Augsburg's Nick Heenie: Undersized & Underestimated

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Nick Heenie comes from a small town, and he is a small guy. And when he was playing high school football in Waconia, he went basically unrecruited, even by most Division III schools.

"I didn't have a very good high school career when it comes to football. And when I got here, it's just been all open arms," Heenie said. "Every coach, from Coach [Frank] Haege, to Coach [Nathan] Tenut, Coach [Bill] Kriesel, they kind of just put a lot of trust in me, and I kind of take that and run with it."

Those coaches have been rewarded. Hennie is really undersized for a receiver, standing 6-foot-nothing and weighing 175 pounds. But he has been all-MIAC the last two years, as a sophomore and junior. He was the top receiver in the conference last season, leading the league in yards and touchdowns.

In fact, had more than 150 more yards than any other receiver -- and had almost twice as many touchdowns as everyone else.

"Honestly, it's just working, really, it's taking it upon yourself and kind of just, you know, making the most out of your situation," he said.

It is amazing sometimes what having a chip on your shoulder can do for a player; to drive them and fuel them.

"It didn't bother me as much as it just kind of made me determined to say, 'You know, I know my worth, and I know how good I can be.' So, I'm just going to pick the team that, or pick the coaches that really saw the athlete in me, or the potential in me, and I'm just going to run and prove to them that they made a good choice," Heenie said. "I've always had that chip on their shoulder, and I think that's really what makes me me, as a football player."

Heenie has turned into quite a player, and he still got his senior season to go.