By Frank Rajkowski, SJU Writer/Video Producer

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - Blake Schrick never got to know his grandfather Richard – at least not the way he was before a construction accident robbed him of much of his memory and personality.

"It's a sad story," said Schrick, a junior swimmer at Saint John's University. "He was working on a shed, and when he was reaching for a tool, he slipped and hit his head. He was never the same after that."

The accident occurred when Blake was young. Though Richard lived until a year ago, his injuries prevented him from sharing his life story with his grandson.

But Schrick learned it nonetheless. And it was his grandfather's service to his country that inspired him to pursue his current path.

The 2017 Lakeville North High School graduate enlisted in the National Guard prior to his arrival at SJU. And on campus, he's part of the Fighting Saints Battalion, an ROTC program comprised of students from SJU, the College of Saint Benedict and St. Cloud State University.

"I did feel a call to service," said Schrick, a physics major. "My Grandpa was a Vietnam vet and I really looked up to him. He was an inspiration to me.

"My Grandma told me he would have been super-proud to know I'm following in his footsteps. That made me feel really good."

Schrick is not alone among SJU athletes when it comes to answering the call to service. According to Lt. Col. Steve Beard, a professor of military science who heads the Fighting Saints program, an average of around 30 percent of his cadets are also involved in an intercollegiate sport each school year.

"I think we're looking for a lot of the same attributes that coaches are," Beard said. "Physical fitness, of course, but also leadership. That willingness to compete and to take on a leadership role comes naturally to athletes.

"We really focus on our leadership development program here. That's something athletes bring back to their teams as well. So the two go hand-in-hand."

Senior cross country and track and field athlete Jacob Czech is another Johnnie who has been a member of ROTC since his freshman year at SJU.

"ROTC teaches you to be very forward-thinking," said Czech, a Kewaunee (Wis.) High School graduate. "You learn how to take advantage of every hour of every day. And that helps a lot when it comes to training.

"It's made me a more well-rounded athlete. The common perception of distance runners is that we're all skinny little twigs. But ROTC has forced me to develop more body strength as well. That's made me a better athlete in general."

Czech is also a double-major in economics and political science. Keeping on top of everything he has going on requires a lot of self-discipline – another attribute ROTC helps instill.

"Sometimes there just aren't enough hours in a day," he said with a chuckle. "But you learn to prioritize – how to focus on what you need to get done that day."

Schrick said that discipline comes in handy in the pool as well.

"It's made me a lot more mentally resilient," he said. "I find that having a busier schedule is good for me. It keeps me focused on my goals and where I want to go in the future."

(5/28/2020) - Called to Serve: SJU Wrestler Says His Time in Collegeville Helped Broaden His Horizons
(10/31/2019) - No Distance Too Great, No Obstacle Insurmountable for SJU's Collins