From freshman B team player to now future defensive end for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugolds, David Hathaway, senior, is ready to take on just about anything.

Hathaway, only a four-year football player, decided to give it a try his freshman year, not sure of what the outcome would be.

“I honestly never thought I would have the shot to play at the next level, or even start, as most people start playing in fifth grade,” Hathaway said.

What Hathaway is alluding to is the Mequon-Thiensville Cardinal football program, a football league available to community kids in fifth through eighth grades.  On this past year’s Homestead roster, 20 of the 24 seniors had played football since fifth grade, and Hathaway and the four other student-athletes were fresh faces to an already weathered group.

Hathaway was a freshman B team defensive lineman in his first year at Homestead, transitioned to a starting role on the junior varsity team as a sophomore, broke the defensive line rotation his junior year for varsity and blossomed into a starting defensive end his senior year.

Hathaway filled out the rest of Homestead’s stingy defensive line this year. He joined the rest of the starting defensive line, Gage Zupke and David Pfaff, seniors, and Josh Mueller, junior, as each of them have received offers to play at the next level.

Zupke, a future defensive end for University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, has worked alongside Hathaway all four years at Homestead.

“He deserves it [the opportunity to play at the next level.] He is one of the hardest workers I know and he will succeed because of it. I can remember a conditioning practice with Coach Brawner, and David turned to me and said ‘Hey Gage, I don’t feel so good,’ to which I responded ‘what’s up?’ He proceeded to throw up and continue running sprints like it was nothing. That man is going places. D-line all the way!” Zupke said.

Coach Tom Fugate, defensive line coach, also had the opportunity to coach Hathaway over the course of his tenure at Homestead.  Coach Fugate has seen multiple defensive linemen of his go on to play in college and even some in the pros, such as Ben Gardner and Shelby Harris who are on the Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders, respectively.

“David was a wonderful student-athlete with his participation in the classroom and commitment to athletics.  When David was not involved with a sport, he could be found each day after school in the weight room or engaged in speed and agility workouts.  Through the various conditioning exercises, David was able to contribute to the team not only on defense, but also special teams.  David’s ability to quickly comprehend the scheme being implemented, allowed him to play all-out, without the need to think of what he was doing,” Coach Fugate said.

However, similar to Cameron Marotta, senior, Hathaway spent time teeter-tottering on what sport to choose to continue.

That was the toughest decision Hathaway had to make: football or hockey?

Hathaway tended the goal for the Homestead hockey team this past season, tallying a .894 save rate, good for fourth in the conference and seventy-seventh place in the state of Wisconsin.

“David is a great kid. He is dedicated to his team. He brought a good sense of humor and a solid game mentality. I would call him a quiet leader, but more than that he is just a great guy and a nice person to be around….Someone the girls would want to bring home to mom,” Coach Anthony Navarre, head hockey coach, said.

A sport he has loved since he was a kid or a sport he just picked up four years ago?

In the end, some things just seemed to unfold in front of him right before his eyes.

Or maybe it was that all important word “student” that precedes the word “athlete” that made the decision click for Hathaway.

“The fact that you are guaranteed the chance to play in college and receive an education at the same time was a big factor for me since, for hockey, you need to take off a few years of schooling which might make you lose motivation to continue, and you still might not get the chance to play,” Hathaway said.

Hathaway will sure be put to good use up in Eau Claire as defensive coordinator, Samuel Cummings, believes the sky is the limit for Hathaway.

“We thought that one of David’s greatest assets were his long levers and ability to play in the run game at defensive end.  We feel that he has a ton of upside and that his best football is ahead of him,” Coach Cummings said.

For a man with the ability to learn and execute on the fly, Hathaway is setting himself up for what could be a remarkable next four years.