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Northern senior Seth Roemmele grew up playing a different brand of football. Now though, he's a proud Canadian playing college football in the states
Montana State University-Northern senior Seth Roemmele has some fun with a bottle of maple syrup after a recent Lights practice. Roemmele hails from Alberta, but says he's always had a passion for football on both sides of the border.
Montana State University-Northern's Seth Roemmele, left, looks to haul in a pass during a game against Mayville State back in August. Roemmele is a fifth-year senior for the Lights, and the only player on the roster currently, who hails from Canada.
Montana State University-Northern's Seth Roemmele makes a grab during a 2017 game against Southern Oregon in Havre. Roemmele says that, coming from Canada, and being recruited to play college football in America is a huge honor.
Montana State University-Northern senior Seth Roemmele goes up for a catch during a 2016 Frontier Conference football game between the Lights and the UM-Western Bulldogs in Havre. Roemmele has played a ton of snaps in his four years as a Light, but, more importantly than snaps, he says it's the pride and passion he feels for being a Canadian-born football player playing college football in the United States. Roemmele hails from a small high school in southern Alberta, where he grew up playing hockey, but, also fell in love with football, including both Canadian rules football, and the football played in America. Roemmele and the Lights return to action this Saturday when they host the Eastern Oregon Mounties at 6 p.m. inside Blue Pony Stadium.
Havre is just 40 miles from the Canadian border. But no matter how close Canada and the United States are in relation to Havre, and Montana State University-Northern, when it comes to football, the two countries are worlds apart.
No one probably knows that better right now than MSU-N senior wide receiver Seth Roemmele. And that's because he's played both.
Football in Canada is a 12-man game, as compared to 11-man football, but, it's not only the rules that are much different, the popularity is too. In Canada, hockey is, and will always be king. In America, hockey certainly is popular, but it doesn't come close to how highly thought of the game of football is.
Again, no one knows that better than Roemmele, who came to Northern five years ago out of Willow Creek High School in Claresholm, Alberta.
"The difference football-wise are pretty big," Roemmele said. "Obviously, 12-man football is a lot different, but I also came here from a really small school. My graduating class only had 80 kids, so I went from not only a different kind of football, but I went from being a big fish in a small pond at home, to being a small fish in a pretty big pond playing college football in the states."
And yet, playing football in the states is what Roemmele wanted. And while he grew up, like most kids in Canada do, adoring and playing hockey, he always had his eye on playing two sports that are much higher-profile in America than they are north of the border.
"I played hockey up into high school," Roemmele said. "But I gave up hockey so I could play basketball in high school. In the winter, they overlapped and it was too hard to do both. But football is the sport I always liked the most."
And Roemmele, long before he was recruited to play for Northern by mark Samson, loved both brands of football growing up.
"I've always been a huge fan of football, both in Canada and in the states," he said. "I've always been a (Calgary) Stamps (Stampeders) fan, because I grew up just an hour away from Calgary. And my brother and I, we always liked the Green Bay Packers. We're huge Aaron Rogers fans."
Of course, Roemmele also grew up loving hockey, and he admits, even the Canadian Football League takes a backseat to hockey in Canada. And yet, he never wavered on how much he loved to play football.
"Hockey will always be king in Canada," Roemmele said. "That's never going to change. But I think football has been getting bigger and bigger up here. It's still not what it is in the states, especially at the high school level, but, the popularity of football is growing in Canada I think."
No, football in Canada isn't on the same level as it is in the states, and that might be one reason why it's often times difficult for a high school football player in Canada to be recruited by college programs in the states. And that's why Roemmele said he, and players like him, who have came down to America to play a completely different brand of football, take so much pride in it.
"In Canada, to be recruited by a college program from the states, it's a huge honor," Roemmele said. "It's a really big deal, and it's something I took very seriously."
No doubt, Roemmele has relished his time with the Lights.
He red-shirted his freshman year, but ever since then, he's been an important piece of Northern's offense. Through the last four years, he's played in 31 games and has 44 catches for 535 yards and two touchdowns. This season, Roemmele is a starter, and one of just seven seniors for the Lights. He's also one of just three remaining players from the last recruiting class Samson had at Northern.
And while Roemmele's stats aren't eye-popping, the catches and yards haven't mattered to him nearly as much as the fact that, he's doing something not too many Canadian's do, play college football in the capitol of the sport - America.
"I've never really cared about my stats," Roemmele said. "I actually thinking blocking downfield, and just doing whatever you can to help your team is the most important stat. If the balls don't come my way, that's OK. I'm going to do whatever I have to do out there to help my team."
There's no question Roemmele has always been a team player. And that's probably because he's so appreciative of, and so proud of the opportunity he's had. And while his time at Northern has seen the Lights go through some mighty struggles, he's never wavered on his decision to play for the Lights, or how much he loves the game.
"It's been an amazing experience playing college football here, and going to school here," he said. "The level of play was so much bigger and faster than I imagined. So I really had to grow and improve, and over the last five years, I think of done that. I've come a long way form where I was as a freshman five years ago. This experience has not only made me a better football player, but a better man. I've grown so much. Coming here to play football, it's really made me who I am."
And who Roemmele is today, is someone who's extremely proud of where he came from, and proud of what he's doing now. He's a shining example of how to follow your dreams. And even in tough times, he's stayed positive, and true to who he is.
"I've just worked as hard as I could, and tried to be the best teammate I could be," Roemmele said. "I've always wanted to make sure I had as much fun as I could out there, because this is a great game, and not everyone gets this opportunity. So no matter what, I've always wanted to make sure I took advantage of the opportunity I've had."
Roemmele is right. Not everyone gets to play college football, and even fewer Canadians get that chance in America. However, with what he's accomplished at Northern, given where he came from, he's hoping he's helping to change that too.
"This is my last shot to play football, this season," Roemmele said. "So I'm making the most out of it. But there are so many good players up there (Canada). College teams could find a lot of really good guys up there, and I've talked to Coach (Rolin) about it, and he's looking for them up there now. So hopefully, we'll see more Canadian guys get the same opportunity I did."
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