Veterans Day Has Special Meaning for Lumberjack Football Player

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Watching college football on television two years ago, Aaron Schoenecker got an itch. He wanted to play football again despite being seven years removed from his last competitive down in high school. He gave it a shot and called the coach at his junior college, walking on as a tight end. A year later, he is playing football for Northern Arizona on special teams while providing depth on both sides of the ball.

“After high school I never really thought I would play football again,” said Schoencker, who has seen action in five games this season.

The reason football was not on his mind was that he enlisted in the Navy after high school, serving four years that included three deployments to the Arabian Gulf.

“I wanted to go into the military growing up and 9/11 cemented it for me,” said Schoenecker recalling the 2001 event that occurred during his senior year of high school at Woodinville (Wash.) High School.

Schoenecker originally signed up for the SEAL challenge before an injury forced him to drop from the training program. He served as an information technician in charge of ship and satellite communication in support of marine missions. He had three deployments on the USS Boxer (LHD 4) that transported 2,000 marines from 2003-07.

Lining up against Ole Miss last Saturday was easy compared to serving in the Gulf.

“It has hard to get used to at first,” said Schoenecker, who finished his duty as a second class petty officer. “We had 1,100 sailors on our ship with 75 people in our barracks stacked three high. I got lost a lot at first but it became a second home. You get to know everybody on the ship.”

With a sports background, the transition to military life was second nature.

“I have always done sports,” said Schoenecker. “Getting into the military was not much of a change with the team dynamics. Everything is based around the team effort and you are not an individual. You have to do what is best for everybody else and account for everybody. The military helped me grow in my management skills, dealing with people and different walks of life.”

Schoencker, 25, says his travels and experiences were the most memorable part of his time in the military including a month in India that included extended stays in Mumbai and Goa for training after his last deployment.

“It was good for me,” said Schoencker. “If I went to school after high school I would not have had the grades that I do now.”

Majoring in business marketing with a 3.6 GPA, Schoenecker, who was a Pacific Coast Conference Student-Athlete Honor Roll recipient at San Diego Mesa, was recruited to NAU by assistant coach Eric Reid, whose brother served as Schoenecker’s offensive line coach. He helped the team to the Mountain Conference title and had 13 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown in 2008.

He started the season at NAU as a tight end and has seen time on the defensive line and special teams in 2009. With injuries at tight end and on the defensive line, he has served a valuable role for the team this season, providing depth wherever it is needed game-to-game.

“It changes every day,” said Schoenecker of his position. “It really depends on if there is an injury or what happens with who is playing. They switch me back and forth.”

Today, Schoenecker is still a newcomer to NAU and college football. But he has veteran status with the people of the United States for his service.

“People call me a veteran and it kind of feels weird,” said Schoenecker. “When I think of a veteran, I think of my grandfather and my uncle. But it is nice of people recognizing the service and coming up and saying thank you.”

On Veterans Day, we also say thank you.


Aaron Schoenecker (right) is receiving his ESWS (Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist) Pin.