Payton Jordahl, a 6-3, 210-pound long snapper from Perham (MN) High, has decided to become a Minnesota Golden Gopher as a preferred walk-on. He made an official visit to Minnesota last weekend.
Gopher Hole caught up with Jordahl to learn the latest on his decision. Commitment
Gopher Hole: When did you make the decision that you were going to become a Gopher?
Payton Jordahl: It came down to three great schools and three great coaching staffs that I had really grown to like. It was the University of South Dakota, University of North Dakota and of course, the Gophers. This weekend, I had taken a visit to the University of North Dakota. It was my last recruiting visit. I had told myself, “Payton after this, you are going to be able to make a decision.” I had about a two-hour car ride with the family this afternoon. It was quite the two-hour car ride, driving in white-out conditions. I was thanking God when we got home for that one, for sure. I sat down and thought, “All right, you took three visits. You got a top three. You’ve got to choose a school.” I knew right ahead, thinking it through, that the Gophers were the best opportunity for me to excel, get a degree and also to excel on the football field. So, I decided earlier on the way home and I let everyone know. I have been grateful to build great relationships with all the coaching staffs that I have been on touch with. I want to thank all of them for everything, but I have fallen in love with the Gophers and I am really happy to be where I am right now.
Gopher Hole: Did North Dakota end up offering you anything?
Payton Jordahl: Yes. They offered me a scholarship this morning when I had a meeting.
Gopher Hole: Was it hard to turn down money to go to college to where to be honest, you are going to have to pay your own way? How hard was that?
Payton Jordahl: It was something in the early stages of my recruiting process that was my main goal. I wanted to get a scholarship to start off with right away and I realized that money is a determinant to a lot of things that you do with your life and I had to sit back and make a mature decision and think that I might have to pay for a year of school or something until I get on the team and start contributing, but I am not going to let money hold me back from going to the school that I truly love. Once I decided that, I was very confident with making that decision on the car ride home today.
Gopher Hole: When we talked before, you had said that South Dakota had offered you a partial scholarship. Was it a partial at North Dakota, too?
Payton Jordahl: University of North Dakota was a half, a partial ride. It is unfortunate, because I really, really liked the new staff and coach Bubba Schweigert and the staff that he has put together. They are a great group of guys . I know that they are going to do good things at the University of North Dakota. It just had to come down to where I truly wanted to go and that ended up being the Gophers.
Gopher Hole: Have you contacted the two schools and was it tough to let that know that you were not going there?
Payton Jordahl: Definitely. Definitely, it was tough. I like to be a people pleaser. I don’t like to disappoint others. It was tough. Most of the coaches from the other schools I had grown a really good relationship with. Actually, one of the coaches, his name is Shawn Kostich and he is the special teams coordinator now at the University of North Dakota. He was a grad assistant the past two years with the Gophers. He was one of the people that was actively recruiting me and I had a really good relationship with him when he was a Gophers coach. He is a great guy. A class act. He and that staff are going to do something special. I have all the respect for him and his collages. Him going to UND kind of threw a whirlwind in the process for me, but I had to let each school know that I wasn’t going to be attending there and it was tough for me because I like being a kind person, but at some point, coaches understand that this is a business. It is a good turnaround for everyone and I am just happy to have made my decision today and be done with all the paying my dues, I guess I would say.
Gopher Hole: When did you contact the Gophers to let them know that you were coming?
Payton Jordahl: I called Coach Kill a few hours ago. I said that when we were getting close to home on the car ride, I would give coach Kill a call. I told him that I was going to commit. That was a fun phone call. I love Coach Kill. He is a great guy. I always have a good conversation with him. I called coach Jay Nunez, too and let him know because Coach Jay Nunez had been one of the coaches that I had a really good relationship with throughout the recruiting process.
Gopher Hole: What was their reaction when you made the announcement?
Payton Jordahl: They were really excited for me. I’ve grown to be really close to both of those coaches, so it was a good heart-warming experience to be able to let them know that I am going to be with them for the next few years.
Gopher Hole: I know that you just made the announcements a couple of hours ago, but do you feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders already?
Payton Jordahl: Yes, for sure. The recruiting process is something that is very unique and something that not very many high school athletes get to be a part of. I am very happy to have gone through that process and it has been a very great and fun for me, but it comes to a point and I am sitting here and I am pretty happy to be committed to a school and to not have to worry about traveling every weekend. Coming down to signing day, I think that it will be even more of a sigh of relief for me. I am really happy to be settled in and know where my future is going to start.
Gopher Hole: We had talked before about the long snapper, Jake Filkins, being a senior. Have they talked to you more about what role you might have this upcoming year?
Payton Jordahl: Most of the coaches over there have told me that if I work hard and if I put my work in and do a good job, I can make an impact at the long snapping position coming into fall camp. That is really exciting to know that if I put the proper work into it and stay humble, I can find myself maybe being a starting long snapper for a Big Ten school. Not only a Big Ten school, but the Gophers. It is really exciting.