Last season, Kershaw led the Raiders in tackles (82), tackles for loss (15 1/2 ) and sacks (5 1/2 ). In a victory over Wisconsin-Whitewater in the Stagg Bowl, he led the team with nine tackles. Kershaw played special teams as a freshman and became a starter by week five in 2008. That go-getter attitude comes from parents Isaac and Mary. They were working in the Peace Corps in Uganda when Sam was born. Isaac works in an administrative role for the Future Farmers of America and Mary is in health education. They both hold doctorate degrees. "My parents aren't concerned with material things, and neither am I," said Kershaw, a finance major. "They lived in Africa for eight to 10 years. They wanted to give back. I've learned a lot from them about giving. They've set the bar high for me. I'm definitely thinking about getting a master's."
Parents of Sam Kershaw, a starting linebacker for defending NCAA Division III national champion Mount Union, served as Peace Corps Volunteers in Uganda
College football: Central Ohio watch
Tuesday, September 8, 2009 3:05 AM
By Mark Znidar
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
<p>Linebacker Sam Kershaw says he's not the most athletic guy around, but that didn't stop him from leading national champion Mount Union in tackles last season.</p>
Photo courtesy of Mount Union College
Linebacker Sam Kershaw says he's not the most athletic guy around, but that didn't stop him from leading national champion Mount Union in tackles last season.
The pause was so long that one had to wonder if the cell phone connection with Sam Kershaw had been dropped.
Kershaw, a starting linebacker for defending NCAA Division III national champion Mount Union, was asked what he does best.
"Uh, I'm going to have to think about that one," he said.
Seconds later, there still wasn't an answer.
Finally, Kershaw started to laugh.
"I'm trying to think about the jokes my teammates make up when they talk about me," he said. "I'm not that fast, I'm not that big and I'm not that athletic. I can't think of anything that I do really well. I just play my best."
That, obviously, is good enough for a team that has won 10 national championships since 1993.
Last season, Kershaw led the Raiders in tackles (82), tackles for loss (15 1/2 ) and sacks (5 1/2 ). In a victory over Wisconsin-Whitewater in the Stagg Bowl, he led the team with nine tackles.
All that comes from a guy who played Division V football in high school at West Jefferson.
Kershaw has never acted like a guppy in the big pond that is Mount Union.
"I tried not to worry about any of that my freshman year or after that," he said. "We have so many kids who come out for football at Mount. We had 225 players out this year. I don't think about what others are doing or where they're from. I was confident from the beginning in my abilities. I don't try to do more than I should be doing. I always take it one play at a time. My skills are just as good as anyone else's."
Kershaw played special teams as a freshman and became a starter by week five in 2008.
That go-getter attitude comes from parents Isaac and Mary. They were working in the Peace Corps in Uganda when Sam was born. Isaac works in an administrative role for the Future Farmers of America and Mary is in health education. They both hold doctorate degrees.
"My parents aren't concerned with material things, and neither am I," said Kershaw, a finance major. "They lived in Africa for eight to 10 years. They wanted to give back. I've learned a lot from them about giving. They've set the bar high for me. I'm definitely thinking about getting a master's."
Kershaw was so determined to defeat Wisconsin-Whitewater that he didn't think about being on national television or the scope of the game. Mount Union lost to Wisconsin-Whitewater in the 2007 championship game.
"Then you win the game and think, 'Wow! We just won the national championship,' " he said. "Still, we didn't do a whole lot of celebrating. We celebrated in the locker room only a little bit. We did have a big community celebration once we got home. There is pressure to win. You don't want to be that Mount Union team that doesn't make the Stagg Bowl."
