Bridgeport Tusler finds his freedom in multiple sports
Bethel University sophomore finds Division III can offer him more than Division I.
By Megan Nickel | Royal Report
From the moment Bethel University sophomore Bridgeport Tusler was handed a ball, it was clear that athletics would be a part of his life. Whether it was playing basketball, football, tennis or even street hockey, he was always competing in something. Sports are a part of him.
“I’m Bridge and I play sports,” Tusler said. “It was life.”
It was no surprise in high school when he excelled in both football and basketball. Tusler was awarded with All-State and All-Conference honors, as well as Gatorade Player of The Year, Associated Press Player of the Year, and Metro Player of The Year in 2013 and college coaches began to take notice.
After reviewing all his options, Tusler decided on South Dakota State University, but quickly realized that Division I athletics were unlike anything else he had experienced. His schedule was completely controlled by the coaches. From the time he woke up to the time he went to bed, his time belonged to the football team.
“They (Division l coaches) own you, I don’t feel right being controlled.” — Bridgeport Tusler, Bethel Sophomore
Not only was freedom non-existent for Tusler, but basketball was as well. For the first time in his life he was unable to play basketball after the football season, which did not sit right with Tusler. So much so that it caused him to look into transferring.
“I really needed to do basketball,” Tusler said. “And I wanted to be home.”
With that, he found Bethel to be a good fit. A place where he was not controlled. A place where he could make an impact in multiple sports. While it is not impossible for an athlete to succeed in multiple sports, it is rare. Both Bethel Football Head Coach Steve Johnson and Bethel Basketball Head Coach Doug Novak agree that it takes a special kind of person.
“They have to have a passion for both sports and really commit to them both,” Novak said.
A passion that Tusler shares for both sports. Not only does his love for his sports allow Tusler to do well, but also his athletic ability allows him to compete at a high level in collegiate football and basketball.
“He’s a terrific athlete,” Johnson said. “He’s very instinctive in both sports, he never stops working.”
He’s an athlete who made the choice to play multiple sports instead of a shot at the NFL. Who was able to see that he would gain much more playing at a Division III level than he would at a Division I level.
“I personally felt I wouldn’t get what I was looking for as a man through college at the division one level,” Tusler said. “I truly felt that I wanted to try to balance everything in my life instead of having someone spoon feed me.”
Whether Division III or Division I is the right choice is up to the individual athlete, but for Tusler there is no doubt that he found his home at Bethel.
Tusler’s statsheet:
- Tusler rushed for 486 yards during the 2015 football season.
- He’s averaged 12.8 points per game this season on 49 percent shooting, and 13.4 ppg last year while shooting 46 percent.
