Western Illinois tight end/long snaper Nathan Karsjens (47) played SlamBall following the end of his collegiate football career. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
By Dan Verdun
It began with one of those e-mails that often gets overlooked, skipped over or just plain ignored. It wound up leading to a unique opportunity for a former Western Illinois football player.
“I got an email from one of the SlamBall folks just looking to recruit players,” Myers Hendrickson said.
The second-year WIU head coach was familiar with the hybrid sport, having followed it as a fan in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Inspired by video games, SlamBall originated from the mind of Mason Gordon who first drew up his concept on a napkin.
His creation combined elements from basketball, football, hockey and gymnastics. SlamBall’s playing surface is a mix of a basketball arena and hockey rink. It features four trampolines in front of each net and boards around the court’s edge.
It is very much a contact sport featuring blocks, collisions and rough physical action.
Hendrickson’s thoughts turned to Nathan Karsjens, a former WIU tight end who remained on campus working on a master’s degree.
“I saw Nate that day and we had a conversation in the locker room,” Hendrickson said. “I’m always trying to help out our former players where we can.”
Hendrickson saw Karsjens as a prime candidate for SlamBall.
“He’s got a great basketball frame. He really fills up the door frame when he walks in my office,” Hendrickson said. “They need big, long athletic bodies and Nate is certainly that. He’s a great person, super high GPA. A great representative of Leatherneck football.”
The right fit
With dreams of playing football at the professional level still coursing through him, the 6-foot-6, 253-pound Karsjens continued to work out while pursuing his advanced academic degree.
Hendrickson spotted Karsjens shooting basketballs one day last summer and followed up with his former player.
“He knew that I hadn’t been making headway with football, so he thought that this might be a good way to get my name out there while still being active,” Karsjens said. “I really appreciate him talking to me about it and wanting what’s best for me.
Karsjens not only was a fit for SlamBall, he quickly became an impact player as a “stopper” for his team, which is nicknamed “Slashers” in the eight-team league.
The Ackley, Iowa native described his position as “pretty much like the goalie in hockey. I protect the rim from the offensive guys flying at me trying to dunk.”
How exactly is this done?
“I use the bottom bed or trampoline as my base of operations,” Karsjens explained. “When on defense, I will likely always be in the bottom bed or behind the hoop waiting for the right moment to defend.
“Then, on offense, I would leak up the court and set screens and shoot four-pointers.”
His athletic background paid dividends in his new sport.
“Hand-fighting with defensive linemen and defensive backs was a huge help for me in SlamBall,” Karsjens said. “Knowing where and when to put my hands on the other guy when in the air gives you an edge.
“A huge part is also a willingness to do what’s needed to be successful. Everyone was new to SlamBall, but it was going to be the guys who learned the fastest that would get the edge. I feel that I was always looking for or willing to do the stuff that was needed out of me when I was playing football.”
A prime example was Karsjens’ willingness to become a long snapper in his final season as a Leatherneck.
Stopping as a stopper
A SlamBall season, or “series” as the sport calls it, consists of a four-week regular season followed by playoffs.
“We played in Las Vegas at UNLV. They built a state-of-the-art arena in the Cox Pavilion for us to play,” Karsjens said. “We got per diem for food, transportation and housing as well as a weekly salary.”
Karsjens said that a good stopper has to have “fearlessness, size and body control.”
These traits are found in the former high school star who earned four varsity letters in football and basketball to go along with three more in track and one in baseball.
“You need to be able to not care that you are colliding with people 15-20 feet in the air and have the physicality to control yourself to land either on your feet or land so that you are ready for the next attack,” Karsjens said. “A big part of it as well is the ability to read the offensive guys and see what they are trying to do.
“Being physical at the rim, just like in normal basketball, discourages the offense to try to keep attacking as well.”
Standout stoppers also have the ability to get involved in the offense. Karsjens excelled, leading the league in made four-pointers.
Future plans
The 25-year-old Karsjens still remains a part of Western Illinois football.
“I’m still around the team a good amount due to me still being in grad school and working out in the weight room with most of the guys I played with the last couple of years,” he said. “Outside of those guys, I know a lot of my former coaches and teammates are just a call or text away if I ever need to talk to them. A lot of the bonds that I made are for life, especially as a Leatherneck.”
Karsjens also regularly attends WIU home games, urging on his old team and friends. That delights his former head coach.
“I’m excited for his future. I think it (SlamBall) is going to really open up some doors for him,” Hendrickson said.
Karsjens plans on returning to SlamBall again next summer. He continues to train with hopes of playing professional football on some level.
“I still have a year left of grad school,” he said. “My degree is in sports management, and I want to be a coach and athletic director after I’m done playing professional sports.”
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
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