“We made it.”
Those were the three words Minnesota linebacker Bailey Schoenfelder told his family on the phone late Thursday night to let them know he was put on scholarship and that the days of being a walk-on were over.
The Huron native who excels on all four special teams for Minnesota was surprised with a scholarship when two Navy Seals parachuted onto the field at TCF Bank Stadium and delivered a letter to Gopher football coach P.J. Fleck.

Fleck then called up tight end Ko Kieft — Schoenfelder’s best friend — to open the letter and deliver the scholarship news.
An on-field party with teammates soon followed before Fleck told the team about Schoenfelder’s military aspirations out of high school. The redshirt sophomore tried to enlist, but was turned away due to a minor hearing issue that was a result of working with machinery and around other loud noises growing up in Huron, which is about a 13,000-person town five hours west of the Twin Cities.
After the surprise, the team returned to practice and Schoenfelder quickly reverted back the hard-working linebacker and elite special teams player that he is.
After all, he made it, but there was still work to be done.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ATHLETICS