Upsilon Colony President Achieves Football, Academic Honors

January 20, 2012: Lincoln, Neb.—Upsilon Colony President Steven Anderson, Nebraska Wesleyan AM, was recently named to the Capital One NAIA Academic All-America College Division Football Team, which is selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Anderson was named to the first team, which is comprised of student-athletes from NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions.

Steven_AndersonAn exercise science major with a 3.33 GPA, Anderson is a junior place kicker and scored 58 points this season. He is one of four Nebraska Wesleyan football players named to the first team, the most out of any school represented on the list.

“Becoming an Academic All-American means more to me than any other award could,” Anderson said. “Knowing that not only the time on the field, but also the time in the classroom has paid off is the most rewarding thing to me. It not only makes me feel good but I finally feel like I have lived up to what all my coaches and family knew I could accomplish.”

Anderson started playing football his freshman year at Mount Michael Benedictine High School in Elkhorn, Neb., and at that time he “had never really played” before.

“Somehow, I became our freshman team quarterback,” he said. “Never having experience with football, I was terrible and thought my career was a one and done deal. Junior year of high school I decided to use my soccer background to punt and kick, in which I was pretty successful.”

He stuck with it and switched to a place kicker after joining the team at Nebraska Wesleyan. He admitted that his experience with the team has been a learning curve, what with a position switch and an injury last year, but said his team never gave up on him.

“Overall, it has been an extremely positive experience, and I definitely could not have done it without my friends and coaching staff,” Anderson said.

He knows, however, that he’s not at Nebraska Wesleyan just to play football. Anderson said that his parents have always made sure that his main priority was school. While the football team commitment is year-round and more than 25 hours a week, he’s learned to manage his time and successfully juggle sports with academics and extracurriculars, including Phi Tau.

“[Managing] all my extracurriculars, football and Phi Kappa Tau is quite the challenge,” Anderson said. “It takes very good time management but also surrounding myself with motivating individuals and still having fun. I have learned from my past to not overload myself, be comfortable with my limits and reach out for help when needed. It’s the only way I get through it all.”

Anderson hopes to attend graduate school to become a doctor of physical therapy. He’s also thinking about trying out for the NFL and coaching college kickers. And as far as Upsilon colony is concerned, Anderson hopes the group will submit its charter by the end of this semester.

“To all Phi Kappa Taus: If you ever wonder why you are here and doing the work that you do, think back to the ‘why,’” Anderson said. “Think about why you do this what you stand for and not just what you will get out of it personally. This is a brotherhood that not only [encompasses] the past and the present, but is constantly building a foundation for the future, as well.”
 
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