Michael Veldman is just the type of quarterback every coach dreams about. Great size, quick release, strong arm and he’s a winner. All those qualities helped him make the leap from successful high school quarterback to QB at Division III Gustavus Adolphus College.

Veldman has spent seven seasons in football beyond high school, six with Gustavus. He has battled through injuries and even a season thrown away because of COVID-19, but he’s never given up. This year, Veldman was on the cusp of becoming the all-time passing yards leader for the Gusties, needing 414 yards to dethrone Jordan Stolp (2004-07) as the record holder.

In the Gusties’ second game of the year against Wartburg Sept. 11 and on Gustavus’s first possession of the third quarter, (trailing 10-7), Veldman found Matthew Kipper for a 77-yard touchdown. The 77-yard strike made Veldman the Gustavus football program’s all-time passing yards leader, surpassing Stolp.

Veldman is also the program’s record holder for career passing touchdowns with 87.

However, in Gustavus’ third game of the season against Concordia and on the first series, Veldman suffered a Lisfranc injury in his right foot that required season-ending surgery.

The Lisfranc joint is the point at which the metatarsal bones (long bones that lead up to the toes) and the tarsal bones (bones in the arch) connect. The Lisfranc ligament is a tough band of tissue that joins two of these bones.

Injuries to the Lisfranc joint most commonly occur in automobile accident victims, military personnel, runners, horseback riders, football players and participants of other contact sports, or something as simple as missing a step on a staircase. Lisfranc injuries occur as a result of direct or indirect forces to the foot. A direct force often involves something heavy falling on the foot. Indirect force commonly involves twisting the foot.

“It may have been me planting my foot or someone stepping on it,” said Veldman. “After watching film, I can’t pinpoint the exact play it happened. I just remember it feeling weird and after a couple more plays I had to take myself out.”

Veldman’s doctor was Fernando Pena, an Orthopedic Surgeon at TRIA Orthopaedic Center in Bloomington, specializing in the foot and ankle surgery.

“The doctor said this injury was relatively minor in severity compared to others he has seen,” said Veldman. “There weren’t any displaced bones.”

Veldman has risen above his injuries and has stayed level-headed through his successes throughout his football career. He guided the Becker Bulldogs to a state championship in 2014 and the next fall, joined North Dakota State and as a freshman was redshirted and began practicing at a position that included current NFL quarterback Carson Wentz, who would eventually get drafted to the NFL. After transferring to Gustavus knowing another freshman was most likely going to take Wentz’s spot, Veldman took the QB reins but was injured in the second game of the 2016 season  when he fell awkwardly and broke his right wrist of his throwing arm. 

That ended his inaugural season. 

In the fifth game of the 2017 season, he was injured again when he hit a defender’s helmet after releasing a pass and broke a knuckle on his throwing hand. Ugh. Season done.

However, he played in all 10 games of both the 2018 and 2019 seasons and was named first-team all-conference after setting passing records.

Coming into the 2021 season, Veldman — at 6’4” and 210 pounds — was the only Division III quarterback to throw at least three touchdown passes in all 10 games of the 2019 season. He finished the year 219-of-319 (68.7 percent) with 39 touchdowns, ranking first in the MIAC and third in the nation, and set a new Gustavus single season record. Veldman’s 68.7-completion percentage is the top single-season mark in program history, while his 185.4 passing efficiency was best in the MIAC and fifth in the nation. He was responsible for 280 points, the second most in Division III, leading the Gusties to a program-record 448 total points. His 3,188 passing yards were fourth in the nation. In 29 career games at Gustavus, Veldman ranked first in touchdowns with 78, third in pass yards with 8,084, and third in completions with 584 (which he has surpassed in the two-plus games of this year).

Veldman still has dreams to get invited to an NFL camp and  aspires to don an NFL jersey just like his father (Gregg, Cowboys) and brother (Matt, Lions, Redskins, Jaguars) have done in the past. Veldman’s latest injury hasn’t ended his dream for the next level and he plans to work hard to rehab, get back to 100% and showcase himself for NFL scouts at a pro day somewhere. 

“My overall goal right now is to bounce back from this and hopefully still have a chance at playing some ball at the higher level,” said Michael. “I’ll rehab, stick with the team and help with the QBs and do some lifting to get stronger. I have to do what I’ve always done in my career — attack. Attack the day and attack this setback and hopefully still realize my dream.”

He said scouts from the Vikings and Bears have visited the Gustavus campus to watch him work out.

Veldman has a business management degree but hopes he won’t have to fall back on that too soon. 

“I’ve got a great family and a great support system that has been encouraging me every day,” said Veldman. “It’s gonna be a process but their confidence in me helps me get through this kind of thing.”

“It doesn’t do any good to stay down.”