Beaver Forges Future Through Teamwork, Military Service
Joe Thede, a criminology and criminal justice major, is thankful for time with the Beaver football team and the Iowa Army National Guard.
The parallels between Joe Thede’s Buena Vista University football experience and his service in the Iowa Army National Guard hit home Saturday in the moments following the BVU season finale at the University of Dubuque.
“After the game, the seniors were in tears because it was their last game,” Thede says. “We didn’t want to leave, so we all stayed on the field and kept talking to the coaches and our teammates. Everyone told us how much they’d miss us, and that if we needed anything, we could call any of them.”
While Thede, a backup defensive lineman, is only a junior, the occasion marked his final game as a Beaver. The criminology and criminal justice major from Churdan will graduate in May 2020. His service over the past four years with the Iowa Army National Guard not only helped him accumulate credits, it helped him fund his education at a University ranked No. 20 in the listing for Best Colleges for Veterans Among Regional Universities in the Midwest in 2019 by U.S. News & World Report.
“There’s no better feeling than singing the Alma Mater after a win.”
Joe Thede
“I never feared not being able to pay for college,” Thede says. “I received the Federal Pell grant. I also earned a $17,000 BVU Presidential Scholarship each year because of my high school grade point average and my ACT score. By using my National Guard funds, I’ll be able to pay off any loans very quickly.”
Thede seeks to land a position as a patrol officer in the Omaha area following his graduation. He’ll continue his service as a combat medic until September 2021, when his six-year commitment runs its course.
“I’ve made friends from all over the country through my service in the National Guard,” says Thede, who has trained in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. “I drill with a lot of police officers and they’ve told me that they’ll support me in any way they can as I enter the workforce. In that way, they’re very supportive, just like our coaches and professors at BVU.”
Thede, who began at BVU as an education major, switched to criminology and criminal justice after finding classes under Dr. Richard Riner, assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice, piqued his interest. Thede used his talents in helping construct BVU’s new Center for Criminal Justice Studies and takes pride in being one of the first students to use the facility, which will also be utilized by area law enforcement in training exercises.
“The military experience, my education at BVU, and my time on the football team all give me some advantages in the job market,” Thede says.
Coach Grant Mollring says that while Thede didn’t accumulate a wealth of highlights or individual statistics in his time with the BVU football team, his presence was invaluable. “Joe Thede was a role player for us and was highly respected across the entire team,” Mollring says. “An outstanding young man, Joe served as a great role model for our younger players.”
Thede came to BVU as a linebacker, but switched to defensive line to help the team. He came to enjoy the position and stayed there.
“Being on the team wasn’t all about playing time on Saturday,” says Thede. “I’m the lightest defensive lineman by 30 pounds. I understand that. So, I viewed my role as that of practice player, a guy who worked hard to make the starting offensive line that much better. I loved going to practice.”
Perhaps no Beaver was more fired up than Thede after the team defeated Luther College on Senior Day in the home finale. Thede played on parts of three possessions before the final gun in a 60-40 victory. He then took his place in the front row on the track and raised his arms after singing the Alma Mater to the home crowd.
Thede smiles while sharing a memory that will always stay with him, concluding, “There’s no better feeling than singing the Alma Mater after a win.”
