Wednesday, January 4, senior Blake Osbahr signed a national letter of intent to play Division 1 football at University of St. Thomas. 

During the event, Osbahr was supported by some of his closest friends, family members and coaches. 

The athlete has been playing football for nine years, four of them being right here at NDA with three years as a varsity athlete.

To Osbahr, the most impactful aspect of football has been the connections he has made. 

“To me, being involved in sports means a place where I can compete every day with my best friends playing a fun physical game,” he said. 

Osbahr also loves the physical aspect when he is able to make big hits, such as assisting in eight tackles during the East High School game this fall. 

He won All-Region honors under the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association. 

Coach Max McHugh pushed Osbahr daily to be a better football player on the defensive drills for four years. Coaches Jim Flanigan and Tony Giovnetti did the same.

“Blake really developed into a strong defensive lineman and was a big reason why we were successful. He was one of the anchors in our defensive front. With his abilities, we moved him around in different positions across the line, giving us advantages against our opponents,” said Giovanetti. 

Flanigan echoed those words:  “He has surprising agility for a player his size and while I could certainly see him staying at defensive end, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him playing defensive tackle or offensive tackle depending on how he matures in the weight room.”

All coaches can see him slotting in at different positions across the line and can’t wait to see him develop over the next few years. 

Osbahr’s favorite memory from playing football at NDA was defeating Menasha in the playoffs. He described it as the “most fun win for the seniors.”

“The sport is one big family and we all work together every day so we can win the big games on Friday,” he added.

Coach McHugh described Blake as “a very tough, strong, reliable player.” He thinks that these qualities will take him far in college and that “St. Thomas is lucky to have a person and player like Blake.” 

St Thomas felt like the right place for the senior, who explained, “I really liked how it felt like a tight community because of the way the campus is built. I also like the location in the big city so there are going to be a lot of different things to do.”

“It has a similar feel to NDA and is a very nice campus. I also picked it because I believe I can work a lot of playing time there,” said Osbahr. 

“I chose St. Thomas because of the upswing the team is having. I want to be part of something new since they are only finishing their second year in Division 1 and see how far we can take it,” he said. 

His goals at St. Thomas are to have a successful football career and be able to start. He also wants to graduate with a good degree that will set him up for his future. 

“Blake is a consistent, reliable player who doesn’t overreact, plays hard, is very coachable, and has an off-kilter sense of humor that makes him fun to be around. I’m sure he will find great success in the future and I wish him the best of luck at St. Thomas,” said Coach Flanigan.