Nick Umble served 20 years in the army and 14 of them as a Green Beret. He was the leader of the First Special Forces Group, an airborne unit specializing in hostage rescues, and he has served in thirty countries. (David Wilhelm, Miami Herald)
Raised in Newton, Iowa, Nick attended Mediapolis High School. A teenager with admittedly poor work ethic, Nick was a backup offensive and defensive lineman for the football team.
Near the end of Nick’s military service, his high school coach, realizing the transformation in both work ethic and maturity, made Nick reconsider football. Nick knew he couldn’t play a high contact position—his body was just too worn down, so he turned to long-snapping.
Nick worked tirelessly with long-snapper coaches, and the hard work paid off. In 2016 at age 38, Nick Umble received a text from the head coach of Lindenwood-Bellevile football. Umble was thrilled by the news and the prospect of college football:
“I did everything I could in the military. I was the best leader I could be. Now it’s time to move on to the next chapter. I have the opportunity in front of me of a lifetime.” (David Wilhelm, Miami Herald)
Lynx head coach, Dale Carlson, was not just interested in Umble’s leadership experience, he was interested in the whole package:
“When it comes down to it, Nick can long-snap. Then you add in the leadership, the life experiences, those things, and I think it could be a great situation.” (David Wilhelm, Miami Herald)
Unfortunately, after the 2016-2017 season, Nick tore his rotator cuff and had to stop playing for the Lynx. He transferred to Ashford University to pursue a degree in Business. While his time playing college football was short, in a facebook post, Nick maintains that the experience was invaluable:
“I want to thank all the people that made my year of college football happen and especially the Lindenwood Lynx football team for making my transition out of the Army a smooth one. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys to play a year of ball with.”
