Though mass disruption to college athletics will have been mostly isolated to the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, the last year of Conner Mortensen’s career highlight one effect from the COVID-19 pandemic that will play out for the next several years.

The senior Weber State football captain and linebacker began his career redshirting in 2016. So by the time the NCAA decided any athlete who participated in 2020-21 play would not use eligibility to do so, Mortensen was ready to graduate and eyeing Weber State’s prestigious — and rigorous — master’s program in nursing.

Mortensen was accepted to that program and named the Big Sky Conference defensive MVP for the spring 2021 season, racking up 11.5 tackles for loss in only six games.

Using the now-available sixth year of eligibility would mean splitting his time between football and studies like never before.

“I knew how much I was going to miss, potentially. And it kind of put me in panic mode for a minute because I didn’t know if that would impact my position on the team,” Mortensen said. “But it’s been awesome to see the trust (coaches) placed in me and knowing that if I just keep it up with film and meeting extra with the coaches, that things will be good … It’s been a huge confidence-booster and compliment from them that they trust me to handle that schedule and still perform.”

For Mortensen, “handle that schedule” looks like this:

Mortensen is late to usually two of every four practices a week, hustling to take the field after class. On one day every other week, he misses one practice entirely to put in a 12-hour shadowing shift at a hospital. And some mornings, he’s at required meetings for his program in lieu of football meetings.

“You’ve got to give him credit. This is not easy. The degree is hard, the time demands are almost impossible for a football player,” WSU head coach Jay Hill said. “To balance it is not something, from a football coach’s perspective, that you love, but you have to do. He had to join that program when he was accepted. He was in, he wanted to start it, he’s been here for a while. As far as football goes, that’s been a hard balancing act … and to play as well as he has, has been amazing.”

This season, Mortensen has 45 tackles, including 5.5 for loss and three sacks, with one fumble recovery and four QB hurries.

And getting a head start in such a prestigious program meant scholarship coverage. That’s something many athletes will have on the table in the coming years.

“Obviously, it’s been a blessing because we’ve been able to take school further and get it paid for at the same time,” Mortensen said.

Mortensen is one of 13 players who will be recognized as part of Senior Day honors prior to Weber State’s 1 p.m. Saturday kickoff against Northern Colorado at Stewart Stadium. After a 62-0 road win at Southern Utah, Mortensen said he expects the game will be “special” and “high energy” for the Wildcats.

He’s been reflective of his time at Weber State, one of the handful of players to contribute to all four Big Sky championships from 2017-2021.

“Just grateful for first, to be able to be here at Weber throughout these past six years, it’s been a historic six years. I’ve gotten to places that I never thought I could have or would have, and it’s been all thanks to friends, family, coaches,” Mortensen said. “I feel nothing but gratitude and I’m going to look back on these years extremely happy and grateful for all the experiences and relationships and wins and championships. Everything has just been amazing.”

Below is more about the 12 others to be honored Saturday:

BEN BOS

The center from Heber City has anchored the offensive line for five seasons, and is right there with Jared Schiess, Ty Whitworth and Rashid Shaheed as players to have played in more than 50 games at Weber State. He’s a two-time all-conference honoree who majored in computer science and has also juggled studies as a graduate student.

CRESTON COOLEDGE

The offensive lineman from Arizona is the one non-senior being honored Saturday, as the junior in eligibility is graduating and moving on from college football. The criminal justice major appeared in two games this season.

BRAXTON GUNTHER

After an injury-plagued career at Utah State, Gunther transferred to finish his career at Weber State. The running back/safety star from Woods Cross has played safety for 15 games as a Wildcat, totaling 31 tackles. Gunther started several games in the middle of this season and filled in last week at cornerback as part of WSU’s historic effort that allowed zero points and 76 yards to Southern Utah.

DAVE JONES

Jones bounced from running back to cornerback to running back in his career, twice making massively big runs in 2017 and 2021 to claim road upsets over top-10 Eastern Washington. He ran for 387 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman. This season, he broke a 32-yard run on third down to seal an upset win at EWU.

In between, he started several games at cornerback and also became a special teams ace on kick coverages, often making himself the first Wildcat to the football. Overall, Jones, a professional sales major, has rushed for 593 yards and three touchdowns, with one receiving touchdown, while totaling 23 tackles and a fumble recovery on defense.

“He’s done what the team needed and there’s been bumps along the way, but he’s been a good player for us,” Hill said.

SHERWIN LAVAKA

The kid from Kearns, who worked at a steel plant for a year between high school and junior college to help his family make ends meet, became a hard-hitting Man of Steel for the Wildcats at linebacker.

Lavaka was a second-team all-conference honoree for the spring 2021 season and has earned praise for his soft-spoken, hard-working ethic. He’s totaled 71 tackles, including 4.5 for loss and two sacks, with one forced fumble in his career while studying health administration.

CLAY MOSS

The 6-foot-1 senior from Sandy has played a no-nonsense, no-spotlight fullback role for Weber State. The business administration student missed all but a couple snaps in the spring season due to injury, but returned this year to block for others before taking five carries for 38 yards last week at Southern Utah.

In 46 games, Moss has rushed for 257 yards and two touchdowns, plus 174 receiving yards, and totaled three tackles on special teams.

JAYDEN PALAUNI

The Salt Lake City native helped anchor the inside of some of the best defensive lines in program history. Over 47 career games, Palauni has totaled 69 tackles, 11.5 for loss with seven sacks, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

JARED SCHIESS

The defensive tackle from Manti became Mr. Wildcat this season and Saturday will be his all-time program record 59th game in the program.

“He has been one of the best players to ever play here. What that kid means to this program is everything,” Hill said. “It’s his kind of personality that turned this thing around and he’s been there every step of the way.”

With NFL aspirations and a master’s degree in health administration already in hand, Schiess has totaled 169 tackles, 24 for loss, 6.5 sacks, one interception (last week), one fumble recovery, three forced fumbles, and two receptions on fake punts for 31 yards.

RASHID SHAHEED

The San Diego native made his mark on college football history by returning seven kickoffs for touchdowns in his career at Weber State. He stands alone as the record-holder in the history of the FCS subdivision and is tied with four at the FBS level for first. Nobody in the history of Division I football has returned more kickoffs for touchdowns in their career than Shaheed.

Shaheed broke out in his second career game by catching four balls for 149 yards and a touchdown at Cal in 2017, and caught three for 163 two weeks later against UC Davis. It’s been an up-and-down affair to get him the ball ever since, but the Wildcats have recently helped him to efforts of 109 and 125 receiving yards in the last four weeks. His 3.7 receptions-per-game average this season is the highest of his career.

In 52 games, Shaheed has 144 receptions for 2,143 yards and 18 touchdowns. He has two rushing touchdowns and 175 ground yards, 134 of which came in his freshman year. Shaheed’s all-purpose yardage total of 5,418 is currently third in WSU history behind Bo Bolen and Trevyn Smith. He’s majoring in health promotion.

PRESTON SMITH

The Arizona native combined speed and a desire to hit hard to help anchor Weber State’s secondary from the free safety spot, and sometimes strong safety spot, since his sophomore year and has played in 56 games, seeing plenty of time as a freshman.

Smith housed an 86-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in 2018 at Northern Arizona. The accounting major has totaled 226 tackles, including 10.5 for loss with one sack, and pulled in seven interceptions with five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

BJ TAUFALELE

The senior linebacker from South Jordan, majoring in health promotion, has served as a reliable hole-plugger at any linebacker position over his career any time he is called upon.

In 31 career games, Taufalele has totaled 50 tackles, including 2.5 for loss and one sack, with one interception and one fumble recovery. This season, he scored his lone career TD by scooping up a fumble at the Cal Poly 2 after a scramble to recover the ball, and stepped into the end zone for a touchdown.

TY WHITWORTH

Whitworth and Bos have been on the offensive line for all the championships and record playoff runs. If not for an injury suffered in the opener this season, Whitworth would be there with Schiess as the record-holder in games played. The California native has played in 50 career games and graduated in political science, and is studying in WSU’s master’s of education program.

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