Jensen, Players Ready for Homecoming Game
Marcus Zwiebel
Manchester University’s football team is currently preparing for the Homecoming game against former Heartland Conference rival Earlham College Saturday, Sept. 29. The team—over half of which is composed of first-years—currently boasts a 3-2 record, following a win against Rose-Hulman last week.
Nate Jensen, Manchester’s head football coach since 2015, explains that the young group shows extreme dedication in their schedules and has a daily lineup of events that start in the early morning, include each player’s classes, and last well into the evening. Jensen also notes a “progression in quality,” which has developed throughout the season and weeks leading up to the Homecoming game.
The team is also known for having extreme dedication to one another, despite their innumerable differences. “I enjoy most their personalities, different perspectives, and backgrounds,” Jensen says. “Some are big and energetic, some are quiet, and it’s very unique to see their interactions.”
The team’s positive attitude is also known by staff and faculty beyond the football team. Mark Adkins, Sports Information director at Manchester, states that he is delighted by what he calls the team’s “intense passion and drive.”
The Homecoming football game on Saturday will also feature Manchester University’s 1968 football team—the first Manchester team to win a Conference championship—as well as induct the 1968 coach into the Manchester University Athletic Hall of Fame. The Conference champions will also attend a practice, meet with this year’s team, and explore campus before the Homecoming game.
Coach Jensen is looking forward to the yearly event. “Homecoming at Manchester is really special,” Jensen says. “It is an event that helps me continue to discuss and learn more and more about the history of Manchester.”