Spruce Grove linebacker Wawrzonek opts to stay close to home

On the heels of competing in the 2013 Alberta Senior Bowl, Spruce Grove native Nathan Wawrzonek is looking forward to the next step in his football career. 

Nathan Wawrzonek

Position:
Linebacker

Height/Weight:
6’0, 195 lbs

Teams:
Spruce Grove Panthers (high school)
Spruce Grove Cougars (bantam)

Commitment: 
Alberta

Class:
2013

Spruce Grove linebacker Nathan Wawrzonek has shown his talent on the gridiron for the last nine years. He started with the Spruce Grove Cougars, where he played bantam for two years. In his second season, the Cougars defeated the Calgary Stampeders by a score of 31 to 30 for Nathan’s first provincial championship, despite having to cope with a roster of only 28 players.

Nathan then represented Zone 5 in the Alberta Summer Games as a member of the Black Gold, and the team took home the silver medal. His high school years were spent as a Spruce Grove Panther. Once again, Nathan and his team made it to the provincials, but were edged out by Calgary’s Notre Dame Pride. The most memorable game of that particular tournament was the quarter final, when the Panthers were faced with absolutely miserable weather conditions.

“The field was black ice,” Nathan recalls. “It wasn’t possible to cut or stop or change direction and we for the most part wore running shoes instead of cleats but it didn’t make that much of a difference.”

“To make tackles or run the ball it was just put your head down and stay on your feet, defeating pretty much all finesse aspects of the game.”

Nathan’s most recent experience came at the Alberta Senior Bowl just this past week. As a member of Team North, Nathan feels he played well despite the fact that the tournament came off less well than he had hoped.

As his high school years draw to a close, Nathan need look no further than his home province for the next step. He has committed to the University of Alberta Golden Bears, and has already attended their spring camp.

“I liked the idea of being a part of the program’s renewal, and I also had friends there,” Nathan says of his decision to stay close to home.

Nathan was accepted into the Physical Education Program at the University of Alberta, and also hopes to eventually earn a second degree in Environmental Law.

Off the field, Nathan’s interests take an unusual turn: though he engages in other sports such as handball and skiing, two of his greatest passions are music and art. He performs contemporary music, and enjoys drawing and painting. However, Nathan’s love of sports has an influence even on his artwork.

“The subject is usually superheroes or football,” he says.

Nathan is grateful to his mother for her support over the course of his nine-year football career as well as in the rest of his life. He also looks to her for inspiration.

“My mom was  always strong through her whole life and didn’t ever let adversity faze her,” he says.

Nathan also thanks his longtime coach and family friend, Brent Korte.

“He has has always been there to mentor me and teach me and support me throughout my football career,” says Nathan.

In Nathan’s fifth year of football, several Edmonton Eskimos were brought on as guest coaches, and ex-safety Elliot Richardson said something that Nathan will never forget.

“He said that every level of football he moved past, his coaches told him this was probably as far as he’d go with football because he was too small,” recalls Nathan.

Nathan took Richardson’s words to heart. His advice to himself and to other players?

“Don’t ever let anything stop you from working hard to go to the next level,” adds Nathan.