Wasilla senior commits to Missouri NAIA football program

WASILLA — Culver-Stockton College was nowhere on Sean McDermott’s radar. But that quickly changed about a month before McDermott was set to start his senior season of football at Wasilla High School. A surprise email led to an unexpected opportunity.

Now, McDermott has the chance to make the move from the Warriors to the Wildcats. Surrounded by friends and family, McDermott officially committed Wednesday afternoon to attend Culver-Stockton in Canton, Missouri, and play football for the NAIA program.

“They kind of found me,” McDermott said during the ceremony, held on National Signing Day. “I was very surprised.”

McDermott said the Culver-Stockton coaching staff found him on hudl.com, a website that allows teams and players to upload game footage.

“I got an email out of the blue,” McDermott said. “I wasn’t expecting too many contacts for college. When I saw that I was speechless. I didn’t know how to react.

“When I first found out, it was amazing news. Kind of a dream come true for me.”

Following the initial offer, McDermott said he was able to make a trip to Missouri to visit the campus and meet with the coaching staff. At the college, McDermott, projected to play running back at the college level, said the coaches were enthusiastic about his potential to help the program.

“The way they put their trust in me, not knowing me as a total player on the field, that gives me the confidence to go down there and shine,” McDermott said.

The 5-foot-10, 200-pound running back was a focal point in Wasilla’s double-wing offense as an upperclassman. His senior season included a season-high 101 yards rushing against Lathrop. McDermott said Culver-Stockton has given players the opportunity to hit the field early in their career.

“Last season, of the 22 starters, 17 were freshmen,” McDermott said. “They told me right to my face. There’s a 100 percent chance of being able to play as a freshman if you put your mind to it.”

Wasilla head coach Will Stout said he believes McDermott has the chance to have success with the Wildcats.

“I think Sean has a lot of potential. He’s a big, strong back,” Stout said.

Stout said McDermott can also bring different things to the field.

“He does have some versatility,” Stout said.

Late in the season, as Wasilla expanded its offensive packages, McDermott was also used in the slot.

McDermott said Wisconsin Lutheran and a pair of Kansas schools, MidAmerican Nazarene and Sterling, were also among the programs considered, but he couldn’t deny Culver-Stockton’s overall interest.

McDermott, who plans on studying criminal justice, began playing football with the Mat-Su Steelers Pop Warner program when he was about 5 or 6 years old. He said it was important to also have his longtime youth coach, Clint Spencer, there when he officially committed to Culver-Stockton.

McDermott said the entire experience is still surreal.

“I know just signing that letter today is just the beginning,” McDermott said.

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