“I love adversity”
Those are the words of John Santiago, running back for the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, and with a story like his, Santiago has no other choice.
Whether fighting off the stigma of coming from a small high school, proving he can compete with the best despite being a “small” back, or handling the wind and cold of Grand Forks, North Dakota, John has shown he can work his way through whatever life throws his way.
That’s part of the reason why he’s received the following accolades:
- NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Participant
- Three time FCS All-American, named to seven different All-American teams
- Fifth player in the 55 year history of the Big Sky to be named first team freshman, sophomore and junior seasons
- Holder of UND’s Division I record for rushing and all-purpose yards (which he set as a freshman)
- Career totals of 6,562 all purpose yards and 32 touchdowns
- Led team to first playoff appearance in school history
- 2016 Big Sky Champions
That’s just a few of them.