For four years, the Dordt football program has been shaped in part by senior quarterback Kolson Kruse. His story began in the small town of Gowrie, Iowa—a community of about 900 people and home to Southeast Valley High School. It was there he helped deliver the school's first-ever state championship, guiding the Jaguars to the UNI-Dome and a title that electrified the entire district.
"That was so much fun," Kruse recalls. "We'd never been to the Dome. The whole community rallied around us. It was a blast."

College football wasn't always the plan. A self-described late bloomer in the recruiting process, Kruse originally thought basketball might be his next step. But after his senior football season, opportunities opened, and when Dordt entered the picture, something felt different.

"Other schools recruited me mainly as a football player," he said. "Dordt recruited me as a person. They wanted to invest in helping me grow as a man. That connection with the coaches was unmatched."

Kruse learned quickly that the leap from high school to the GPAC happens at full speed.

"In high school I could drop back, look around, and just throw to whoever was open," he said. "In college, nobody looks open. You have to throw on anticipation, before they come out of a break. Everything moves faster."

Add in a complex playbook, new relationships, and the weight of expectations, and his freshman year became a crash course in patience and persistence. But those early challenges helped shape the quarterback he became.

Kruse's Dordt career took a turn this season—not because of yards thrown or touchdowns scored, but because of how he handled the news that he would not be the starting quarterback.

After a position battle in spring drills, sophomore Noah Strickfaden emerged as the starter. For a two-year starter like Kruse, the moment could have triggered frustration or disengagement. Instead, it sparked maturity.

"It's been an adjustment," Kruse admitted. "But I've grown a lot. It would be easy to just be the starter again and never really learn anything new. This year humbled me—and helped me grow."

Kruse leaned into the role: serving the starter, supporting the offense, and using his experience to elevate the entire quarterback room. Between every drive he talked with Strickfaden about coverages and what he saw on the field. He became an encourager, a second set of eyes, a steady voice.

And he stayed ready.

When his number was called, Kruse started multiple games and delivered poised, confident performances.

"I felt blessed," he said. "I didn't know what my future would look like at quarterback, so when I got those opportunities, I wanted to give everything I had. The team supported me, and I was just excited."

While football was central to his experience at Dordt, academics and calling found their place too. Kruse entered college thinking business or finance might be his path. But he soon felt drawn elsewhere.

"I love sports, but I also want to have an impact on young people," he said. "PE and coaching is the perfect overlap of the two."

Kruse will graduate in December and begin working as a physical education teacher at Unity Christian in January.

When asked how he's changed from freshman to senior, Kruse didn't hesitate.

"As a freshman, you want to prove yourself. You want people to see what you can do. But that comes from insecurity. I've learned it's not all about me. My teammates and coaches love me either way.
The relationships matter more than what happens on the field."

It's a truth that has shaped him—and one that he hopes to carry forward.

If someone unfamiliar with Dordt football asked him to describe it, Kruse would keep it simple:

"It's led by faith. Football isn't the top priority—becoming better men, husbands, fathers is. That's what makes this program special."