in D3Football.com's Kickoff 2010 available here.

D3: Is the D-III experience all you expected?
CJ: The D-III experience is everything I could have hoped for and more. I know I've certainly had a little bit of a bumpier ride than some of the other athletes out there, but it's been an amazing learning and growing experience. The relationships and leadership skills I've developed while playing Division III football are invaluable, and I'm lucky to have been allowed to play the game I love at such a competitive level while still getting an excellent education.

D3: You've played one year at Colorado College and one at Grinnell. How do the programs compare?
CJ: For me, both the programs at Colorado College and at Grinnell have had a wonderful family atmosphere with a great support system among teammates, coaches and parents. Both programs also put a competitive squad on the field, even though I've experienced only losing seasons so far. Where I feel the programs tend to differ is institutional support. At Colorado College, I feel that the College did not provide us with adequate tools and support to succeed, and I was shown how poorly they support intercollegiate athletics when they decided to cut the football program. I admire Grinnell as an institution for supporting their football program in every aspect, and for standing behind us no matter how tough things get on or off the field. I've found that it's much easier to carry out my daily life as a D-III football player when I don't have to worry about what's going on behind closed doors.

D3: I notice you said 'athletes' instead of 'student-athletes.' Do you think players care about the buzzwords and labels from the NCAA and media?
CJ: I do think players care, to an extent. However, at Grinnell we don't get too wrapped up in making sure people know we're students first, because people in this community already know that. Grinnell is an intense academic environment, so there's no question that our education comes first. I suppose at this point I'm used to referring to myself as an athlete since my presence here infers that I'm looking to get an education. I think some other D-III players might agree that those buzzwords and labels are meant more for players in higher NCAA divisions where there is a greater emphasis on preparing for professional sports.

D3: Having seen almost 20 different teams up close the past two years, what does Grinnell need to do to contend for conference titles?
CJ: I could hide behind my previous answer and say that our difficulty in finding athletes who are also academically and socially suitable for this particular environment is what holds us back from being a top team in the Midwest Conference. Having competed against almost 20 different teams, including D3football.com top 10 and top 5 teams, I've found that depth helps quite a bit, and we don't have much of it. However, our head coach Jeff Pedersen won a MWC championship here in his freshman year (1998) without much depth, and I don't think the environment at Grinnell or in the MWC as a whole has changed too much since then. All we need is a group of players and coaches like that 1998 team that collectively buys into the head coach's philosophy and believes that winning consistently is possible despite whatever disadvantages we think we may have. It's an incredibly simple, yet incredibly difficult thing to do.

Chris Jarmon's summer job blends football and media.

D3: What's the most unique facet of game day on Grinnell's campus?
CJ: The most unique facet of our game day is our seating. We don't have a track surrounding our field, so all of our fans are very close to the action. In addition to filling the bleachers, we have rowdy students covering the grass along the sidelines, about 2 yards from the field itself, which makes for a very fun and intense game atmosphere.

D3: Is there a game the fans or players get up for more than any other?
CJ: Because of the way our conference is set up, there aren't too many big rivalries among our member schools. The games we get fired up for the most tend to be Knox and Lake Forest, because we've had very competitive games with them in recent years.

D3: What made you decide to write a blog about your time in Division III?
CJ: I've been focused on pursuing a career in sports media since a young age, and I was the sports editor for my high school paper. I noticed that no other players were really doing anything quite like it, and I thought that with my training and career aspirations I could put out decent quality content on a semi-regular basis and have some fun with it. Being a Division III football player is -- in my opinion -- an experience unlike anything else in college, so I figured other people might like to read about what it's like. I thought it might be something that would give me a little bit of a niche, and so far I believe it has.

D3: Has anyone at either school ever asked you to stop, or stop using Twitter?
CJ: Surprisingly, no one has ever asked me to stop, or to retract any content I've published. During my freshman year, I was terrified of writing about something that should be kept out, but I realized that I tend to have a pretty good filter for what shouldn't be on the internet. As the years have gone by, I've started to loosen up and enjoy it a little more, and the coaches and players have responded in kind. Especially here at Grinnell, everyone seems to embrace the uniqueness of it, and my teammates like it whenever they get a "shout-out" on the blog or on Twitter.

D3: What's the most interesting interaction you've had with a fan or reader online?
CJ: I actually get a lot of questions from high school kids and their parents about everything from training to recruiting. It surprises me how personal their questions are, since to them I'm essentially a complete stranger. The most interesting email I've ever gotten was probably one from the mother of a high school football player. Her son had been kicked off the team, and she wanted to know what he should do to get back on the team. I thought it was strange that the parent asked me about this and not the player, but I found it especially strange that she thought I would be an expert on the situation. I wrote a long and thoughtful response but I never heard back, so it must have been the wrong kind of advice.

D3: What has it been like working at NFL Films the past two summers?
CJ: Working at NFL Films the past two summers has been truly amazing. In addition to doing a lot of hands-on work for the NFL Network, I've gotten the chance to meet plenty of high-profile players, coaches and members of the media, which is important for my career path. It's been a blessing to have had such a great summer job.

D3: Did you pick up anything football-wise?
CJ: The show I work for, "NFL Playbook," is a very technical football show, so I've definitely learned a lot more about the nuts and bolts of the game from editing segments for the show.

Pioneers Open 2010 With Win!

On a terrific afternoon for college football, the Grinnell College Pioneers filled the stands across from their new $90 million athletic facility and promptly went out and beat the Macalester Scots 45-35.  The game started off with a bang when the Pioneer defense stymied the Scots on a 4th and 1 from the Grinnell 37.  Junior receiver Logan Granera and the Pioneer offense weren't to be out done though, with Granera taking a screen 63 yards for a touchdown on the very next play and the lead was never relinquished.

Game highlights included the defense getting 4 turnovers (one INT, one fumble, and 2 on downs) while the offense didn't turn the ball over once all afternoon.  Wide Receiver Robert Seer '12 tied a school record with 4 touchdowns, three of which came from fellow junior quarterback Mike Bogard.  The 45 points scored is the most scored by a Grinnell team since 2004 and the most in a season opener since the MWC Championship season of 1998. 

Read the game story here and access the box score here.

Media Day

Before our scrimmage on Saturday afternoon the local media came out to interview and take some candid pictures of the players, some of which resembled some of the classic poses like this:

It was a beautiful day and we got some great and memorable pictures!

Junior linbacker Ryan Creps

Junior running back Nick Hinojosa following the lead block of junior guard Chris Jarmon

                                          

And the best looking coaching staff in the country!

GAME WEEK!

IT'S GAME WEEK!  We open our 2010 schedule this Saturday at home against Macalester College from St. Paul, Minnesota.  Camp is officially over and was a great start to our season, but now it's time to focus on the Scots and continue this great start to a great year!

Go Pioneers!

Start of Training Camp!

We are off to a great start, having now passed a week into our 2010 season and training camp.  We have stayed relatively healthy and have been working hard to make that next step to the top of the conference.  But perhaps the highlight so far, at least off the field, was the fishing derby where Ryan Fletcher '11 caught the biggest fish, a bass measuring 17".  Check it out!

New Coach!

Micah Johnson is the newest member of the Grinnell College Football coaching staff.  He will be coaching up the wide receivers, tight ends, and quarterbacks and we are excited to have a coach of Coach Johnson's background as a part of the Pioneer Football program and are looking forward to him being a part of our success. Read more about Coach Johnson below!

Coach Johnson is originally from Hawaii but later moved to Prescott, Arizona. He went to South Dakota State University and played Wide Receiver for 4 years and graduated in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in biology.  For the past three years since attending SDSU, he played football in the CFL for the British Columbia Lions in 2008 for a season and in the NFL on the practice squads of the Atlanta Falcons in 2007 and most recently with the Cincinnati Bengals.