Pirate Steve Adds Toughness

Article reprinted courtesy of Fargo Forum and reporter Eric Peterson.


MOORHEAD—Connor Froehlich came to his first Concordia football camp with a thick, red beard and soon after shaved the facial hair, creating a career-long nickname.

The transformation reminded one of his teammates of the character "Steve the Pirate" from the movie "DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story." The moniker "Pirate Steve" was born.

"It really started taking off my sophomore year," said the soft-spoken Froehlich, now a senior nose guard for the Cobbers. "Last year, the coaches starting using it."

Froehlich and the Concordia defensive line and linebackers will be expected to play a key role at 1 p.m. Saturday when the Cobbers host No. 20-ranked Bethel at Jake Christiansen Stadium for homecoming. The Royals (3-1, 2-0) lead the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in rushing, averaging 284.3 yards per game. Concordia (3-1, 1-1) hasn't defeated the Royals since 2008. Bethel has won the past six meetings, including its 27-17 home victory last season.

"This Bethel game for us is huge," said Froehlich, who has six tackles and one forced fumble this season.

"Our front seven has their work cut out for them," added head coach Terry Horan, who has a 6-8 record against Bethel.

Earlier in his career, Froehlich made the team's weekly defensive achievement chart, but showed up on the list as "Steve." Horan, who takes pride in knowing every player on the roster, was puzzled and had to ask defensive coordinator Kyle Bakken for clarification.

"I'm like 'Who the heck is Steve?' " Horan said with a laugh.

Bakken responded: "Oh, that's Connor Froehlich."

Froehlich now shows up as "Pirate Steve" on the list, and only a few people on the team refer to him as Connor, he said. Froehlich has learned to embrace the moniker, and is a fan of the movie "DodgeBall." He has considered dressing up as "Steve the Pirate" for Halloween or a similar occasion, but hasn't yet.

The 6-foot, 250-pound Froehlich is smaller than most traditional nose guards, but is an effective player in the middle of the Concordia defense. He entered the program as a linebacker before shifting to the defensive line as a sophomore.

"He's really smart and knows how to use his body," said Cobbers senior linebacker Dejan Basara, who is also one of Froehlich's roommates. "He's so good with leverage."

Horan said Froehlich is a quiet, reliable presence on defense who holds his own against offensive linemen who normally have a size advantage.

"I don't know if I've heard Connor Froehlich say more than a sentence of words in my four years here," Horan said.

Coincidentally, Bethel starting center Nolan Richardson is listed at 230 pounds.

"I think it's the only time ever the center has been smaller than me," Froehlich said.

Froehlich, from Annandale, Minn., dislocated his kneecap during the spring of his senior year in high school, while competing in track. During a hurdles race, he clipped the final hurdle, landed awkwardly and his kneecap popped out.

"It was a quick shooting pain and it popped right back in," he said.

That injury has slowed Froehlich at times during his football career at Concordia. In each of his first three seasons, his knee has caused him to miss practice time and games.

Froehlich said he had surgery on the knee last December to repair a ligament.

"He brings a certain toughness," Horan said. "He's strong. Not many people move him around. He is always there. You can count on him."