Darien Rabe '21 Recruiting Profile

My goal is to have success in the classroom and on the field as a college athlete. I live in a small town and attend a small school district. Since second grade, I have been a part of the high school football program. Our elementary principal is also the head football coach. He encouraged me to become the team’s manager in second grade.  He saw potential in my size, in my determination to succeed, and in my love of the game. I worked my way up from team manager and water boy to a junior high player to the varsity team. I was able to start as a freshman in high school and have been part of the team leadership ever since. While I have been recognized at Awards Night for my capability on the field and in the classroom, I feel one of my strengths is in my ability to be an exceptional teammate, someone who will do whatever is asked for the good of the team. I do not always get to play the position that I would like to, but I work my hardest with a servant heart to play the position my team needs.

My team is facing an uphill battle this year and probably next, but we are committed to each other and to the game. We have a very small team in number this year, but we make up for it in heart. My teammates are like brothers to me. We are friends on and off the field. We participate in track and field and basketball together. When I qualified for the state meet in the discus as a sophomore, my teammates were there, just as I was there for them when several of them qualified in their events. We have been fortunate to have some amazing support from community members, like teachers, coaches, church leaders, and Scout Masters. In fact, several teammates and I are working on our Eagle Scout requirements right now. When our Scout Master passed away suddenly last fall, we felt like we had lost a father figure and mentor. I came away from that experience with a desire make him proud by giving one hundred percent of myself in everything I do, from academic study to athletics to being a productive member of the community who is always willing to lend a hand. In football as in life, I am learning to be more thankful for what I have and to be generous with the gifts I have been given.