We're spending the last few months for the 2019-20 school year profiling our senior student-athletes who have finished their athletic careers at Martin Luther College. 

Next up in the series is Keith Brassow, who played football for MLC from 2016-19.

Major: Biblical Languages, Koine (Pastor Track)
High School: Michigan Lutheran Seminary


What is your favorite moment/game from being an MLC athlete? 
Junior year against St. Scholastica. Up until then, Scholastica had always been a UMAC powerhouse and no one thought we would win that game. We defended our home turf and got the win. All of the defensive linemen dominated and ended the game with 8 total sacks.


What was your best game/event as an MLC athlete (if different from favorite moment)? 
Junior year against Westminster. We had lost to them the previous year and we all came out pretty pumped up and once again defended our home turf. That was probably one of my best games at MLC thanks to the help of all my teammates.


Can you describe a time when one of your teammates did something on the field/court that made you in awe or inspired you in some way? 
Jake Schmidt's work ethic. You gotta give credit where credit is due and no one works harder than Jake. I know that, the coaches know that, and the UMAC knew that when they gave him 1st team all conference this year. 


What is the funniest thing that happened (that you can share) while competing at MLC? 
Literally any time that Matthew Spoerl spoke. Having Matt as a teammate was a privilege because not only is he an incredible offensive lineman, he also made long bus rides and practice hilarious with his jokes and comments.


Who is the best athlete you ever competed against in the UMAC? 
It's pretty close between Chazz Middlebrook and LeAnthony Reasnover. Both were very solid running backs who were very hard to tackle and caused some problems over the years for our defense. They were not guys you could just hit and they would go down. They were guys you had to hit low with proper form or they would run over you all game long.


Is there a moment where something clicked for you where you thought "I've got this now" as far as being a college athlete? 
After drilling reps against our incredibly powerful offensive line, it's bound to click after a while. Junior year going against guys like Jumby, Big O, and Carrington will make you a better player. I feel like our offensive linemen and defensive linemen all bonded very well regardless of being on opposite sides of the ball. We pushed each other, bonded with each other, and helped each other become better knight football players.


What do you think you will miss most about being an MLC athlete? 
Everything. MLC football was an absolute treasure of a memory I will cherish forever. I have made lifelong friends from MLC football and will never forget the memories we made. But if I had to pick one thing it would be the conversations at practice and during games. The players, managers, and coaches all have a great sense of humor and it was a pleasure to be a part of.


Do you have a favorite road trip from your athletic career you could share? 
We made the best of long bus rides. But if I had to choose one road trip it would be the one when it was Matt Spoerl's birthday. We just came off a road win and then we all celebrated Matt's birthday afterwards. So it was double the happiness on the bus.


What was your favorite UMAC road venue to play in?
Northwestern college would be it. They have a great facility and we got to play 2 night games there. Also, Northwestern has a classy bunch of guys so they are always fun to play against. My folks live pretty close to their campus so it is always nice to have my family come to games.