Hard work, unselfishness, and valuing the team above himself are three of the many reasons why Austin Nerhus is where he is a key component of the Dodger secondary.

Nerhus put in the hours in the off-season. “I lifted weights every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday throughout the spring and summer,” he said, “I also went out for track to improve my quickness and speed.”

Nerhus has been a staple in the Dodger defense since early last season. After a very successful season at defensive back last year, Nerhus is looking to add to the success of last season.

“Austin had a great game against Valley last year in the playoffs, and that has really boosted his confidence for this year,” defensive back coach Rod Riessen said. “The other defensive players really look up to him as a leader and a varsity player from last year.”

Nerhus said, “I really take pride in not missing very many tackles, and I like to think that I pretty hard.” This playmaking ability and his unselfishness have caught the eye of his coaches. Riessen said, “He’d probably be a better strong safety than he is a defensive back, but the team needs him to play defensive back, so he’s more than willing to give that up for the team.”

Over the past two years on varsity, Nerhus has proven his ability to play at the highest level of high school football in the state of Iowa, and will continue to do this throughout the rest of the season. “He’s always at the right spot, doing the right things,” Riessen said.