From farmer to national champion

RIVER FALLS, Wis. — Starting at center on the University of Wisconsin-River Falls’ offensive line this season, Kevin Spahn brought the same work ethic he learned on his family’s dairy farm to his four-year NCAA Division III football career, finishing it as a national champion.

Whether it was long hours on the football field or days growing up on the family dairy farm, Spahn remained committed to what he loved. That grit and dedication helped take the Falcon football team to a historic season.

UW–River Falls claimed its first national championship in program history when it beat North Central College in the Stagg Bowl Jan. 4 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.  The season also marked a program-record 14 wins and the team’s first playoff appearance since 1996.

For Spahn, the championship fulfilled a dream he had since childhood.

“It was really surreal,” Spahn said. “Growing up, you always dream of being able play at a big stadium…Walking out and playing on that field at night, it was such a surreal moment that most of us on the team dreamed about since we were kids.”

Spahn was a fourth-year player and first-year starter this season and said ending his career this way with a team-centered environment is what he appreciated most.

“Our culture is probably the part that I love best,” Spahn said.

He credited the players from throughout his years playing at the University, along with the leadership of head coach Matt Walker, for building the foundation that led to the program’s breakthrough season.

That culture —built over years of tenacity and hard work —mirrors what Spahn experienced growing up on his family’s dairy farm, Spahn Dairy, near Middleton, Wisconsin. The farm milks approximately 180 cows in a double-12 herringbone parlor. His father, Joe Spahn, was among the family members who traveled to Ohio to watch the championship game, one of the few times he has stepped away from the farm for more than a day.

“I can’t really remember the few times when he’s had a full day off of work,” Spahn said. “He’s someone I look up to on how hard he works. We grew up watching football, and he’s honestly probably the reason why I played football and am a fan of it.”

This year, Spahn balanced summer workouts, a job near River Falls, and this fall, academic responsibilities. During breaks in the school year, he returned home to help on the farm, though not during football season.

“I always offered (to help),” Kevin said. “But my dad said no, I didn’t need to rush home to help with chores and (that I should) enjoy it (school and football) a bit.”

Spahn is expected to graduate this spring with a bachelor’s degree in dairy science in the management option and hopes to remain involved working with dairy farms.

For Spahn, the long hours spent playing football throughout his whole career since childhood were balanced with work on the farm and other responsibilities; two passions rooted in discipline, teamwork, and a love for the work itself. The work ethic he developed on the farm, ultimately, carried over to the football field.

“Growing up as a farm kid, it’s embedded to do things that aren’t going to come easy,” Spahn said. “That doesn’t mean you need to quit. Stay with it. That was my mindset growing up. You may not be better than everybody, but you can outwork everybody because hard work can out beat talent if you just put your head down to work.”

While there are few agricultural-related majors on the football team, Spahn said his background helped him connect with teammates, especially during the early days of fall camp when players were encouraged to meet someone new at meals.

“Don’t feel like if you grow up as a farm kid, that has to be to your identity,” Spahn said. “If you talk to your family, I’m sure they’re going to be more than supportive of you doing both (farming and football) because both are good for your body.”