By Larry Scott, retired Sports Information Director
A young and inexperienced Minnesota State Moorhead offense had to endure some serious growing pains in 2010, and while there were clear signs of progress there was also a sizable spike in the workload of punter Pat Haynes. The junior from Pardeville, WI eclipsed the Dragons' single season record for punts with 74, surpassing the former standard of 70 set by Randy Bishoff in 1979.
While Bishoff's long-standing standard vanished, another Dragon special teams whiz from yesteryear--- Cory Schmidgall--- can take comfort in knowing he still maintains a firm grip on a couple of special teams records.
A native of Morris, Schmidgall built a seasonal average of 41.2 yards as a senior in 2000, a mark that still stands after 10 years. He also delivered a career high 178 punts in three seasons with the Dragons and still owns three of the top five punts in Dragon history, including an 81-yard bomb against Minnesota Morris in 2000.
Schmidgall was a second team All-NSIC choice as a sophomore.
A multi-talented prep star, Schmidgall was an All-West Central Conference selection in track and basketball and twice was decorated with all-state track honors. A three-sport captain, he helped the Tigers claim four district basketball titles and league championships in track and football. His father Doug also lettered in football at MSU Moorhead.
Schmidgall joined the Dragons on the rebound and spent three prosperous years at State.
“I started at Southwest State as a runningback in football and a shooter on the basketball team,” said Schmidgall. “My ankle problems cut that short, so I started only punting and kicking while playing hoops. After my first year playing receiver at MSUM, I had ankle reconstruction in the winter which stuck with me throughout my career. It was my kicking foot, and I always wonder if it helped or hurt my punting.”
One of Schmidgall's favorite memories is a 75-yard punt against backyard rival Concordia College in a rainy Power Bowl showdown.
Despite his booming resume, Schmidgall was ignored in the National Football League draft, but he wasn't about to abandon his professional dreams.
“After college, I moved to Lake View, IA to work for my dad and saved money to pursue the NFL dream. I also lived in Modesto, CA with my kicking coach for a couple of years while trying out, but an injury cut that stint short. I tried out two more times but never made it.”
Schmidgall put his punting dreams on hold.
“I settled back into life in Iowa where I've been the general manager of a precast concrete plant for seven years now while finishing up another degree in Business Administration. At one point, I took up Muay Thai kickboxing and made it to instructor level. I still play flag football every fall and have toyed with the idea of trying out for the (Iowa) Barnstormers.”?
“I have a wonderful wife, Lauren, an amazing person who actually understands my humor and can tolerate it. We have a great time doing about anything, and both enjoy working out and golfing. She is an Occupational Therapist, which means that after all my injuries I have someone who can take care of me.”
“We recently had our first little Dragon. Our son, Kane, was born on June 10, and I now understand how amazing it is to be a dad. He's doing great and starting to smile, which is the greatest thing ever. I can't wait to see what's next. We also have a little pug puppy named Roxy. She's the weirdest little thing I ever seen, comic relief for a tired mom and dad.”
While family comes first, Schmidgall still has special memories of his short but memorable career with the Dragons. “They are great memories, and I will never forget the teammates, wonderful guys with plenty of unique characters. From the meetings, fall camp, songs in the lunchroom and bus rides to away games, some of the best times were the ones I shared on the field with the guys I played with. All of them taught me a little bit about life and the fun of college. I was glad to be a part of the team. I've always felt football, in general, is parallel to many life lessons.”
While Bishoff's long-standing standard vanished, another Dragon special teams whiz from yesteryear--- Cory Schmidgall--- can take comfort in knowing he still maintains a firm grip on a couple of special teams records.
A native of Morris, Schmidgall built a seasonal average of 41.2 yards as a senior in 2000, a mark that still stands after 10 years. He also delivered a career high 178 punts in three seasons with the Dragons and still owns three of the top five punts in Dragon history, including an 81-yard bomb against Minnesota Morris in 2000.
Schmidgall was a second team All-NSIC choice as a sophomore.
A multi-talented prep star, Schmidgall was an All-West Central Conference selection in track and basketball and twice was decorated with all-state track honors. A three-sport captain, he helped the Tigers claim four district basketball titles and league championships in track and football. His father Doug also lettered in football at MSU Moorhead.
Schmidgall joined the Dragons on the rebound and spent three prosperous years at State.
“I started at Southwest State as a runningback in football and a shooter on the basketball team,” said Schmidgall. “My ankle problems cut that short, so I started only punting and kicking while playing hoops. After my first year playing receiver at MSUM, I had ankle reconstruction in the winter which stuck with me throughout my career. It was my kicking foot, and I always wonder if it helped or hurt my punting.”
One of Schmidgall's favorite memories is a 75-yard punt against backyard rival Concordia College in a rainy Power Bowl showdown.
Despite his booming resume, Schmidgall was ignored in the National Football League draft, but he wasn't about to abandon his professional dreams.
“After college, I moved to Lake View, IA to work for my dad and saved money to pursue the NFL dream. I also lived in Modesto, CA with my kicking coach for a couple of years while trying out, but an injury cut that stint short. I tried out two more times but never made it.”
Schmidgall put his punting dreams on hold.
“I settled back into life in Iowa where I've been the general manager of a precast concrete plant for seven years now while finishing up another degree in Business Administration. At one point, I took up Muay Thai kickboxing and made it to instructor level. I still play flag football every fall and have toyed with the idea of trying out for the (Iowa) Barnstormers.”?
“I have a wonderful wife, Lauren, an amazing person who actually understands my humor and can tolerate it. We have a great time doing about anything, and both enjoy working out and golfing. She is an Occupational Therapist, which means that after all my injuries I have someone who can take care of me.”
“We recently had our first little Dragon. Our son, Kane, was born on June 10, and I now understand how amazing it is to be a dad. He's doing great and starting to smile, which is the greatest thing ever. I can't wait to see what's next. We also have a little pug puppy named Roxy. She's the weirdest little thing I ever seen, comic relief for a tired mom and dad.”
While family comes first, Schmidgall still has special memories of his short but memorable career with the Dragons. “They are great memories, and I will never forget the teammates, wonderful guys with plenty of unique characters. From the meetings, fall camp, songs in the lunchroom and bus rides to away games, some of the best times were the ones I shared on the field with the guys I played with. All of them taught me a little bit about life and the fun of college. I was glad to be a part of the team. I've always felt football, in general, is parallel to many life lessons.”
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