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St. Cloud State University
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Rohman inspires defense
Senior linebacker Shane Rohman's dedication doesn't only show on the field, but also in his art
By Ben Birnell
Published:
Thursday, October 2, 2003
There's an old saying that states, "art imitates life."
If Huskies' senior linebacker Shane Rohman is any indication, that adage isn't too far off.
Rohman, an art major at SCSU, is known by coaching staff and teammates as a guy who's a dedicated, vocal leader on the field and a guy that likes to have fun all the time on and off the field.
"On the field, he's very dedicated to the game, he's always fired up for games and is always trying to get everyone else fired up," Dan Kaczor, roommate and friend of Rohman said. "Off the field, he's the same way, he's outgoing, he talks to everyone and tries to make everyone feel comfortable."
SCSU head coach Randy Hedberg agrees.
"He's a very vocal kind of guy," Hedberg said. "He's a guy that's more of a free spirit when it comes to the way he approaches things."
Kaczor believes that Rohman's dedication to his artwork carries into his life as a football player on the field.
Kaczor stated that he's seen some of Rohman's graphic design work and says he's never seen someone with so much dedication to their work.
"We're talking assignments and things that take weeks at a time," Kaczor said. "I think his dedication with his art definitely imitates who he is on the field."
On the field, Rohman's not only vocal and dedicated but also has a lot of enthusiasm for the game of football.
"It's very noticeable how enthusiastic he is on the field," Hedberg said. "He's a hard worker, has a great work ethic. Wherever the ball is on the field, he's always there trying to help out as much as possible."
Hedberg isn't exaggerating about Rohman's playing style.
Five games into the 2003 season, Rohman (5'-11", 215 lbs.) leads the team with 35 total tackles, 18 of those tackles being solo and also assisting on 17 other tackles. Add to his credit nine tackles for loss and two sacks and you've got some pretty respectable stats for being only fives games into the season. In the Huskies 41-6 win last weekend against NCC rival Minnesota State University-Mankato, Rohman had nine tackles and one forced fumble.
Last season, Rohman also led the team in total tackles with 80. He was also an All-NCC second team pick and an honorable mention academic All-NCC pick. He had two interceptions in one game against South Dakota and he twice recorded a season-high ten tackles in a game. He was also a pre-season All-American in his junior season.
"He's got a good eye and great movement getting to ball," Hedberg said. "It's great that we can get that out from him, it's a great help."
What might be even more interesting about Rohman's stats is the fact that he only participates in practice two of the six days that the team practices because he has class at the same time.
"It just means that I have more to learn in a shorter amount of time and less time to get ready for games," Rohman said. "I've gotten used it though, it was the exact same way last season too."
Despite not being at practice, Hedberg isn't complaining.
"He tries to learn as much as he can in the small amount he's at practice," Hedberg said. "That's all we can ask from him, but he does a great job on the field considering the amount of time he has to prepare."
What also might be even more interesting when referring to Rohman is that he wasn't recruited to play football at all by SCSU. The 1998 Martin County West graduate played both running back and linebacker in high school. In his four years he gained over 2,500 yards and 40 touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball.
On defense, he finished with 105 tackles in his prep career at Martin County West where he was named and All-Area and All-Conference selection. The Trimont, Minn. resident called a former coach of the SCSU coaching staff and talked to him about walking on.
"I told him because I went to a smaller school, I was used to playing two-way football," Rohman said. "Because of the numbers on the team, I decided to just play linebacker."
Rohman said he came to SCSU because he wanted the chance to play football.
"I had a friend that went here, I visited him a lot, had a good time and just decided to come here," he said. "It's a long way from home, but I just wanted the chance to play football."
What's one team's loss, is another team's gain. In his first season as a Husky, Rohman red-shirted but was named SCSU's Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year.
In the 2000 season, he worked his way into the starting linebacker spot and started eight games, totaling 66 tackles and one fumble recovery. In his first start, he had 13 tackles and had 16 tackles in his second start.
Last season, he ranked third on defense in tackles with 70 and had a season high 11 tackles.
Kaczor for one, knows that Rohman is important to the team.
"He keeps people in a good mood by joking around," Kaczor said. "He'll crack a smile even in intense situations. But, he's definitely one of those guys you want on your team because he always knows what he's doing."
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