Football | 11/9/2017 5:16:00 PM

Like 13 of his fellow Dragon seniors, J.P. Mortenson will wrap up his Minnesota State University Moorhead football career on Saturday against Bemidji State.

His impact on the Dragon program won't be in the all-time statistics, school records or all-conference honors, but as an unselfish teammate with a strong work ethic who put in the time and effort to make his teammates better.

"He has been the epitome of a Dragon football team member," MSUM head coach Steve Laqua said. "He has been a great teammate and hard worker. He is very positive, energetic and humble. He is willing to do anything for the sake of the program and his teammates."

A native of Kennedy, Minn., Mortenson played high school football for Kittson Central, a 9-man program in northwest Minnesota.  He was offered the chance to walk-on on MSUM and chose that opportunity over another NSIC school that had recruited him.

"I was getting lucky to be part of the program that was growing," Mortenson said.

When he arrived at MSUM, he was realistic about his chances to receive significant playing time.

"I looked in the mirror, and there were a lot more people on this team more athletic than me," Mortenson said.  

He has never started a game in his Dragon career and hasn't played a lot of snaps. But he has served as a backup defensive back and also played on special teams.  But he also focused on practice, and pushing his teammates to be better. Mortenson has played several different positions on the scout team, which goes up against the first-team defense as it prepares for its upcoming opponent.

"When I came to the first practice I realized there were people a lot more athletic than I am," Mortenson said. "That meant I'd have to work harder than everybody else would. My role isn't playing; my role is being a leader. If I'm not playing, I can succeed in other ways."

His efforts have not gone unnoticed by his teammates.

"JP is one of, if not the best teammate I have ever had," senior captain Abe Roehrich said.

That doesn't mean Mortenson's football journey at MSUM has been easy. There has been many early mornings for strength and conditioning.  A lot of thankless hours in practice on the scout team, knowing that making the starting lineup or climbing high on the depth chart was a longshot. There were times when quitting football crossed his mind — but his attitude and willingness to be part of the program overpowered those thoughts.

"I thought if I quit at this, I'll quit at everything else," Mortenson said. "That was my mindset."

Mortenson graduates from MSUM in December with a business/marketing/finance degree. His goal is to pursue an MBA in graduate school. He has applied at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb.

As one of the Dragons' 14 seniors, Mortenson will see his collegiate career come to an end on Saturday. He has no regrets.

"100 percent," he said. "It's been worth it."