The Hall has called. An All-American and one of the stars of the 2001 GPAC championship football team, Concordia University alum Ross Wurdeman has been elected to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Hall of Fame, as announced on Monday (Sept. 16). The Columbus, Neb., native was also inducted into the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.
The list of Bulldogs to join the NAIA Hall of Fame is exclusive. It includes Carol Bailey-Moravec, Gene Brooks and Kregg Einspahr, some of the highest achieving Concordia student-athletes in school history. Now Wurdeman becomes the fourth Bulldog to earn enshrinement.
“It hasn’t sunk in. I don’t think it ever will,” Wurdeman said when reached this past Friday. “Going back to earlier this summer when I heard I was nominated, I thought that alone was a great honor. To be accepted into the NAIA Hall of Fame is truly an incredible award.”
Wurdeman was nominated for the award in the summer with word coming down from the NAIA last week that the best to ever play tight end at Concordia had gotten the nod. From the 1998 through 2001 football seasons, the then 6-foot-4, 250-pound Wurdeman wore No. 3 and served as a dominant force in the passing game while teamed up with quarterback Jarrod Pimentel. Wurdeman played in many of the most significant games in program history – and always came through.
“Ross the Hoss,” as his head coach Courtney Meyer likes to call him, had to be accounted for by opposing defenses. Wurdeman rarely, if ever, came off the field for an offensive play. Years later, former Doane head football coach Fran Schwenk vividly recalls the matchup problems Wurdeman created.
Wrote Schwenk, “Ross was definitely a determining factor in our games between Doane and Concordia. His visual presence was impressive. During our game in 2000, Ross caught eight passes for 112 yards and the winning touchdown with minutes to go in the game. You could tell by his accomplishments on the field that day that he was performing at the level of an All-American.”
Wurdeman put together plenty of other big-time performances. By the time his collegiate career came to an end, Wurdeman had been tabbed a two-time NAIA first team All-American, a two-time first team All-GPAC selection, the honorary captain of the Omaha World-Herald’s 2001 All-Nebraska team and an NAIA 2000s All-Decade team member by Victory Sports Network. As a Bulldog, he caught 168 passes for 2,458 yards and 24 touchdowns. The reception total remains a program record. His first love though was baseball. Wurdeman also clubbed 22 home runs while at Concordia.
No one ever begins a career thinking about that day in the future when an announcement like this might come about. Wurdeman actually played quarterback in high school and expected to do the same at Concordia. But Meyer had seen Wurdeman run the floor on a basketball court and projected how his body type could make him a standout tight end. Safe to say it worked out.
“I called Pimentel when I found out to kind of thank him,” Wurdeman said. “I told him that back when we were playing it was never about the numbers, the stats or the honors. Especially when we got to our senior year, we just wanted to go out and play some great football and put some wins on the board. It’s kind of hard to comprehend getting an award for something you did when you were around 20 years old. This was almost 20 years ago. It’s still kind of hard to believe.”
It's hard to argue that any game in Concordia football history has been more meaningful than the one played at Bulldog Stadium on November 17, 2001. It marked the first time (and still the only time) that the Bulldogs had hosted an NAIA playoff game. On that date, Concordia won its school record 10th game of the season in what resulted in a 31-26 victory over St. Ambrose University (Iowa). On a third-and-16 from its opponent’s 32-yard line, Concordia lined up with a trips formation to the right. Wurdeman, split out as the far receiver, caught Pimentel’s pass at the 26, feinted a pitch to the inside slot receiver, spun around and raced to the end zone, leaving behind a trail of stunned defenders. Wurdeman finished that game with nine catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns.
The playoff win set a new benchmark for Bulldog football. The glory-filled 2001 season really got kick-started on Sept. 15 when Concordia proclaimed itself as a team to be reckoned with by seizing a 17-14 win at eighth-ranked University of Sioux Falls. Wurdeman totaled seven catches for 56 yards and a touchdown on a rain-soaked field.
No moment was too big for the Columbus High School alum. Even as his star got brighter and he grabbed more headlines, Wurdeman remained humble and a by-example leader.
Said former teammate and current Concordia defensive coordinator Corby Osten of Wurdeman, “He never did anything flashy, he just did everything really well. He could catch anything. He had really good instincts. As a person he’s just a good guy. He’s down to Earth and humble.”
Added Coach Meyer, “If he got close to the ball, he pulled it down. He intimidated defenders, especially corners. When we’d get down near the end zone we would split him out. When we needed a touchdown he’d just go up and get it. He couldn’t be defended in those situations. That’s what I remember most about him as a player.”
Wurdeman says he has a long list of individuals to thank. There were many people in his life that helped make his NAIA Hall of Fame selection possible. In the hours since Wurdeman learned of his inclusion via a phone call from Osten and head football coach Patrick Daberkow, he has reflected on who and what aided in making a dream come true.
“I called my wife (Jill) and let her know and the second person I called was Jarrod Pimentel,” Wurdeman said. “Obviously Jarrod was a big part of it being my quarterback. The coaches had a big hand in it too – Coach Meyer and Coach Mac (offensive coordinator Bill McAllister). When I first got to Concordia I was a baseball player who played football. By the time I left Concordia I was a football player that played baseball. I got to play four years under Coach Mac and his offense suited me well as a tight end. I could also go down the list of all my teammates.”
In so many ways, it’s fitting for Wurdeman to be the first Bulldog football player to land in the NAIA Hall of Fame. He set a new standard for what’s achievable for a single player and, with his 2001 teammates, showed what heights are possible for Concordia football.
And then there were four – four Bulldogs in the NAIA Hall of Fame, that is.
Devin Smith, Director of Athletics
It was readily apparent early in Ross’ undergraduate career that our Bulldog football coaching staff had identified an individual who carried himself with great composure and possessed hidden athletic talents. Looking back, he was a promising student-athlete who possessed a rare combination of talent, confidence and peace. His level of physical and social maturity enabled him to be an instant leader within the Bulldog football team, on campus, and throughout the Seward community. As years progressed, his athleticism blossomed and he became a respected force each and every week of the football season.”
Brian Friedrich, President and Chief Executive Officer
Ross was a student of high character and someone who modeled the NAIA’s Champions of Character ideals during his time as a student. Equally important is that he carried those ideals with him into his personal and professional life after his graduation from Concordia. Today he is a positive influence in his family, congregation, work place and community. He remains committed to and engaged with Concordia University through his attendance at concerts and contests and financial support.