It worked. Sure did.

Always a good athlete, Ord senior Jesse Ulrich grew up playing basketball on the side. After all, he’s a football player through and through.

Following his sophomore year in school he took a look around and decided to make a change, to really challenge himself. He was going out for wrestling as a junior, just because. Just because he wanted to get tougher.

“I didn’t feel I was tough enough, either physically or mentally, so I decided to go out for wrestling where it’s all on you, nobody to count on but yourself,” says Jesse, sounding like about every other wrestler you’ve ever visited with. “I really felt like it was something that was missing from my game and this year I feel like I am a one hundred percent better football player because of it.”

While Ulrich has mainly made his mark as an outstanding dual threat quarterback he feels like he has ramped up his work from the team’s strong safety position on defense. “You have to be ready for everything because you can be the last line of defense but at the same time you have to be tough and physical, especially in run support,” says Jesse. “I feel like I have gotten much better on defense, especially tackling in the open field.”

Now don’t get some crazy idea here, Ulrich is a good kid, somebody who has the respect of those around him and who shows his proper respect to those around him. But still.

“I am especially proud of his growth as a person,” says Ord head coach Nate Wells. “As for football, he’s hard nosed and tough, a real throwback in the modern era. I am sure glad he’s on our side.”

So are his teammates, you figure. A three-year starter at quarterback Ulrich is strong and fast, an outstanding decision maker and enough of a passer to burn defenses who get too caught up in trying to stop him as a runner. And it comes at you fast, Ord likes to play fast, Jesse Ulrich likes to play fast.

“Our offense really plays to my strengths as a dual threat and also as somebody who has learned to make decisions quickly,” says Jesse. “I feel like the faster we play the better we are as a team and my teammates feel the same way. We have trained very hard to be in the kind of shape it takes to make our offense work.”

That also seems to have worked. Ord is off to a sizzling 2-0 start, fresh from a 41-13 victory over Boone Central/Newman Grove, the kind of win that puts a little pep in your step. Ulrich has done his part and then some, rushing for an average of 187 yards per game, mixing in 172 yards pass and a TD just to keep ‘em honest and adding 16 tackles on defense. Sixteen hard nosed tackles, to be sure.

“I like the dedication I see from our team. Every wants to win and that’s awesome to see,” says Ulrich. “This is a team of hard workers who show up ready to work on game night.”

Ulrich began his football work as a quarterback in his youth football days before moving to running back in junior high. Upon arrival at the varsity level Coach Wells took a look at the kid and thought, quarterback. Kid’s a quarterback.

“He thought maybe I could be the kind of player who could make some plays and add a dimension to the offense,” says Jesse. “I appreciate that he has faith in me and I try to do the best I can to make the plays our team needs.”

Born in Kearney, Ulrich has lived his entire life in Ord and he loves being outdoors, whether it’s fishing, swimming at nearby Calamus Reservoir or at the family’s gravel pit. He also mixes in some football on TV and video games just to strike a balance.

A strong student with a 3.4 GPA he’s also on the OHS track team. Ulrich already holds a football offer from NAIA powerhouse Morningside (Iowa) College but is biding his time, want to make sure his commitment is the proper fit. “Playing college football has been my dream and I want to get it right,” he tells you.

In each of the past two seasons Jesse’s Ord teams have come up just short of a playoff berth. No, it’s more painful than that, they’ve been thisclose to qualifying, like 17th on a 16-team dance card. He doesn’t want to go through something like that again.

“Having our season end like that was devastating. You work all summer for something like...” he says, his voice trailing off but not his meaning. “We need to finish. We need to finish the season and win the big games that can make the difference in making the playoffs.”

The order of business along that line comes Friday when the Chants will tackle No. 2-ranked Pierce, which is also unbeaten after two games.

“To be honest this is the biggest game of my life and it’s the same way for the kids on our team,” says Ulrich. “Pierce is a great football team but if we can win a game like this people have to look at us like contenders, which is what we are.”