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Just another day at practice for the UW-La Crosse football team’s newest tight end. If Almonroeder’s name sounds familiar, it’s because last year he was in a preseason camp competition with Griffin Moe for the starting quarterback job.
Moe won out and finished the season as the WIAC’s top-rated passer. Meanwhile, Almonroeder served as Moe’s backup, then lost a battle with Alex Seguin for an interim starting assignment at mid-season after Moe suffered a concussion.
Now, Almonroder, a junior from Felch, Mich., is No. 1 on the Eagles’ tight end depth chart, and fully enjoying his new position.
“It’s like a totally different sport,” Almonroeder said. “I’ve been playing quarterback since I was in sixth grade. It’s a whole different situation, but it’s probably the best thing that happened.”
Almonroeder played in two games as Moe’s backup last season. He threw three passes in mop-up duty during the Eagles’ season opener, a blowout win at Hardin-Simmons (Texas), then entered the Sept. 29 game against UW-Whitewater in much more difficult circumstances.
The Warhawks, once trailing 28-10, tied the game 28-28 with four minutes left in the fourth quarter before Moe was knocked out of the game on a helmet-to-helmet hit by A.J. Raebel.
Enter Almonroeder, who had to come in cold against a talented defense riding a wave of momentum. He went 1-for-4 for 7 yards and an interception. Whitewater finished its comeback and won 35-28.
Seguin took over for Moe the next week, playing well in a 31-29 loss to Eau Claire, while Almonroeder was faced with a tough decision.
“I told the coaches that whatever I could do to help the team, and (coach Larry Terry) told me flat-out that he wasn’t sure if quarterback was where I could help the team,” Almonroeder said. “They thought tight end would be a better fit for the skills I had, because I’m a big kid and I can run a little bit.”
Almonroeder joined the tight ends after the Eau Claire game and finished the season while learning from seniors Brian Edmiston and Eric Raisbeck.
But when the season was over, Almonroeder wasn’t sure where he stood.
“I took some time off and didn’t think about football for a while, because it had been a rough season,” Almonroeder said. “It wasn’t the best time for me. One day over the winter, I was in the fieldhouse about to work out and (offensive coordinator Mick Miyamoto) was running laps and he stopped and gave me a talk about, ‘You can do this. It’s not something that’s impossible.’ And I got refocused and thought I might as well give it my best shot.”
Miyamoto said he didn’t want to see Almonroeder get lost in the shuffle after what happened last fall.
“He’s way too good an athlete to be standing on the sidelines holding a clipboard,” Miyamoto said. “He’s got to be in there for us.”
Almonroeder added about 10 pounds over the summer and is playing at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds. He moved in with center Andrew Gebel and tackles John Carley and Tyler Smith and usually eats, lifts and hangs out with offensive linemen and tight ends.
“In the beginning, I wasn’t sure, but you just have to embrace it; you can’t do halfway at it or you’re not going to be any good,” Almonroeder said. “I figured I’d give it my 100 percent shot and if it didn’t work out, I’m no worse off.”
Almonroeder and sophomore Ben Sturomski are the team’s top two tight ends and both figure to see plenty of playing time this season.
Miyamoto is not surprised that Almonroeder has climbed up the depth chart so quickly. Almonroder was a running quarterback and basketball player in high school, and his two years of working as a college quarterback gave him a deep understanding of UW-L’s offense.
“Gus does some nice things as a tight end,” Miyamoto said. “Moving from quarterback is kind of a natural progression for a bigger kid like him who can run.”
Almonroeder is still learning about blocking and the physical aspects of playing tight end, but he’s an eager student.
The Eagles held an “Oklahoma” one-on-one blocking drill at the end of Thursday’s practice. Last year, Almonroeder would have been able to watch from the comfort of the sidelines; this year, it was hit or be hit.
“Going against a Joe Troia or a Drew Kiefer and those guys, it’s definitely a challenge,” Almonroeder said. “But you just can’t back down. You have to give it your best shot and hope its good enough. Last year at times, coming to practice was kind of a chore, but now I love coming out and being with the guys. You definitely learn something every day. You get your butt kicked a lot, but you learn. It’s been fun.”
Joel Badzinski can be reached at (608) 791-8402 or joel.badzinski@lee.net
