Hinton all-state quarterback and linebacker Gabe Anderson signed to play football at the University of North Dakota during a ceremony on Thursday in Hinton.
The moment was a dream come true for Anderson who has always played the game of football and wanted to play it at a high level. While he is not going to play at the school he is a fan of, the opportunity to play division one football is one that he is blessed to have.
Many factors went into Anderson’s decision to head to Grand Forks next fall. He says all of those factors made this a pretty easy decision.
Anderson gets to follow in his brother Derek’s footsteps with the opportunity to play at a high level. Derek plays at Northern Iowa, and Gabe will be in the same conference at North Dakota. Anderson says growing up there was always competition, and that fueled the guys to compete on the field too.
On the field, Anderson got to lead both the offensive unit and defensive unit as a quarterback and linebacker. That leadership came from his physical ability, but it also came from his mental ability too. Hinton head coach Kadrian Hardersen says Anderson’s knowledge of the game makes him stand out.
The Fighting Hawks are recruiting Anderson as a linebacker. That will be a change of pace after playing quarterback too in high school, but Anderson is looking forward to dedicating all of his time to one side of the ball.
The Hinton football program that Anderson leaves behind is in a much better spot than it was when he showed up. Coach Hardersen says now there will be some expectation that guys from his program get the opportunity to play in college and not just hoping someone will get there eventually.
Anderson says the Hinton program thoroughly prepared him to take the next step both as an athlete and a person.
Ultimately, Anderson is just ready to get back onto the football field. He says he is ready to go for when the Fighting Hawks need him to report for camp.
Anderson will start his college football career when the Fighting Hawks head to Kansas State to open the 2025 season on Saturday, August 30.
