Zimmerman preparing for starting role

By DAVID MERRILL Sports Editor
Northwest Missouri State running back Phillip Jackson II attempts to shake a defender during the Bearcats’ contest against Missouri Western during the 2015 season.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kyle Zimmerman’s stats from the 2015 season are limited. He saw only spot action as Brady Bolles took the lead role in leading Northwest Missouri State University to an NCAA Division II National Championship.

He made the most of the time he did get, however, as he completed 18 of his 20 pass attempts on the season for 160 yards and two touchdowns. Zimmerman was more effective on the ground.

He rushed 51 times for 266 yards and scored three touchdowns.

Heading into the 2016 August camp in preparation for the season opener against Emporia State on September 1, he is going to have to prove the job is his and his alone.

“I need to attack each day and take it snap by snap, rep by rep and try and be the best I can be each and every rep that I’m in there,” Zimmerman said. “There’s a lot of great players coming back for us and as long as I can trust those guys around me and their playmaking ability, I’ll be just fine.”

Zimmerman also mentioned having a steady hand is only going to help him when it comes time for camp to start and when coach Adam Dorrel chooses his starting quarterback.

“I think the biggest thing is being consistent,” he said. “If I can come out every day and have good practices and work on my footwork, timing with receivers. Those are just the big things right now you can improve upon moving into fall camp and into the season.”

Zimmerman was voted one of the team’s six captains this season along with running back Phil Jackson II, Collin Bevins, Jacob Vollstedt, Kevin Berg, and Chase Sherman.

From the hunter to the hunted

Northwest has been on both ends of the football food chain. From the national championship season in 2013 to the drop off in 2014 and then climbing back to the top of the mountain in 2015, the Bearcats have been the hunters and the hunted. Dorrel admits that there is a different mentality when a huge target is on your back.

“You really have to train your mind to stay in, what we call, the ‘attacking the castle’ mindset,” Dorrel said. “Don’t be in a defensive posture. We like to get up and go cause havoc. We don’t talk about the bull’s-eye. We try and spin it a different way; just staying aggressive and staying in the mindset of attacking the castle. It’s a challenge, but I’m confident our 16 seniors will be able to do that.”

Changing the methodology

Part of the ‘never settle’ mentality is never duplicating the process and hoping to duplicate success.

Dorrel mentioned that he likes to switch things up and stay on the cutting edge in multiple areas.

“I know what works for me and what works for us,” he said. “I try and research the mental part of the game consistently and research the physical part of the game. I challenge our staff to come up with new schemes, new coverages, new blitzes and things like that.

“My philosophy on new is, ‘new is exciting,’ new brings people into work each and every day energized. We are always trying to find ways to get better, whether it’s recruiting-wise or whatever. I think that’s what makes us special and sets us apart.”

Forming an identity

The players and coaches come up with a new team slogan every season. This year’s slogan is “never settle.”

Each of the (in this case) 16 seniors brings the idea to the coaching staff in a meeting, where a discussion follows.

“At the end of the day, these guys pick the team slogan. I let them do that,” Dorrel said.