1011 News Story (Oct. 22, 2025)
It would be easier to start with the things Adam Van Cleave cannot do rather than the many things he can do. You can check off scoring touchdowns as a receiver, running back and kick returner, all feats he’s accomplished this season as a Swiss Army Knife of sorts for the Concordia University, Nebraska Football program. When asked what hidden talent he possesses, Van Cleave mentioned he can perform “the worm.” So yeah, there’s that too.
With All-American Austin Jablonski having graduated after the 2024 season, “AVC” has emerged as the team’s most dynamic playmaker. Van Cleave burst out of the gates this fall in the season opener when he caught a swing pass to the left, trucked a Doane defender and raced 53 yards to the end zone.
As offensive play caller Greg Nelson posted on X (Twitter), “Once a week, Adam does something on the field where the only response is, ‘wow, he’s a really good football player.’ He maximizes his gifts.”
Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s program has been the beneficiary of Van Cleave’s change of heart after he originally attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as a student. The Columbus Lakeview High School alum returned to the gridiron in 2023 as a transfer and hit the ground running. Now a senior academically (junior in terms of eligibility), Van Cleave stands out as the only player in the GPAC with totals greater than 600 yards receiving, 300 yards in kick returns and 100 yards rushing. He ranks second among conference players for all-purpose yards.
As Daberkow remarked prior to this season, “Adam’s a staple of the offense and is one of the most dynamic players I’ve ever coached as far as athleticism. He’s not bigger than everybody else. He might not be the fastest, but he’s probably the quickest guy on the field.”
In Van Cleave, Concordia got a whole lot more than a jitterbug with the quicks to make opposing defensive players look foolish. AVC is everything Daberkow wants his program to be about: selfless, driven, a football lover and a witness to Jesus Christ. Over the summer, Van Cleave was nominated for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team in recognition of his service. Van Cleave has been active in his church, in mission trips and in spreading the gospel. He’s also an NAIA Scholar-Athlete who carries a near spotless grade-point average while studying Accounting.
From an early age, Van Cleave exhibited the type of positive traits that caught the attention of others. A 2021 news article in The Columbus Telegram profiled Van Cleave in a series titled, “Leaders of Tomorrow.” At the time, Van Cleave was only 17 years old and yet, he was being hailed for his leadership and for his involvement in groups such as student council and Future Business Leaders of America.
Lakeview High School football coach Kurt Frenzen was quoted as saying, “Adam has tremendous athletic talent but, more importantly, he’s a tremendous person. He does it right, not only on the football field, but in the classroom and then also in the community, in his service to others. He’s just an all-around great kid.”
In high school, Van Cleave played football, basketball and baseball and ran track. In one of the major athletic highlights of his career, Van Cleave led the Vikings to a Nebraska Class C1 state championship victory over Pierce in 2021. That season, Van Cleave rushed for 1,195 yards (on 127 carries) and 19 touchdowns and hauled in 27 receptions for 591 yards and eight touchdowns.
Naturally, there were opportunities for Van Cleave to play college football. As a serious student and well-rounded person, Van Cleave thought he wanted something different. Initially, he turned down a chance to play for the Bulldogs.
“There were life choices that I realized I wanted to go back on,” Van Cleave explained. “I graduated high school and I just wanted to get my degree at first. But I kind of wanted more (football) still. When I came here between my freshman and sophomore year, Daberkow was very honest about where I’d be on the field and what this could mean for me other than just as a football player but being part of the community and being part of the team and the brotherhood. I missed that when I went to Lincoln my first year, and I wanted more of it. I ended up coming here my sophomore year and I haven’t regretted anything since then.”
Concordia welcomed Van Cleave with open arms. Just a few days after AVC earned NAIA National Offensive Player of the Week honors (following the win at Hastings), Daberkow discussed Van Cleave’s story with 10/11 News out of Lincoln. As Daberkow stated, “We wanted him to come straight out of high school, but eventually his love for the game took over. Now he’s here and he’s making plays on Saturdays. It’s a lot of fun.”
From the very start, Van Cleave proved ready for primetime. In his first career college game, Van Cleave went up against then top-ranked Northwestern and totaled 11 catches for 140 yards. Unfortunately, two games later, Van Cleave suffered an injury that would sideline him for the remainder of the season. It was the first dose of adversity he faced as a college football player.
Van Cleave knew he had made the right decision when, just as he was preparing to undergo surgery, Daberkow’s name popped up on his phone. Daberkow let him know that his coaches and teammates were praying for him. It’s those little things that make a big difference.
“It was mostly the community,” said Van Cleave of what affirmed his decision to transfer to Concordia. “In Lincoln you don’t know many of your professors. Here you can walk into any coach or professor’s office and have a one-on-one conversation with them and you know that you’re known by them by name and not just another number. Every coach can have a personal conversation. That’s what stood out to me at first, especially when I’m basically a freshman coming in. That’s initially what jumped out to me.”
Then there’s the competition aspect. Intramurals just can’t duplicate the thrill of putting it on the line on a college football Saturday. Quite frankly, Van Cleave was too good not to play college ball, and he thrives on the grind of a loaded day-to-day schedule. Recently, Van Cleave has had to cram for more than just accounting exams. When Carlos Collazo went down with an injury in the homecoming game, Van Cleave started at running back the following week.
All he did was rack up more than 100 yards rushing and receiving and score three touchdowns, including the game winner in the final minute at Hastings. Van Cleave had not played running back since high school. Daberkow and his staff knew the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Van Cleave was up for the challenge. He’s also continued to return kicks, taking one back 81 yards for a touchdown last week at Morningside.
“After the week of practice, I was able to get comfortable and realize that it could help us win,” Van Cleave said of the position change. “Overall, I was ready for it since I had some experience with running back in high school, but that’s much different in college. Most of it comes down to being ready when your number is called no matter what. Sure the position and workload are much different, but the goal to help the offense score points doesn’t change and it’s easier to do my job when I look at it like that.”
That’s the attitude of a young man with a service-minded attitude. The son of Chad and Lori, Adam was raised to “do the next right thing,” as Daberkow often likes to say in regard to how his program should respond to success or failure. Between the lines, it’s all about competing to win, but AVC understands how to put everything into proper perspective.
“We want to be good football players, but our coaches first and foremost build us up to be good men of Christ,” Van Cleave said. “That’s what we strive to do here. Eventually, football will leave us as athletes as we get older. Doing that service is something that stays with us for the rest of our lives.”
If Daberkow’s wishes come true, Van Cleave won’t be leaving college football behind until after the 2026 season is complete. Prior to the start of this season, Van Cleave appeared to be leaning that way, although he hasn’t announced a final decision.
Said Van Cleave, “I know I’ll graduate in December, but I’ve had talks of getting my master’s and staying for my fifth year. I hope to do that. It’s definitely on the table. I’d love to have a good season this year and build on it next year if I choose to come back.”
Stay or go, Van Cleave has positively impacted Concordia Football, exemplifying what it means to succeed in all areas as a student-athlete.