Connor Froehlich and Cooper Gauldin, 2012 Annandale graduates, recently received "True Grit" awards for their contributions to the Concordia College football team in Moorhead.
Froehlich played on the defensive line as the nose-tackle and Gauldin was an outstanding running back.
The True Grit award goes to a defensive and offensive player and is awarded by the coaching staff.
"It goes to the player that gives everything, every day, every snap. They do not complain, they are tough and gutsy," said head coach Terry Horan. "Connor and Cooper epitomize these awards."
The final season for Froehlich and Gauldin was 2015. In the four years they played, their senior class had a record of 31-9.
"That is pretty remarkable," Horan said. "We are going to miss these guys."
Cardinal athletes
Both players had outstanding careers while attending Annandale High School.
As a Cardinal football player, Froehlich was all-conference, all-section and all-area. He also played hockey and track.
Gauldin was all-conference in football and was four-time all-conference and all-state in track and field.
Matt Walter, Annandale football coach, was not surprised that Froehlich and Gauldin won the True Grit honors.
Walter was impressed with both of players’ work ethic and leadership abilities.
"Connor is a leader by his actions, a soft-spoken young man with a tremendous work ethic, and he was always about the team," said Walter. "Cooper is more of a vocal leader who is not afraid to push his teammates to work as hard as he does."
Being a Cobber
Froehlich has nothing but praise for his coaches at Concordia.
"They care just as much about helping each player to become better at football as they do about preparing them for the rest of their lives," Froehlich said.
Gauldin feels the same way and finds it hard to find the right words to express how much of an impact his Concordia coaches have had in his life.
"We were in their offices everyday talking about anything from football to personal problems," Gauldin said. "They were there to help us develop into young men on and off the field. I grew up so much in the last four years."
Gauldin and Froehlich both enjoyed their teammates.
"The teammates I’ve had while at Concordia will be friends that I will have for life," Froehlich said. "There is a real brotherhood between the players that come to play here."
A college football player spends a great deal of time with their teammates. There is practice every day and off-season workouts at 6 a.m. There are also countless dinners together and weekends of activities.
"A football team is honestly a true fraternity. I will share something special with those guys for as long as I live," Gauldin said.
Life after football
Gauldin is majoring in Elementary Education and hopes to someday coach high school football.
Gauldin’s parents are Randy and Nancy Halverson. His biological father was Kip Gauldin, who died when Cooper was 2. Kip was the Maple Lake High School football coach and had played football at Winona.
"Football is something that was always important to Cooper. He knew how much football was his dad’s passion," said Nancy Halverson.
Froehlich is majoring in physics and plans to enter graduate school to study engineering. He is the son of Cal and Denise Froehlich.
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