歪歪漫画

MOORHEAD -- A playbook, a whiteboard and three weeks to prepare. That鈥檚 all Ryan Bieberdorf needed.

鈥淚 got a whiteboard in my dorm room and drew up plays just so I could remember the playbook,鈥� he explained.

That鈥檚 how Bieberdorf, a 2019 Bemidji High 歪歪漫画 graduate, spent about an hour each day during the Minnesota State Moorhead football team鈥檚 fall camp. On the advice of the program鈥檚 upperclassmen, Bieberdorf memorized the playbook by writing it out.

Over and over and over again.

鈥淲hen practice time came, I could do the plays faster. And that caught coaches鈥� eyes,鈥� Bieberdorf said. 鈥淪o I was able to get some playing time this season, which was awesome.鈥�

Playing time wasn't a guarantee, though. Through his recruiting process and coming into the 2019 season, MSUM coaches bluntly told Bieberdorf that they weren鈥檛 quite sure how he would figure into the offense. So the freshman wide receiver helped make the decision easier on them.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e definitely just got to put in the time if you want to get out there,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 grew more as a football player, I believe, knowing more things. Instead of just basic concepts, I knew details. I became better that way.鈥�

And it worked, too. Bieberdorf finished the season as the Dragons鈥� second-leading receiver with 44 catches for 451 yards and two touchdowns. And yet, was he satisfied with the team鈥檚 6-5 record?

鈥淣ot at all,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e dropped a bunch of close games. We should鈥檝e beat Bemidji (State). That would have been nice. 鈥� We could have won a couple others that we just felt like we dropped.鈥�

Three of Minnesota State Moorhead鈥檚 losses were by a single possession, two of which came with a chance for a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter. That鈥檚 been a driving force heading into year two.

鈥淚 just want to be better than last year personally,鈥� Bieberdorf said. 鈥淚 want to be able to see things and be a better receiver than I was a year before. I think that鈥檚 everyone鈥檚 mindset here: Get better every day, and don鈥檛 get complacent. If we do that, as a team, we鈥檙e going to be better.鈥�

In 2020, Bieberdorf said the goal is to help the team to another postseason appearance. The Dragons earned a bid to the Mineral Water Bowl in 2018, the program鈥檚 first postseason game since 1994 and the first in its Division II era, but the ensuing 51-16 loss to Missouri S&T wasn't a satisfying end to the season.

Bieberdorf still wants his first taste of postseason football, too, and he鈥檚 determined to seize the opportunity.

鈥淢y mindset coming in was, 鈥榃hatever they need me to do, whatever gets me on the field, I鈥檓 happy to do,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淭he big thing for me is just that I want to play.鈥�

Bieberdorf wrapped up the academic year last week, which came shortly after his head coach, Steve Laqua, named him the football team鈥檚 nominee for MSUM鈥檚 Male Newcomer of the Year award. The honor eventually went to Shyrone Kemp, a sophomore transfer on the men鈥檚 track and field team, but Bieberdorf was still humbled by the recognition.

鈥淕etting recognized for my hard work really meant a lot,鈥� he said. 鈥淓specially because my head coach and all the other coaches saw that I was putting in the work. It was just a good feeling to know that they saw that.鈥�