MSU-N Game Day Feature: The Art of Unselfishness

Jess Krahn never liked watching football – from the sidlines that is. No, Krahn has always preferred being a part of the game rather than a spectator of it.

And that's why, through even difficult times, Krahn has always wanted to do whatever he could do to play, to contribute to the Montana State University-Northern football team.

And contributing has come in many different forms for the senior from Hockinson, Washington.

Once upon a time, Krahn was Northern's starting quarterback. But now, in his final season, he's a reserve tight end for the Lights. Krahn caught his first pass of the season in last week's road game at Carroll College.

And the fact that Krahn is playing tight end, speak volumes about his character, his leadership and his love of Northern football.

"I'm really enjoying it," Krahn said of the position change. "It's a lot different than playing quarterback. It's a different view of the game up there on the line as opposed to looking over it. It's been a new challenge for me, and I'm having a lot of fun with it."

Krahn has certainly had his challenges at Northern, and what is most impressive about him is, he's met every one of them with a great attitude, one that has always set a positive example for his teammates.

The first challenge came when Krahn was thrust into the starting QB role his freshman season. Then senior Travis Dean was having an outstanding season for the Lights, but in the seventh game of that year, Dean suffered a season-ending injury, and Krahn, a true freshman, was the next man up.

He would make his first career start against vaunted Carroll College, and eventually, he would lead the Lights to a season-ending win at Rocky Mountain College.

"My freshman year, I was kind of pulling my hair out, because I just wasn't used to not playing," Krahn said. "I knew coming in that Travis was the guy, and he was great. I learned a ton from him. But, I was a four-year starter in high school, so it was pretty tough watching from the sidelines.

"But I always tried to just stay ready in case they needed me, and in that game against Eastern Oregon, Travis got hurt, and I had to go in," he continued. "That was a big challenge for me, having to start those last few games as a freshman."

From there, Krahn was the Lights' starter. He started all 11 games his sophomore season, throwing for 1,683 yards and 10 touchdowns. He returned as the Lights' starter last fall too, and quarterbacked the Lights through the first five games, including Northern's upset win over Carroll College.

But then, a new challenge would present itself for the Krahn.

"We got the big win over Carroll, but we were struggling some after that," Krahn said of his junior season. "And Coach Christensen told me that they were going to make a change at quarterback. So I sat down with him and asked him what I needed to do to stay on the field. If I wasn't going to have the opportunity to play quarterback anymore, I wanted to be on the field. I wanted to contribute."

And that's when Krahn used his size, strength and football knowledge to turn a negative into a positive.

With then senior Caleb McLaren taking over the QB duties for the rest of the 2016 campaign, Krahn switched to tight end, demonstrating a tremendous amount of unselfishness along the way.

"I just wanted to contribute," Krahn, who stands 6-4 and weighs 230 pounds said. "I'm kind of a bigger guy, I feel I'm pretty athletic, and I had some past experience catching the ball, so tight end seemed to be a good fit."

Not only was moving to tight end a good fit for Krahn, it was also a way to have one of Northern's most respected leaders still be a major part of the team moving forward.

And it's a move that's paid dividends, both for Krahn and for the Lights.

"Jess has done a great job at tight end," Christensen said during fall camp. "He's worked really hard at it. And he's doing a great job for us there."

Indeed. Even with Northern already flush with talent at the tight end and H-back positions, Krahn is now part of that, and he's once again having a big impact on the Lights' offense. He caught his first pass of the season in last week's game at Carroll, which is a twist of fate since, Krahn made his first start of his collegiate career against the Saints, a long four years ago.

"It's crazy how fast it's gone," Krahn said of his career at Northern.

It has gone by fast, and has been kind of a whirlwind for Krahn. But one thing that has been evident throughout is, he's always been in the mix of Northern's offense, whether it was learning from a veteran in Travis Dean, to starting at quarterback, to playing tight ends, and now passing on his leadership and knowledge to the next generation of Lights, Krahn has always helped MSU-N move forward, even when it was hard for himself to move forward.

And that's what he'll do for the remainder of his senior season. And while he's certainly had his share of ups and downs as a Light, Krahn couldn't have imagined doing anything else during his college years.

"You know, if I wasn't at Northern, I don't know where I'd be right now," Krahn said. "I've invested a lot of hard work, blood, sweat and tears into this program, and sure, there have been some hard times for me, and for the program. But I wouldn't change anything. I've had a blast, I've had so many great friends and teammates here. I wouldn't change any of it.

"And for the rest of the season, I just want to continue to contribute and help us get better any way I can," he continued. "I know the outcome of these first few games wasn't what we were hoping for, but I think we've made big strides this season. I think we're getting better and better. And that's what I want to do, keep helping us get better. I want to contribute and be a leader and just know at the end of it all, that I helped this program however I could."

No matter what happens over the next eight games, Krahn has already helped Northern be a batter program. He's shown what it means to truly be unselfish. And, college football, and the game of football, could use a lot more Jess Krahns.

Luckily for the Lights, they have the original.