By Frank Rajkowski, SJU Writer/Video Producer

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - The Saint John's University football team's fall camp has only been underway for a week now. But senior center Nick Neumann has already received a reminder of how times have changed.

"I had a younger teammate say he remembered watching me when I was a senior in high school (at St. Paul's Cretin-Derham Hall High School) and he was an eighth grader," said Neumann, who is entering his fourth year as a starter and earned All-MIAC first-team honors in both 2018 and 2019.

"I can't believe I'm playing with guys five years younger than I am. Some days I look up and I'm amazed that I'm 22-years-old now. A few of the coaches have started calling me the old man and it feels that way sometimes."

But with age comes experience, a deeply-valued commodity on an offensive line that graduated its other four members following the 2019 season – the last time the Johnnies stepped on the field against an opposing team.

Included in that group was tackle Ben Bartch, who is now playing for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, and guard Dan Greenheck, a three-time All-American.

"He (Neumann) is our only returning starter so he has to be the leader of that group," said SJU head coach Gary Fasching '81, whose team advanced to the NCAA Division III semifinals in 2019, but did not play a competitive season in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"He's been in the trenches and he knows what it's like to play in big games. He's been a leader before, but we need him to be even more vocal now. And I've already seen that from him during the first week of practice."

Among the players that could be joining 6-foot-2, 310-pound Neumann up front offensively this season include senior Tyler Johnson (a converted tight end who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 265 pounds) at tackle and senior Jarod Fike (6-2, 290) and junior T.J. Duerr (6-1, 310) at guard. Junior Joe Jaeger (6-2, 270) could see time at guard or tackle, while senior Blake Golden (6-5, 285) and sophomore Riese Renville (6-5, 290) are among the others vying for spots.

"We got to practice last fall and spring and that helped," Neumann said. "Even though we weren't playing any games, we still had the chance to get used to one another. It's different, no doubt, because of the guys we lost. But we still have a lot of talented players and we're coming together. 

"I think we have a chance to be just as good, if not better, than we were two years ago."

And it is Neumann who will be the cornerstone the new-look line is built around.

"It's a big role, but he's proven over the last few years that he's a guy who can handle that kind of responsibility," Fasching said. "He's a really talented player."

And his talents extend beyond the football field as well. The economics major likes to dabble in automotive repair – a passion he shares with his father Scot, the owner of a 1954 Ford that the two work on together.

He's also displayed a real propensity when it comes to the culinary arts.

"I love grilling," he said. "And I've gotten pretty good at it over the course of my college career.

"All of my buddies call me the Grillmaster."

The economics major elected to return to play his senior season this fall, but will graduate in December. After that, he'd like to work as an economic analyst.

"I fell in love with economics during my freshman year," Neumann said. "I love numbers. I took a data analytics class and I really liked that. I like the idea of doing forecasting for companies and figuring out what they should do in the future."

And when the aspiring number-cruncher reviews the data, what does he project happening with the Johnnies this fall?

"Our goal is to win a national championship and I think we have the talent to do it," he said. "It's why I wanted to come back. We have the talent on this team to be a lot better than some people might think we're going to be based on the players we lost."