COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - The competitive drive that's carried Corey Bohmert to success on the football field at both the high school and college levels was already evident shooting the basketball around as grade schooler with his father Tony in the driveway of the family's home in Mahtomedi.

"He was a big basketball guy and he loved playing PIG," recalled Bohmert, now a senior running back on the Saint John's football team.

"Those competitive juices were already flowing. He'd whoop me and it inspired me to get better. I'd be out there shooting hoops for hours. I finally got to where I was competitive with him. But I was never quite able to come out on top before sixth and seventh grade."

That, sadly, was when Tony Bohmert was diagnosed with leukemia and lymphoma. The diagnosis came in May of 2017, and the illness progressed rapidly. He passed away at only 52 in October of that year when Corey was just starting seventh grade.

"I really only started playing football as a sixth grader, so he only had a year and a couple months to watch me play," said Bohmert, who had previously played soccer in addition to hockey, which he started when he was three and continued through high school.

"Obviously, I wasn't that great a football player yet. I really wish he was still here and watching the way everything has gone."

Things have gone very well indeed for Bohmert, whose stellar senior season at Mahtomedi High School – when he rushed for 2,338 yards and 28 touchdowns – earned him a spot in the 2022 Minnesota State All-Star Game.

He was also a hockey standout and drew plenty of attention from collegiate recruiters. But after touring SJU, it seemed like the best fit.

"I really liked the campus," he said. "That was the first thing that struck me. It was also close enough to home that I could still be there for my family (mother Tracy and older brother Kyle).

"Then I talked to the coaches, who told me about the connections you make here. Not just with other students, but with alumni as well. You always hear about the Johnnie Network and it's a real thing."

Bohmert – an exercise and health science major who plans to attend physical therapy (PT) school after graduation in May – already experienced a bit of how that network works when he was treated by Dr. Greg Bailen after suffering a sprained ankle in high school.

Bailen, a physical therapist in the East Metro, helped inspire Bohmert's future career plans and the two have kept in regular contact since.

"We talk a lot about football," Bohmert said. "He told me he likes being able to help people get back on the field because he was a player himself and knows how much it sucks to have to sit out. I related to that a lot.

"We've kept in touch and I was actually able to shadow him some this summer, which was really helpful."

Bohmert does know firsthand how painful an injury can be – physically and emotionally.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pounder had a breakout finish to his sophomore season in 2024, including a 69-yard touchdown catch that helped seal the Johnnies' 24-13 victory over Wisconsin-La Crosse in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.

In all, Bohmert finished with 157 yards of total offense (69 yards rushing, 88 yards receiving) against the Eagles, the same team against whom SJU opens the 2026 season at 1 p.m. Saturday (Sept. 5) at Clemens Stadium.

"Knowing I could play well in high-intensity games like that definitely gave me some confidence," he said. "Being a sophomore in that position was a little nerve-wracking, but you have to play through it and have confidence in yourself and your teammates."

Bohmert continued to play with that confidence in the early going last season, carrying the ball 26 times for 213 yards and four touchdowns before he suffered a broken collarbone at Bethel that sidelined him for the next five games – the longest stretch he's ever had to sit out.

"In football, you know you're going to have to deal with adversity," he said. "It wasn't easy missing that much time. The team was playing well without me, which was good to see. We got better each and every week.

"But it's hard not being part of that."

Bohmert, though, was able to draw on his father's example for inspiration.

"He was one of those guys who fought through whatever battles he was facing," he said. "When he was going through chemo, and he felt like trash, he'd still show up and bring light to whatever room he was in. Even when he knew it wasn't looking good.

"So he is my inspiration whenever I'm going through something difficult. He's the one I look to."

Bohmert recovered enough to return for a season-closing victory over St. Olaf in which he rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns, then led his team in rushing in both of its Division III playoff games.

And now, despite working through a minor soft tissue injury during the preseason, he is expected to be a focal point of the Johnnie offense – starting with the season-opener Saturday.

"If you talk to our offensive coaches, and ask them who our best offensive players are, his name is one of the big ones that always comes up," SJU head coach Gary Fasching '81 said. "We know that we have to find ways to get him the ball. He can run and catch, so he's going to be involved in both the running and passing game.

"He's our big-play guy. Last year, that was (All-American wide receiver) Dylan Wheeler. This year, it has to be Corey Bohmert."

That's a role Bohmert is eager to play.

"I feel like there are still so many things I want to accomplish here," he said with a smile. "Time flies by. One moment, you're starting your freshman season and you have everything still in front of you. The next thing you know, you're a senior and time is running short.

"The days are long, but the years are short and you have to cherish every moment you get the chance to be on the field with your teammates. That's my biggest goal this season … making every one of those moments count."