Prescott’s All-American

• Nick Schommer

Prescott’s Nick Schommer returns an interception against Southern Illinois during the 2008 season. Schommer just completed his collegiate football career as third-team All-American with hopes of playing in the pros next fall. Photo courtesy of NDSU Sports Information Department

Talk about it

FARGO, N.D. — Nick Schommer likes the surprise of the unexpected. Take the North Dakota weather for example.

“It’s crazy up here,” Schommer said. “One day its 50 degrees and sunny and the next day its 50 below and there’s a blizzard.

If the weather is unexpected at North Dakota State University where the Prescott native is currently attending school, so was being named to the third-team Football Championship Series (Division I-AA) All-American squad.

“I certainly wasn’t expecting it,” Schommer said. “I was on my way home for Christmas break and I got a call from our SID department saying I had been chosen and I was really excited.”

Perhaps even more unexpected for Schommer is the potential of a possible pro career that certainly wasn’t foreseen when Schommer first arrived on the NDSU campus back in 2004.

A very good year

Schommer says he played like an All-American should in his senior year with the Bison and the numbers back him up. The six-foot, 197-pound free safety was fifth on the team in tackles with 54. He had team-leading three interceptions and broke up nine passes. He had four tackles for losses and one sack.

“This was my best year on the team by far,” Schommer said. “My overall play was very good. I certainly feel I’ve earned that award. I just wasn’t expecting it.”

Perhaps the reason why Schommer wasn’t expecting to be chosen was, the Bison finished the season 6-5 overall, their lowest mark in six seasons. It was their first season on the FCS level and their first in the Missouri Valley Conference where they had a 4-4 record.

“The competition was tough week and week out,” Schommer said. “You couldn’t take a week off or have a week where a weaker opponent was scheduled. But I didn’t mind that because I liked the fact we already knew what our schedule was a year before we played. It’s nice to have the knowledge that my best season came when we faced our toughest schedule.”

Schommer cites the Southern Illinois and Missouri State games as two of his best this past season. Against SIU Schommer had seven tackles, broke up a pass and returned an interception 54 yards in State’s 35-27 Homecoming win. At Missouri State, Schommer a 48-27 win for the Bison, Schommer had eight tackles, one TFL, two pass break-ups and an interception.

Part history, part future.

Schommer will graduate with a senior class of Bison that helped the school make the transition to FSC level and the Missouri Valley Conference. He’s also part of a group that helped NDSU record their first-ever win over the University of Minnesota in the Metrodome in his junior season,

“It feels great knowing you helped lay the foundation for North Dakota State to become a big-time program,” Schommer said. “It’s been a great experience.

Schommer closes his career with a bevy awards. He started 31 games for NDSU, was named first team all-conference in 2007 and 2008 and second team as a sophomore. He was a two-time Player of the Week selection. Schommer was third in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in pass breakups (1.10 avg.) and fourth in interceptions (3). He tied for third all-time at NDSU with 13 interceptions.

His number and awards will allow him to perform before NFL scouts in a try-out on March 24 in Fargo.

“I’ve hired an agent and my future plans are to see if I can get into NFL camp and if not, graduate and look for a job,”

Schommer will finish school this spring with a degree in Management Information Systems.

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