Not all Nebraskans who grow up and become college football offensive linemen are raised on farms, but Blake Schlegel happens to fit that stereotype. By the time of his senior year at Bruning-Davenport-Shickley High School, Schlegel stood at 6-foot-4 and weighed in at 255 pounds (according to a Lincoln Journal Star article). In the fall of 2020, his size and farm-built strength helped lift undefeated BDS to an eight-man football Nebraska Class D-2 state championship victory, 36-28, over Sandhills/Thedford.
As the Journal Star detailed of that championship game played in Shickley, “there were so many cars coming into town that two people on horseback directed traffic. Some fans were shuttled to the field on a hayrack.” Just one week after tearing up his knee, Schlegel wasn’t going to miss playing in the state title game in his own backyard.
“I have enjoyed living out there,” Schlegel said of the rural surroundings. “I had freedom to do what I wanted to do. I enjoyed helping my dad and my grandpa farm. I’m a big outdoors guy, so I enjoyed working outside with them and being around my dad and grandpa. I worked with the livestock and got to run machinery and stuff. I like doing that kind of stuff. That’s how it worked out. I’m glad I was born on a farm.”
For such a sparsely populated area (spanning the counties of Fillmore and Thayer), it sure has been good to Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s Bulldog Football program. When Schlegel made his way to Concordia in the fall of 2021, he followed in the footsteps of another former BDS star in Garrett Schardt, while arriving along with prep teammate Dominic Philippi. A few short years later, Schlegel had established himself as arguably the most dominant offensive lineman in the GPAC. He grew to 6-foot-6 and to more than 300 pounds thanks to the right eating and lifting habits.
It's early June 2025 now and Schlegel has completed his four-year run at Concordia. Just weeks away from his own wedding, Schlegel has relocated to Mount Pleasant, Mich., home to Central Michigan University. Having exhausted his NAIA eligibility, he is taking advantage of a change in NCAA policy that will allow him a year of football with the NCAA Division I Chippewas of the Mid-American Conference. Schlegel moved to Michigan Memorial Day weekend, closing the book on one chapter while opening a new one.
Says Schlegel as he reflects on his Bulldog career, “My biggest thing I’m going to take away is the community and the people I met there. After graduation, the hardest thing was to leave. I met some lifelong best friends, and the community is very supportive. I’m going to miss that a bunch. That’s probably going to be my biggest takeaway from leaving Concordia and Seward.”
The story behind the rise of Concordia Football in 2024 can’t be told without detailing the development of student-athletes like Schlegel. The Bulldogs found themselves on the brink of the NAIA playoff picture thanks in large part to what occurred at the line of scrimmage. As Daberkow remarked candidly after last season’s win at No. 2 Northwestern, “Blake Schlegel used to just be the biggest guy on the field. Now he’s one of the most ferocious guys on the field. He has a killer instinct that he didn’t have as a freshman.”
Schlegel had to pay his dues and played extensively at the junior varsity level as a freshman. He soon cracked the two deep at offensive tackle. By the third game of his sophomore year, Schlegel earned a starting nod and then never let go of it. He started the final 27 games of his career at right tackle. The program enjoyed an offensive surge like it had never seen before. In 2024, the offensive line surrendered a grand total of four sacks and made life easier for skill position stars in quarterback DJ McGarvie, running back Mark Arp and receiver Austin Jablonski. Concordia averaged 38.5 points and 469.7 yards per game, both school records.
Appropriate accolades followed for Schlegel, who was honored as a First Team All-GPAC performer and AFCA NAIA Second Team All-American. The latter award, announced in December, came as a surprise to Schlegel. “I was pretty shocked,” Schlegel said. “I was not ready for that. I had gotten all-conference and that was kind of my goal for the year. My goal was just to be first team all-conference senior year. I got that and it was just like, ‘all right, sounds good.’ I opened up Twitter and saw that and I couldn’t believe it. I was just in shock.”
For his physical maturity, Schlegel credits strength coaches Todd Berner and Chevy Stout. Kudos are also deserved by assistant coach Grady Koch, who has overseen the rocket-like ascension of the offensive line. As Koch remarked during the 2024 season, “This group has been an absolute joy to coach and be around as they are extremely tight-knit … the older guys have done a very good job of setting a standard and helping the younger guys as they transition into our program.”
That standard was set high by Schlegel, No. 74 who kept dominating on the right side. The high level of play he reached was a dynamic that was years in the making and an example of what is possible for those who are willing to put in the effort.
“He has the right attitude and work ethic,” Daberkow said. “He didn’t show up as the Blake Schlegel we know now. This is four years of lifting weights and eating. He was always willing to play JV games. He was excited to play JV games. He really bought into the development process. He knew that reps would get him there. He focused on that. By the end of his junior year, he was the most dominant offensive lineman in the conference, in my opinion.”
Four years ago, Schlegel never would have expected such high praise. Out of BDS, Schlegel did not get the type of recruiting attention one would anticipate for someone who would later earn All-America distinction. Schlegel got a slow start to his high school football career and then suffered significant knee injuries as a junior and senior. Those circumstances likely were the reason he got just one college scholarship offer – from Concordia.
“I was just going around doing some college visits,” Schlegel said. “I filled out the form for Concordia. I was like, I’ll fill it out because they’re close. I filled it out and didn’t think anything of it. Then one of the coaches reached out and got in contact. They recruited me and I signed with Concordia. I didn’t have any other offers coming out of high school. It was a cool deal – that was the only offer I had out of high school and it worked out really well.”
Schlegel bonded closely with an offensive line group that came into its own in 2024. The senior-laden unit even showcased unique touchdown celebrations, forming human tunnels (with outstretched arms in the air) with which each other would walk underneath. In the starting crew, Schlegel was joined by Cohen Carpenter, Tyler Walford, Jackson Anderson and Christian Schlepp.
Koch saw first-hand how Schlegel interacted with his teammates. As his career went on, Schlegel grew into a larger leadership role.
“Blake’s biggest strength was his work ethic and attention to detail,” Koch said. “He did everything with full effort and that is what helped him to develop so well over his time at Concordia. Anything that was asked of Blake, he took it to heart and did it to the best of his ability. Over time of doing things the right way and being intentional, he just continued to grow and develop into a high-level player.”
Koch also expressed excitement for Schlegel to have one more year of college football. The relationship between Daberkow and Central Michigan Head Coach Matt Drinkall (former head coach at NAIA Kansas Wesleyan University) provided an avenue for Schlegel to keep playing. The opportunity was too good for Schlegel to pass up, even with his wedding in exactly 26 days (from the time of Schlegel’s phone interview on June 2 for this story).
Everything at CMU is still fresh and new for Schlegel, who says he appreciates how helpful the coaching staff has been in getting him acclimated. Said Schlegel in explaining his move to Michigan, “I’m only young once. This is kind of my last hurrah. I knew if I didn’t take this extra opportunity, I’d probably be kicking myself in a few years. I just wasn’t ready to be done quite yet. I would go and eat supper at the cafeteria, and I’d see them out having spring ball practice (in April). It hit me that I missed it. I just felt like it was a really good opportunity. I wanted to take a chance on myself at the next level.”
As Blake plays football this fall, his soon-to-be bride Abby Heemstra (a four-year contributor to the women’s basketball program) will begin her career in teaching back in Nebraska. Life on the farm (home to parents Scott and Sherri and younger sisters Ashley and Olivia) situated just outside of Bruning will have to wait for Blake, who earned his degree from Concordia in Agricultural Science. Blake wants to make sure he adds that Abby has been “super supportive” in him pursuing this next adventure.
No matter where he goes, Blake will always be that easy-going, small-town Nebraskan. As Daberkow put it, “He’s down to Earth, blue collar – just a perfect fit for our program. Anything I can ever do for Blake, I’m a ‘yes’ on that.” Added Koch, “He has a really fun personality that just makes him enjoyable to be around on and off the field.”
New Home #FireUpChips @CMU_Football pic.twitter.com/PoztOiOpUM
— Blake Schlegel (@BlakeSchlegel) May 18, 2025