Nelson Wendell remembers all too well. Not the glory of triumph, but the consequences of failure. Then a sophomore defensive back for Geneva in 2024, Wendell received the call-up to the varsity squad in time for a Week 9 showdown against St. Charles North. Wendell still nails the details two years later.
The Vikings led, 14-7, in the third quarter, before Wendell got beat on a post route for a long touchdown on third down, starting a rally for the North Stars that gave Geneva its only loss of the regular season.
Wendell grimaces at his “welcome to varsity moment.”
Geneva coach Boone Thorgesen recalls the memory as well, but he doesn’t forget the postscript, the events Wendell was too modest to include: an interception in the second round of the state playoffs, a forced fumble and recovery the next week, and another pick in the semifinals to help Geneva reach the title game.
“That’s a testament to him of understanding that it is hard to be a sophomore on varsity,” Thorgesen said. “But you can’t hang your head. Just get back and get better.”
Wendell, also Geneva’s running back, now eyes another redemption tour for his final high school season after a foot injury wiped out most of his junior year. Not just to get Geneva back on track after a losing season, but prove his skills can be elite. The goals go hand in hand.
“Let’s play some good football and play good team football with my teammates,” Wendell said.
The injury, a broken navicular bone in his right foot suffered in Week 4 of last season, was Wendell’s first major ailment. He had surgery in October and spent the next five months rehabbing: progressing from scooter to crutches to walking boot. The running back watched from the bench as Geneva lost a trio of one-score games to finish 4-5 on the season, a year after reaching the Class 6A title game.
“It was definitely a different perspective for sure,” Wendell said. “I got to see how people felt on the sideline without playing, which was definitely a good lesson for me.”
Through four games that season, Wendell took 46 carries for 189 yards, ranking second on the team behind quarterback Ben Peterson, who also returns for his senior season.
Wendell, a three-sport athlete alongside basketball and baseball, returned to action on the diamond, collecting four hits in one of his first games back. Thorgesen lauded Wendell for going “old school” rather than specializing in one sport early, and said Wendell’s multi-sport endeavors are a model for younger players to follow.
Wendell couldn’t imagine not playing any of the three. The son of two collegiate athletes at Augustana, Wendell is too competitive to sit out a season.
“I’ve loved every sport equally as much through every season, so I feel like I couldn’t give it up,” he said.
Such versatility extends to the gridiron, where Thorgesen plans to use Wendell on both sides of the ball this season. The coach noted an increase in Wendell’s explosiveness after a summer spent gaining strength in the weight room. Thorgesen’s best descriptor for Wendell is “football player,” both in ability and character.
“He brings toughness and effort, and that’s the game of football,” Thorgesen said. “He’s going to give you everything you got. We just love and respect the heck out of everything he does.”
Wendell’s future remains open. He visited Augustana, Taylor University, and St. Ambrose, but is also considering collegiate baseball, not to mention an accounting major. But with a Week 1 showdown against Libertyville looming on August 21, Wendell’s vision operates one game, one season, at a time.
“I’m really excited for this season,” Wendell said. “We have a really good group with us. We have a lot of talent and I think we can do a lot of special things this year.”