Ryan Fogt moved from Nebraska to Iowa when he was in the second grade. As a kid he liked to play all kinds of sports, but by the first grade he was already hooked on football. Like Glenn, his parents took him to a game on the hillside at ISU. “I looked up to those football players as a kid, and I looked up to the Waukee players, too.” After seeing his first game, he told himself it would be “the coolest thing ever” to play college football.
The first semester is shaping up to be a big one for Fogt; he’ll be getting away from the general education classes and focusing on the things that interest him, like sports nutrition, anatomy, and an environmental literature class. He hasn’t picked a major yet, but he’s leaning towards something in physical fitness or strength and conditioning. “Knowing what makes you do high knees, or how the muscles work in a 40 yard dash, that’s all really interesting to me.” He’s thinking of combining his desire to help people with that knowledge base and go into an occupation where he can use both.
Fogt chose Central because it felt “the most like home” to him. Though the college itself is smaller, the campus is large and has a lot of open space and trees. “I’ve always been an outdoors guy,” and it was important to him to have green space.
Fogt is entering his sophomore year at Central College. This year he’s hoping to take the field for the first time as an outside linebacker. He plans on using his time at camp to prove that he’s ready to take the field. What he really likes about playing for Central is the support of the alumni. The president of the school gets in on the action, too, and leads the student section in cheering. What he really likes about Central is the chance to “live the dream of playing college football, be held to a higher standard, and to better myself every day.”
Trevor Volk is just starting his freshman year at Morningside College, but he already has a good idea about what he’d like to do with the rest of his life. He’ll be majoring in history and business with a minor in politics. He’s hoping to go into a career in law or take over his father’s business as a medical salesman. And the history? Well, that’s just because he’s a history buff and it’s a personal interest of his.
Flag football was where Volk got his start. He was four or five years old, and he remembers how much fun it was. “It was a bunch of friends and our dads. Anyone who got the ball to the end of the field was a superstar, even if you got your flag pulled.” Then he started playing with the Waukee Ravens, and he realized, “Wow, I’m tiny,” in comparison to the other players.
Volk and his father spent a lot of time tossing the football to see who could make the most catches when he was a kid, and his family is still helping him prepare for his college football career. When he wasn’t busy working with kids this summer, his dad and his brother helped with his workouts so he could be at his best when he joins the team at camp. Although he’s not sure where they’ll want him yet, he believes he’ll be a wide receiver or a safety. And he thinks he’ll have the chance to play his first year. “They don’t like to redshirt a lot of freshman. They like to get them prepared, get them ready, and get them on the field.”
Morningside is just three hours away in Sioux City, Iowa. It was just far enough to get a change of scenery, but not too far from his family. Volk is excited for football camp to start, but he’s most excited about being a freshman at college. He’s looking forward to being on his own and becoming his own person. Although he’s eager to get his start at Morningisde, he’s going to miss the teachers and coaches that helped shape him into who he is today.
Though all four players are excited to fulfill their dreams of playing college football, they’re also nostalgic for their days on the Waukee field.“I miss playing under the lights on a Friday night, with all my friends. Cause you played with these guys for years, and then it’s just gone,” says Fogt. Volk agrees, and credits his coaches, particularly Coach Sanders, for shaping him into who he is as a player. Allen will miss the atmosphere, the “great coaches, friends, teammates, and even the parents” who were so supportive of the team. They’re all excited for the new direction they’re taking, but no matter how far they roam, they’ll always call Waukee home.
