By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Harmony High offensive guard Carson Sherrod said the temperature on his mid-January recruiting visit to Minot State University in North Dakota was minus 5 degrees when he arrived.

“It was minus 30 with the wind chill,” he said.

Yet, the self-described “Florida boy” has elected to play football at Minot State and signed a grant to the NAIA university on National Signing Day.

“I got the full brunt of what it was like,” Sherrod, 6-4, 310, said.

Sherrod said a family-style atmosphere among the team, and the opportunity to play at a four-year program, overcame whatever trepidation he had about playing football on ice.

“They run like a pro-style offense, and a little spread. It’s about a 50-50 mix,” he said. “The thing I’ll have to work on is pass protection. We didn’t really throw that much here, so it’s something I’ll have to work on.”

The Beavers were 7-3 in the Dakota Athletic Conference under Coach Paul Rudolph last season and finished with a six-game winning streak.

One Minot State alum was a cult sensation for the 1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Quarterback Randy “Why Not Minot?” Hedberg.

Hedberg challenged for the starting position in the preseason before former FSU quarterback Gary Huff eventually took over. He is now the offensive coordinator at Southern Illinois.

Rick Hedberg, Randy’s younger brother, is the Beavers athletic director.

Sherrod considered offers from several other programs, including Florida International, before deciding on Minot State.

“I talked with my parents (Debbie and Chris Sherrod) about it, but it was mostly me who made the decision,” he said. “I guess it wasn’t terrible, or I would have heard about it.”

Sherrod plans to study physical education and minor in coaching.

With his size, Sherrod might also find himself in a NFL tryout camp one day, as well.

“I really haven’t thought about it that much,” he said. “Right now I’m concentrating on my studies, and getting ready for college.”