Aug. 23—GRAND FORKS — UND wide receiver Sam Strandell started last season with knee injuries on Day 6 of fall camp.
Those injuries lingered. He wore a heavy brace on his knee. Then he had a groin injury in the spring. Then there was an appendicitis operation in the offseason.
After spending the fall and spring on the sideline in 2025, Strandell had a decision to make this summer — retire or stick it out one more year?
"I talked to the coaches the weekend before fall camp and that Friday night me and my dad went on a bike ride through Riverside," Strandell said of his old neighborhood in north Grand Forks. "It was late at night, and I guess I was just thinking back to like when I was a kid in Riverside. I feel like he would really want me to play, and I feel like down the road I would probably regret not, too. I enjoy football. When I'm healthy and I'm playing football, it's the most fun I have."
Strandell's journey back to the field reached a milestone earlier this week when he was honored by his teammates as a two-time captain of the Fighting Hawks.
#strandell #injuries #spring
Those injuries lingered. He wore a heavy brace on his knee. Then he had a groin injury in the spring. Then there was an appendicitis operation in the offseason.
After spending the fall and spring on the sideline in 2025, Strandell had a decision to make this summer — retire or stick it out one more year?
"I talked to the coaches the weekend before fall camp and that Friday night me and my dad went on a bike ride through Riverside," Strandell said of his old neighborhood in north Grand Forks. "It was late at night, and I guess I was just thinking back to like when I was a kid in Riverside. I feel like he would really want me to play, and I feel like down the road I would probably regret not, too. I enjoy football. When I'm healthy and I'm playing football, it's the most fun I have."
Strandell's journey back to the field reached a milestone earlier this week when he was honored by his teammates as a two-time captain of the Fighting Hawks.
#strandell #injuries #spring
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