Registration for the 14th Annual St. Olaf Touchdown Club Golf Tournament is now open!  The tournament has been re-named the Tom Porter Golf Tournament in memory of Coach Porter!!

The event will be held on Monday, July 15th at Willingers Golf Club in Northfield, MN. Sign up today!

The Touchdown Club would like to extend a special welcome to a new “familiar” face. Craig Stern has been announced as the new head football coach – the 13^th in the school’s history. Craig’s resume includes the past nine years on staff right here at St. Olaf. He has been an instrumental part of a 63-27 record during that tenure. We are excited about the naming of Stern to this important position and look forward to working with him to ensure our mission with future players.

We would like you to have an opportunity to meet and congratulate Coach Stern in person. Please keep April 10^th open on your calendar as the TD Club will be hosting an event in the Twin Cities for alumni to meet and greet. Details on time/location to follow.

Thanks,

Mike Jacobs, President

St. Olaf Touchdown Club

A new head coach, one already familiar to Ole football families, is named. A team banquet is held. Most Valuable Players are praised. And I cannot stop thinking about the anticipated joys of next season.

Meeting with the other parents, again. Cheering for our boys, again. Singing Um Ya Ya with the incorrect accent (according to my Ole father-in-law, whom I trust and believe completely on this topic), again.

This past season, our first as Ole football parents, seems to have flown by. The next three, I fear, will speed away just as quickly. So, I want to hold these seasons in my arms, squeeze them, savor them. Drain every last drop and smell and taste out of them.

We were used to watching our boy, Seamus, play football. I was his first coach, from his second-grade year all the way until he started high school. Then, for four years, we were there like clockwork at those Friday night high school games, volunteering, raising money, cheering our lungs out.

Imagine our joy when we came to that first Ole game of the season in Decorah, Iowa, and sat with so many like-minded and soon-to-be-hoarse parents, all just as eager to shout their sons to victory, all as happy to stand and cheer. You veteran Ole parents spoiled us a bit with your collegiality and comeraderie. We were welcomed. But the other Ole footballers were just as impressive, shining like lights on the field with their ability... impressing afterwards with their manners and intellect.

I am going to take a pretty safe guess here: I bet most of you have had similar experiences.

It was easy to cheer for the Oles in 2012. It will be even easier this fall, with a good man and an excellent coach taking the reins from another good man and excellent coach. Craig Stern is different from his predecessor, I suspect, mainly in style... but not in substance. His dedication to our team, to this school, to our sons, is obvious and strong. It will be fun to see what Coach Stern accomplishes.

I am confident his players are in good hands. I am excited for the three seasons to come in our son's journey. And I am already circling dates on the calendar and sending texts to my wife, Heidi, about proposed road trips in 2013.

Yep, I am a sucker for this stuff. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Go Oles!

VIA St. OLaf Athletic Website......

Mike Ludwig
February 8, 2013

NORTHFIELD, Minn. - St. Olaf named Craig Stern head football coach on Friday. Stern has been a member of the St. Olaf football staff for the last nine seasons and assistant head coach for the last three.

"We're excited for our football program," said athletic director Matt McDonald. "Craig has been an integral part of our success over the last decade and he is ready to lead."

Stern has coordinated the Oles' defense and coached defensive backs in his time at St. Olaf. With Stern on staff, St. Olaf has compiled a 63-27 mark in nine seasons, each at or above the .500 plateau. St. Olaf had four 8-2 seasons in that stretch and two at 7-3.

Prior to his time at St. Olaf, Stern was at Concordia-St. Paul for five seasons as defensive coordinator. The Golden Bears' defense was ranked fourth nationally when they captured a NSIC title in 2003. He also spent three seasons on the offensive side of the ball, as coordinator at Dana College from 1997-99.

Stern is the 13th head coach in school history.

But the many poignant and moving tributes to Coach Porter -- and the current vacancy in the head coaching job here -- got me thinking about those attributes that we, as players, parents and alumni, yearn for in a coach. The head football coach is, at its most basic, a leader to our young men for the time they play football. But, because football draws upon so many important facets of our sons' emerging character, the head coach -- ideally -- is much more than a leader.

He is a shaper. A mentor. A surrogate parent. An example. A guide. A disciplinarian. An advocate. A role model. At his best, the head coach transcends the cliches and becomes for our sons the culmination of what we hope they will become. Competitive, yet even-keeled. Demanding, but fair. Flexible, yet principled. Hard-working, yet fun.

The best, such as Coach Porter, are remembered by their former players for their lifetime. Not just for exciting wins, famous goal line stands or scintillating touchdowns. Those things become secondary memories, the "and, remember when?..." part of alumni gatherings. No, the best coaches are remembered for that pat on the back when things seemed low, the kind word when life seemed too tough, the toughness when the fight seemed impossible, the raised voice when teenaged stupidity threatened to spill over. They live in our memories -- if we were so blessed to have that coach -- as that person who sometimes seemed larger than life, yet was connected enough to guide us through those sometimes difficult years of figuring it all out. And figuring out where we fit into all of it.

For most of us, that time with the coach is only a handful of years. But the power of a coach on the shared experiences of hundreds of teammates can be impressive, transformative, transcendent. Unforgettable.

Let's hope that the next head coach at St. Olaf is able to forge those same kinds of positive memories, shared bonds and lasting experiences for the boys who return in the fall.

It is with great sadness that I write to inform you of the passing of Coach Tom Porter.  Coach passed away early this morning at Northfield Hospital surrounded by his family and loved ones.  He was 83.

Coach Porter’s legacy at St. Olaf, on and off the football field, is well known to this group and no doubt will be chronicled in the days to come.  Suffice to say, he touched the lives of the majority of us receiving this email, either directly or indirectly.

Coach was a great man who believed in us as men first and football players second.  His passion for the game, the school, and most of all his players was genuine and heartfelt.  He will be missed.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Gloria and family as they mourn the loss of their loved one.

Funeral arrangements are pending, but will eventually be posted on the Benson & Langehough Funeral Home website.  Additional information about Coach Porter and his legacy can be found on the St. Olaf website as well. If you would like share a few words about a favorite memory of Coach Porter, or what his leadership meant to you, feel free to do so in the comments section below.

Rest in Peach, Coach Porter.

Mike Jacobs, President

St. Olaf Touchdown Club

Dobson was chosen to quarterback the NCAA Division 2 Senior All-Star team in the annual D2 vs NAIA Bowl.  This year's edition of this annual event will be played Saturday, December 15th at 12:00pm CST in Charleston, South Carolina. As the only quarterback on the roster of Division 2 All-Stars, Dobson will get plenty of looks for the dozens of NFL, AFL, and CFL scouts expected to attend. What a stage for Dobson to showcase his talents and represent St. Olaf football!

To watch Dan represent the Oles live, see the link below for a live stream of the game (Saturday 12/15 at 12:00pm central)

http://www.d2vsnaiabowl.com/watch/

For more on the D2 vs NAIA Bowl, see the information below taken from the Bowl's website: 

2012 game information:

Saturday, December 15, 2012
Kickoff at 1:00pm
Myrtle Beach, SC

Welcome to the D2 vs NAIA Senior Bowl

The “D2vsNAIA Senior Bowl” will bring players who represent both the D-II and NAIA college football levels, to an all-star game format. Players selected will partake in practices, NFL combine testing, an awards banquet, and a showcase game with pro scouts in attendance.  For the players, this will be a 3 day experience. Equally important for the players and fans will be  the opportunity to play against outstanding peers in a challenge to measure these two levels of football talent against each other.  This game is only available to seniors who have completed their collegiate eligibility.

As the season progresses, and the countdown to the game mounts, you will be able to find updates and committee selections of  the top senior players. The “D2vsNAIA Senior Bowl” is brought to you by the Collegiate Development Football League, and it is part of 3 Domestic Bowl games sponsored by the CDFL.  The others are the “D3 Senior Classic” held annually in Salem, Virginia and the “FCS Senior Scout Bowl.” For additional information about the Collegiate Development Football League (CDFL) visit the website at www.playCDFL.com.

Greetings Oles!

With another tremendous season gone by and a successful 7-3 campaign by our 2012 Oles it brings me great pleasure to share with you all the selection of Sr, QB, Dan Dobson and brother Sr, Safety, Ben Dobson to the D-III Senior Classic in Salem,  VA.  These brothers were not only captains for the 2012 Oles they were also the best at their positions in the MIAC this past season.  For their efforts they have been selected for the DII Senior Classic game in this December.  They both will be missed in the Black and Gold but certainly left their mark on Ole football.  Please join me in congratulating both of these young men on their selection to the DIII all-star team.  Thanks boys for being such solid representatives of Ole Football and the Football FAMILY.  God bless your travel and play!

Also, the MIAC recently released the 2012 All-MIAC team with the following Oles represented:

1st Team

Offense: Dan Dobson, Sr, QB / Stephen Asp, Jr, WR / Michael Thai, Jr, RB / Alex Hsu, Jr, OL

Defense: Ben Dobson, Sr, DB

2nd Team

Offense: Jake Schmiesing, Jr, WR / Michael Yanckello, Jr, OL

Defense: Reggie Woods, Sr, DB

Special Teams: Lucas Wainman, FY, K

Honorable Mention:

Defense: Dustin Heiser, Sr, DL / Nick Nazarian, Sr, DB / Chad Curry, FY, DB / Jimmy Gildea, Jr, LB / Colin Brown, So, LB / Chad Wagner, So, DE

Special Teams: Lucas Wainman, FY, P

Thank you to all that followed the Oles this past season and a special thank you to the 11 Seniors and their families for their contributions to OLE Football.

May God bless us all and continue to look over the Ole Football Program.

Time to hit the road and reload for 2013!

Um Ya Ya

Coach O

As you recall, the Oles topped Bethel a few weeks ago and gave the Tommies a tough game last week on the road, en route to a 7-3 overall record and 5-3 in the MIAC.

Yes, the Oles lose dynamic senior quarterback Dan Dobson to graduation. But they also return almost all of the starting offense next year... which should make the task of breaking in a new quarterback a little less anxiety producing. Knowing the character of these young men and the quality and teaching ability of this coaching staff, I would say that the prospects for a terrific 2013 St. Olaf football season are strong.

Certainly, the playoff scores show that the 2012 version of the St. Olaf football team would have matched up very well with many of the teams that made the national tournament this year.

Makes me pretty optimistic.

The other team was playing for a perfect season.

Not in wins and losses, perhaps. The Oles have won enough this year to savor the flavor of victory more times than not. They are, by any measure, one of the best teams in the league. But they also have lost enough to feel the sting of defeat; to use it as motivation to work hard to improve for next season. At 7-3 -- and 5-3 in the MIAC -- it was a great year on paper. But I am not just considering the paper in my final assesment. This was not a perfect season strictly in terms of record. This season was about much more than record.

No, this isn't going to be some screed on "moral victories." But this is about a season that totalled more than the sum of its parts.

It is about a team that had young men of faith and character and good humor leading other younger men of integrity and work ethic and loyalty to heights that were perhaps unexpected. It was about the joys of winning in Iowa and Indiana and Collegeville and St. Paul. Of retaining the Goattrophy and coming back to beat the ranked Royals for a second consecutive year. About winning Homecoming and topping Gustavus.

Those are all good things, and memorable. But that is not all.

This season was about finding a way to replace 46 young men who left the program after last year. It was about finding the measure of 40-plus newcomers and what they could realistically bring to the squad. It was about leaning on seniors like Dan and Ben Dobson, Reggie Woods and Nick Nazarian, Eric Iverson and Demico Davis, Ethan Smith and Dominick Fields for leadership and hard work and inspiration.

It was about 29 first-year players making the 60-man traveling squad and performing well -- sometimes very, very well -- in key spots at critical times. Chad Curry and Kelvy Coney and Lucas Wainman and A.J. Miller and J.J. Strnad 

It was about players filling in for their injured teammates without the Oles missing much of a beat.

It was about a coaching staff to whom we entrusted our sons, a staff of deep values and good character and strong moral fiber who also burn with competitive fire -- but for whom that fire is an not an all-consuming, win-at-any-cost inferno.

It was about parents from whom I have heard only positive comments and hopeful optimism... for this year and the seasons to come. Whether their sons were playing much or little, the sincerity of the  support from the stands and the sidelines was somethng I had never heard delivered so robustly and wholeheartedly before.

It's something to behold, this family thing. It comes from the top, the tone set by Coach OJ and Coach Stern and Coach McCarthy and Coach Bear and all the others. But it permeates through the young men and grows and spreads. Until it becomes real.

Many of these boys were recruited by both teams playing Saturday. Many had been wooed by the coaching staff that won the game 35-21 and the coaching staff that lost the game -- the one that won their hearts. Time and again, on Saturday, I heard from parents who told me of the reasons their sons made their choice to pick the Old Gold and Black over the Purple and Gray. It was, they said, about more than just wins and losses.

For me, the best answer for this has come from my son -- Seamus. When I have asked him why he picked the Oles over the Tommies -- over the team that now has won 34 straight MIAC  games and is heading for what will probably be another strong run into the national playoffs, he gave me a very simple and heartfelt answer. In fact, we visited many schools and with many coaches over the past couple years, and it came down to this:

"Everybody talked about family," Seamus said. "But St. Olaf was the only place where I really felt it was true."

After 10 games, elation and heartache, laughter and tears... that is what it all came to for us in this first season of Ole Football.

And it was perfect.