Recruiting Report: Sean Diedrich (Wayzata-2021)

This Northstar Football News “Recruiting Report” features Wayzata Trojan current junior running back Sean Diedrich - a 5’7, 160 lb. shifty back who possesses good vision and patience and has the speed to get the edge if need be. The junior is coming off a season that saw him rush for almost 200 yards and a TD in the regular season before he broke his leg in the season finale against Burnsville, missing the 6A state championship run by his Wayzata teammates. This injury - while obviously unfortunate - has left #26 hungrier than ever, and this hunger is showing itself in the weight room, as the Plymouth native is putting up some impressive weight room numbers this offseason: recording a 265 lb. max bench, and a 370 lb. max squat. Sean was kind enough to find some time in between his offseason grind to give Northstar Football News some updates on his health and mentality going into his final prep season, his hopes for recruiting & who has been in contact, what is means for him to be a Trojan, and more. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2C9MkQ">Regular Season Junior Highlights</a> NFN: Hello and thank you for your time, Sean. Congrats on yours and Wayzata’s success in 2019. Please begin by telling our readers when you began playing football, what you love about the game, and your measurables and stats from last season. Diedrich: “I started playing football in 5th grade, and have been since. Early on it was apparent I had a thing for football and enjoyed it a lot. I love playing because it’s a team sport, and I get to work with my teammates/friends to become better. Also, I enjoy working out, staying in tiptop shape and getting stronger which is something football provides. 5’7” 160lbs 4.52 40 265lb bench 370lb squat 6 games 41 Att - 164 Yds 1 TD.” [caption id="attachment_18272" align="alignnone" width="300"] #26[/caption] NFN: It has been an incredible year for you and the Wayzata Trojans. First begin by just telling us what it means for you to be a Trojan, and what your career has been like at Wayzata. Diedrich: “It always meant a lot for me to be a Trojan, because as a Trojan I represent Wayzata and it’s pride. Wayzata is a great place for athletes with all the facilities, resources, and staff. Along with that I feel at home and proud to succeed as a Trojan. My career has had it’s ups and downs, but overall I’ve gotten better over the years. I’ve had hard wins, and tough losses.” NFN: Walk us through some of differences the program has seen since you were a freshman to now rising senior. What difference can you credit with having the biggest impact on the Trojans success this year? Diedrich: “The atmosphere of the team from when I was a freshman to now is much different. The difference is multiple things, but the strength of those differences. Around that time when I was a freshman, Wayzata was not as good as it is today (I believe that 2017-18 season Wayzata was 2-7). The main differences I noticed were that the chemistry of the overall team wasn’t like the family it is now, and that not many people believed in themselves to put in the work and get results. Those two things I can credit the most for sure. Wayzata was one team, one family, with one goal. We all knew we had the potential to be great, but it was up to us to not only trust ourselves but the teammates around us. When we practiced and worked out, we a purpose to do so and do it greatly.” [caption id="attachment_18274" align="alignnone" width="300"] #26[/caption] NFN: How was the 2018 season for you as well as Wayzata? What were some big games, low moments, and how did you build off 2018 to succeed in 2019? Diedrich: “The 2018 season for me went surprisingly good. Despite having a back injury that entire summer and season, I managed to do very well overall. We had close losses and some frustration but all those experiences moved me forward as a player. Wayzata had a lot of close losses, and the team just seemingly could not capitalize and/or finish games. We had lost to rivals Eden Prairie and Minnetonka that year in games that definitely could have been won. We had the strength as a team to shut-out Edina 20-0 that year, but it didn’t happen consistently. At the end of the 2018 season, my focus was to be healthy and work on everything from strength to speed and my game as I would move to next level and I needed to.” NFN: How was are offseasons at Wayzata? And how was it playing offense with studs like Vasser, Wildermuth, and Schmidt? What have they taught you about the game that you can use next season? Diedrich: “The offseason is tough and demanding, but that’s what I love about it. It always fun to compete in some way against your teammates to make yourself and them better. Playing and working with players like Jake, Tom, and Christian was great. Collectively, I could see the things they did to find success including their work ethics, attitude, and focus. You can tell they practice with a purpose and that’s something that’s huge to show as an example. Especially being alongside and practicing with Christian taught me that the little things matter too and it’s important to strive for excellence in all aspects. I use the things I learned from them now because I know it just builds and builds to become an outstanding season.” NFN: Describe the 2019 regular season. How was it going undefeated? When did you know you guys were going to be legit, and how fun of a year was it just to be apart of an undefeated team like yours? Diedrich: “The feeling of being undefeated is amazing, and all the more so because we knew we worked for it and believed in ourselves. We knew we were good even before the season started, even before people outside believed in us. As our record grew stronger we still maintained our focus and work ethic because each week brought a new challenge that we had to overcome. It’s always exciting to win, especially against rivals and dominating.” [caption id="attachment_18275" align="alignnone" width="300"] #26[/caption] NFN: Elaborate on the state playoffs and especially the championship game! What were some big plays and moments, and how was your performance? Diedrich: “During the last regular season game against Burnsville I broke my leg, and missed the entirety of the playoffs. The playoffs were great to see though to say the least, as even before the playoffs the team played well and dominated, but now it was all or nothing, and we played like it. Each game had the pressure on but we didn’t crack or lose focus of the end goal. The championship game was one like no other to watch, seeing the boys make plays and be successful is great. The focus and effort is very apparent especially after only letting Champlin score 3 points total after halftime. Seeing Christian do so well taught me a lot and I know he has advice too. He would breakout time and time again, and it’s something I can visualize for myself as a fellow running back.” NFN: Now that you will be a senior, how do you feel to be a leader on the team? What are expectations like and do you feel any pressure from the results of this year? Diedrich: “I feel great about leading, I always wanted to. I run by own expectations for the most part, but they’re high and I love to lead by example and show my teammates what it takes to be great all the time and in any aspect. I don’t feel as much pressure because I do trust and believe in myself and teammates to do the things that create championship teams. We know what it looks like and what it takes, and as long as we do things the right way we will have results.” NFN: Last but not least, what’s up with recruiting? Who are some teams you’re interested in? What are you looking for in a team/school? And what do you think you can bring to a college program? Diedrich: “I haven’t looked super far into college teams, but I am definitely interested in UM-Duluth, SDSU, and Moorhead. I haven’t visited a college yet, but I was invited to Moorhead and Bethels’ junior days which I plan on attending. I consider D1 and D2 football to be my future. Moorhead and Bethel are the only schools that have contacted me so far. I’m open to a lot of different colleges but the important thing I look for is a winning/championship culture. I talked about that earlier and how I know what it looks and feels like, along with what it takes, and I feel it is a critical part of the decision to play somewhere. I believe I can add previous insight and knowledge from this past season and bring it along with me to create a winning mindset for a program. As a football player, my thing is consistency and never really giving up no matter the odds.” Keep an eye out for the shifty Trojan RB as we get closer to the 2020 a season, it won’t be the last you hear of him.