Rockford’s Zach Ott signs to play football for Bemidji State University

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

ROCKFORD — There was a time when Zach Ott felt he was the “King of the World”.

That’s how linemen feel the few times they actually get their hands on the football and take it to the house.

“It felt awesome,” Ott said after helping the Rockford Warriors defeat Southeast Warren 52-19 in the semifinals of the Class 8-Player State Championship his sophomore season at the UNI-Dome.

“I never scored a touchdown in high school,” Ott said shortly after he knocked that off his bucket list with a 25-yard fumble recovery that was part of a 44-0 run by the Warriors after SW took an early lead. “That’s why I spread my arms out like I was on the Titanic.”

Ott likely will always remember that moment, but there were other moments that stood out that season … like upsetting No. 1-ranked Don Bosco in overtime in the quarterfinals, avenging a 70-point loss earlier in the season.

“That whole season was a great memory,” Ott said of the Warriors’ 2018 campaign, which ended with a loss to New London in the championship game.

Ott will look to make more memories when he crosses the state border to play football in Minnesota. During National Signing Day held last week (Feb. 3), Ott officially committed to continue his career with the Bemidji State University Beavers.

“I thought it was a good college which provided a great opportunity for me,” said Ott, who narrowed his choices down to the Beavers two weeks before his signing.

Ott plans to focus his studies on business at Bemidji State.

The Beavers are an NCAA Division II program that plays in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic hitting the school’s region harsher than most parts of the country, BSU’s 2020 football schedule was wiped out.

In 2019, the Beavers were 8-3 overall and in the NSIC.

Three BSU alumni have continued their football careers in the NFL. Most notable is Gunner Olszewski, who is currently a wide-receiver and kick returner for New England.

Though the Patriots are bereft of a certain GOAT quarterback, they still have a First-Team All Pro representative in Olszewski, who led the NFL this past season with 346 punt return yards and a 17.3 yards per punt return average, the latter of which is a Patriot team record.

Other former Beavers reaching the NFL include tight end Brian Leonhardt, who played for the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers in 2014-15; and running back Al Wolden, who played three games for the Chicago Bears as a replacement player in 1987.