Football's Steve Groth comes back from long layoff

September 29, 2002
By GENE McGIVERN
St. Thomas SID

Some guys take a season off. Brigham Young University gridders even leave for a few seasons while doing missionary work.

Then there's St. Thomas cornerback Steve Groth. He took five seasons off.

Groth, a junior academically, last played football in 1996 as a starter on the Rosemount ninth-grade football team. Six years later, he's back on the football field, and get this -- he's starting at cornerback for the Tommies.

For the young players watching, don't try this at home. A select few college football players can sit out of high-school football and ever make it near the top of a college depth chart.

Groth, who switched to basketball in high school, is surviving on pure athleticism and toughness as he tries to re-learn the fundamentals.

"It's been a lot of learning for me," Groth said. "All the footwork and mental part. It's like learning a new language. I'm taking Spanish for the first time and it's a lot like what I'm dealing with in football."

"Steve's a very good athlete, and the more he learns, he'll do fine,'' said UST recruiting coordinator Tom Flood. "He's very physical and aggressive, and has the quickness and speed. We brought in a lot of good freshmen cornerbacks but Steve is ahead of them simply because he's more mature. He expects more of himself. He doesn't accept that he'll make mistakes and it's OK."

Because of his school district boundary, Groth left Rosemount to attend Eastview High when it opened in the fall of 1997. He was playing first-team cornerback as a sophomore, but after one week of fall camp he walked away.

"It's hard to explain, but it was a new school, and I just didn't feel like I fit," Groth said. "I didn't try to open enroll and stay at Rosemount. I didn't know many of the guys. We didn't have a senior class to help, and it ended up being a pretty ugly football season."

Groth switched to basketball and moved into the Eastview starting lineup early in his sophomore season. He played with the St. Thomas men's basketball junior-varsity team in 2000-2001, but didn't see a bright future.

Groth spent a lot of time last school year in the weight room, and admits, "I missed playing on a varsity team."

On recruiting trips both to Eastview and Rosemount, people asked Flood about Groth and suggested that he talk to him. The coach did, and finally convinced Groth to try football, layoff and all. He's been a pleasant surprise all fall.

Groth held his own Sept. 7 in the Tommies' 35-31 loss to St. Norbert. Then in the Sept. 14 conference battle with Bethel, he had an interception, six tackles and two break-ups, including one in the end zone.

Groth has received a lot of support from family, friends and teammates.

"My parents, my brother and my best friend all came out to watch last weekend," Groth said. "I'm especially happy for my dad. I think he was disappointed when I quit football."

Dads know you only get one chance at most things in your youth. Steve Groth is determined that his second shot at football will be his best shot.