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| Jaran Roste's lineup status has been the source of much debate as he battles injuries and illness, but when he's been able to play the whole game, his Bethel Royals have been undefeated this season. Photo by Wade Gardner, d3photography.com |
By Joe Sager
D3sports.com
It was almost a worst-case scenario for Jaran Roste.
The Bethel standout sixth-year quarterback wasn’t sure whether he’d return to the field for his final year of eligibility. He’s glad he did, though. So are the Royals as he’s guided them to a 10-2 mark and a berth in the national quarterfinals.
However, Roste’s season – and career – nearly came to an end four plays into the team’s first game.
“After last year’s loss to Central (in the first round), I took some time to think about what I wanted to do,” he said. “Looking back to the success of our 2018 team and seeing what we were capable of and seeing the similarities, it fueled my desire to come back. And, if for some reason I got hurt, would I be comfortable sticking through the season and supporting the team? The answer was yes.”
It nearly happened as he dislocated his left (non-throwing) elbow mere minutes into the season opener against Pacific Lutheran.
“I just tried to keep myself up after I bounced off a hit,” he said. “I just remember lying there looking at my elbow and it didn’t look right. Walking off, I asked our trainer if that was it for my season and he said, ‘We’ll see.’ Fortunately, it wasn’t too bad. I was able to come back for our third game. It was very nerve-wracking in the moment, but everything tuned out to be OK.”
Without Roste in Week 2, Bethel dropped a 10-7 decision to UW-Platteville. However, he returned to help lead the Royals to a 28-24 triumph over then-No. 2 St. John’s.
“Sometimes, fake humility is sickening. The real stuff is powerful. Jaran is the real deal.”– Bethel coach Steve Johnson |
More adversity hit Roste when he sprained the AC joint in his left shoulder against Augsburg on Nov. 5. Since then, he’s played through the injury. Though the Royals dropped a 28-10 rematch with St. John’s for the MIAC title, they’ve toppled Wheaton (34-32) and Linfield (30-13) to set up a showdown at Mary Hardin-Baylor (11-1).
“It’s exciting,” Roste said. “We are really looking forward to it.”
Roste, who transferred to Bethel from the University of Minnesota in 2018, is feeling better, too.
“My shoulder has gotten a lot better and I am close to being full-go,” he said. “The last couple games, the coaches were being cautious about protecting me and running me. The running backs have done a good job taking that load with some of those carries. The wide receivers have been great to allow for some quick throws. I think I have been sacked once in the last two weeks. The front has been really great protecting me. The whole offense has been clicking here recently.”
A healthy Roste is a key to a Bethel offense that produces 33.75 points per game. He has thrown for 2,373 yards and 20 touchdowns and run for 454 yards and five scores.
“He was really sick on top of healing up that shoulder and this is the first time I think he’s feeling close to 100 percent,” Bethel coach Steve Johnson said. “He is good and he’s confident and he’s patient. I think that’s a huge part of his success. Our expectations are high and we’re good. We get impatient without him, though. I think he gives us patience and he gives people – and coaches – around him confidence.”
The Royals are thankful to have him leading the way.
“Jaran is a stud, simple as that. He’s a tough dude who battles and plays through injuries, but he’s also got a great mind for the game, picking up on defenses and finding holes and basically gives all the guys chances to go make big plays,” Bethel wide receiver Joey Kidder said. “He’s also just smart with the ball and goes and makes plays for himself. On his own designed runs and scrambles, he just makes big plays after big plays. So, I think everyone on the offensive side definitely has some confidence when he’s back there and we always expect to see him make big plays, which he does. He leads the offense very well and even teaches the game to us and leads us all to successful spots to make plays and help the team.”
Roste’s leadership isn’t limited to the field, though. He takes as much pride in his teaching job within Bethel’s BUILD program, which provides a supportive and comprehensive educational experience for students with intellectual disabilities.
“When I was an undergrad, I had a job as a housing mentor. It turned into a full-time job and it’s truly a blessing,” he said. “People tell me I give so much to the students, but they give so much to me. Just the amount of joy they have to just live – I try to emulate that. Life is a gift and we really need to enjoy it.”
Roste works as a full-time internship supervisor in the program.
“I help find internships for students and teach two classes,” he said. “I love working in special education. Being in the classroom and teaching is something I really have a passion for. I am learning every day right there with the students. A lot of people find it’s a one-way relationship. It is a two-way road for me. You can learn a lot from students. It’s been a joy, so far.”
Roste has made a lasting impression for many of his students.
“The kids in the program stinking love him; he loves them first, though,” Johnson said. “Some of the other kids on the team work in the program, too, thanks in part to Jaran and him telling the other players how great it is. It’s a pretty unique thing I haven’t seen in 33 years of coaching.”
Johnson admires Roste’s ability to fit in with any crowd.
“He walks into my office and grabs coffee like he’s the AD,” he said with a laugh. “He gets along with 60-year-olds and 15-year-olds. He is just a happy guy. He’s into soccer, too. The other day, the soccer team had the U.S. World Cup game on in football film room. There’s Jaran right there with them and he is the most vocal of the bunch.
“Sometimes, fake humility is sickening. The real stuff is powerful. Jaran is the real deal.”
Roste and the Royals look to keep their season going when they fly to Texas to take on the defending national champs.
“They are here for a reason and we’re here for a reason,” Roste said. “We’re expecting a fantastic game against a great opponent.”
“We are very excited for this,” Kidder added. “I love playing great competition and, especially them coming off a perfect season last year, it just really gets me pumped up, personally. I’m sure they’ll draw a great crowd and it’s always exciting to play in a huge game. So, I’m extremely excited for it. They’ve got some great players and some dudes who can play great ball, but I also think we have some dudes on this team that are great and know how to make big plays in big games, so it’ll be a blast.
“And, it’s just another amazing opportunity to play with this Bethel team again. We’re always trying to soak it all up these extra weeks,” he continued. “We just want to keep this thing rolling.”