Bearcats kicker bids fond farewell

NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY
Simon Mathiesen, a native of Denmark, is now a two-time national champion after serving as the Bearcats’ kicker for the past three seasons. “I came here and I had no idea about the traditions of the school or the football team or anything like that,” he said. “All of sudden I’m like, ‘Oh, this is a really big deal, and it has a great impact on a lot of people.’”

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Three years ago, Simon Mathiesen was a student at Copenhagen Business School in Vedbaek, Denmark, searching for an opportunity to play college football. He discovered Northwest Missouri State University, and decided almost instantly that the Maryville campus was where he wanted to be.

“I immediately fell in love with the whole environment, even though it was quite different from what I was used to back home in Denmark, coming from a big city in Copenhagen,” he said. “As soon as I stepped on campus, I felt like I was welcome. I felt like people wanted to interact with me and make me feel like this could be my home for a good couple of years. That had great importance to me, being so far away from home.”

Mathiesen, who graduated last week with a bachelor’s degree in business economics, made his athletic dreams come true at Northwest, where he gained success as a kicker for the Bearcats, crowned Saturday as NCAA Division II champions for the fifth time.

“I came in my first year and got put in a situation where I had to help the team a lot — actually more than I expected I would,” Mathiesen said. “But I took advantage of that, and it has helped shape my stay here and I’ve really enjoyed it.”

In 2013, Mathiesen was 10 for 10 in field goal attempts, including a 42-yarder against St. Cloud State in the NCAA Division II quarterfinal game. That same year, he hit all 35 extra point attempts on the way to Northwest’s fourth football national championship.

He said watching fans take down the goalposts at Bearcat Stadium after Northwest’s semifinal win in the Division II playoffs ranks as one of his favorite gridiron memories.

“I saw how the whole student section went crazy and tore down the goalposts, and everybody was rushing onto the field,” Mathiesen said. “That was something that was very special and touched me a little bit because I could see the great importance of what that meant to the school that we were going to go to the national championship.

“I came here and I had no idea about the traditions of the school or the football team or anything like that. All of sudden I’m like, ‘Oh, this is a really big deal, and it has a great impact on a lot of people.’ That hit home with me when I saw how happy it made people, and how many people were affected by our performance on the field.”

Mathiesen’s performance was strong in the classroom, too, as demonstrated by his 3.65 grade-point average and status as an MIAA Scholar Athlete.

He said he is proud of the education he received at Northwest and that his years in Maryville have made a lasting impact.

“It was a little different coming over here and having to take history and science and biology and all of that stuff again, but I embraced it,” Mathiesen said. “It’s always good to expand your general knowledge, so that’s something I’m going to take with me.”

Mathiesen added that his Northwest experience has helped him learn to adapt to and overcome life’s challenges. Living far away from family and friends in Denmark, he said, was not always easy.

“That’s something our coaching staff on the football team does a really good job of — preparing us for things when things don’t go your way,” Mathiesen said. “You’re going to face many challenges in your life, and having the ability to face those with a good spirit, I think that’s going to make you a much greater person, and that’s going to help you a long way in your life.”

Mathiesen said his future plans include exploring professional football opportunities and returning to Denmark and pursue a master’s degree.