Senior Kaedyn Odermann is not like most people. He is not your average athlete, nor is he your average student. The Millard West wide receiver has played football since Kindergarten, and he never thought it would get him this far.

It’s not just his athletics that have gotten him where he is, but also his academics. Odermann’s life surrounds around sports and school. Playing basketball, track, football, lifting, and homework all on top of each other. It takes a toll on him.

His junior year is when it all came together. His academics were off the charts, allowing him acceptance into Harvard, and Odermann was playing at his best. Over the summer, he went on an 11 day Ivy League trip with his mother, gaining offers from Yale, Princeton, Cornell, and Harvard.

“Right after that first visit, I knew Harvard was meant for me,” Odermann said. “I got to sit down with the coach right before, and my recruiting coach was just awesome.”

Odermann’s family has given him loads of support through this process, but so has his teammate and good friend, senior Dalys Beanum. Dalys is going to another premier FCS program, South Dakota State University, and the recruiting process for both of them has been similar. Both have been by each other’s side to push each other.

Not many have the self drive that Odermann has. He rarely has time to do things with his friends, and he understands that’s part of the sacrifice. School, practice, lift, homework, sleep, repeat. That’s his daily cycle, and everything he does is little steps, helping him get closer and closer to his goal every day. 

“It’s been a huge honor to wear the green and black and to represent this school,” Odermann said. “I can’t even put into words how excited I am to be able to continue not just sports, but my academics at a high level.” 

Odermann has had a storied career as a Wildcat, being in a club of few that play division one football, but he will continue into this next chapter of his life as an athlete, a student, and a man.