Palmer brothers share same path to college

PALMER —Adam Christiansen’s original plans didn’t involve following in his older brothers’ footsteps as he made the transition from high school to college football.

The 2015 graduate and Palmer football standout was already part of a storied family legacy. His father is longtime Palmer High School head coach Rod Christiansen, who ranks second in career wins in the state of Alaska. His uncles played high school football in Palmer. His older brothers, Collin and Cameron, were also Palmer High standouts before moving on to play at Concordia University in Nebraska.

But as Christiansen worked through the recruiting process, it became apparent that Concordia was the right place to be. Now the Christiansens have a new football family tradition. And Adam, Collin and Cameron, are now known at Concordia as the “Bulldog Brothers.”

“Originally, my plan was to go somewhere else. I didn’t see myself going where they were at first,” Adam said before leaving for college last month. “In the end, it was a great fit for me and it worked out that my brothers were there.”

Christiansen, a first-team all-state center as a junior and first-team all-state linebacker as a senior at Palmer, joins Collin, a fifth-year senior defensive end, and Cameron, a junior tight end at Concordia.

Collin started the family’s newest football tradition after graduating from high school in 2011. A connection with Concordia through his Lutheran church led to Collin’s discovery of the Nebraska school.

“I was able to learn about them because of the connection,” Collin told the Frontiersman in 2011. “People in my church have gone to Concordia. I knew it was a pretty good school. It’s a good atmosphere, a really good Christian college. I’ll almost feel at home, even if it’s miles away.”

Soon, Concordia also became home for Cameron, a 2013 graduate. Two years later it was Adam’s turn to make the move to Concordia.

Adam said he’s excited about the chance to play with his older brothers, and his first chance to share a team with Collin. The prep careers of Adam and Cameron overlapped at Palmer, but Collin graduated before Adam entered high school.

“It’s going to be a blast,” Adam said. “I really can’t wait.”

Adam, expected to play outside linebacker in college, said it’s nice to be able to lean on the experience of his older brothers.

“They said it’s a lot faster football. There’s a lot of guys competing for the same position,” Adam said. “It’s going to be very competitive, but it’s also going to be very fun. The coaching staff is absolutely fantastic from what I’ve heard.”

Academically, like his brothers, Adam will make the transition from homeschooled student to college student.

“Collin had a 4.0 (grade point average) his first two years and Cam has done very well,” Adam said. “As long as you study a little bit every day, I don’t think I’ll have any problem.”

Adam said both Collin and Cameron are expected to be on the varsity traveling team. Adam said his goal is to do whatever he can to solidify his spot on the Bulldogs roster.

Based in Seward, Nebraska, Concordia competes in the NAIA Great Plains Athletic Conference. Concordia opened the 2015 season with a 31-10 win over Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.