The honors for Keith Heckendorf have mushroomed to the point that keeping track of them has been a full-time job for the St. Cloud State sports information office. It's practically a daily job.
The Huskies quarterback is a cinch to be a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, which goes to the top football player in Division II. His career statistics are numbing: 734 completions in 1,266 attempts for 9,402 yards and 99 touchdowns.
He's an academic all-American and a national scholar athlete. He volunteers at local schools. He's the reason the Huskies went from a 1-9 team in 2000 to a playoff contender the last two years.
Yet, with the last game of his career looming on Saturday against North Dakota State, one highlight is missing from Heckendorf's wish list: an NCAA Division II playoff appearance.
"I would have liked to see what that's all about," Heckendorf said. "I was never in the playoffs in high school and never in college."
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Although Heckendorf says he puts a lot of that "on my shoulders," he probably shouldn't. The Huskies lead the North Central Conference in total offense with an average of 467 yards a game.
He has decent size at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds. His arm strength, however, sets him apart from the average college player. He can zing it.
"The term I always use is if the guy can throw the ball on a rope and he can do that," said NDSU head coach Craig Bohl. "These guys don't come along very often. Those numbers aren't by chance. He's the real deal."
Heckendorf's 99 touchdown passes are fifth-best in Division II history. His 9,402 yards passing rank him 17th.
This season, he has passed for more than 300 yards three times and more than 200 yards nine times.
"He has no fear of getting the ball to his receivers," said NDSU safety Mike Sheppard. "He's able to run, too, so we have to make sure we stay sound on defense."
Heckendorf has been hurt only once in four years, something he attributes to his offensive line. After barely getting nudged out of the NCAA playoffs last year, the Huskies looked primed to make it this year.
But they've lost three games by 1, 3 and 3 points. One of those was to North Dakota, which came back from a 28-3 halftime deficit.
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"We've lost so many close games," Heckendorf said. "Look at North Dakota and where they're sitting now. We're on the other end of the spectrum. It goes to show how tough the league is."
After Saturday, Heckendorf will probably turn his attention to pro football. Scouts have been stopping at St. Cloud all season.
St. Cloud head coach Randy Hedberg said they like Heckendorf's production and consistency.
"I'm not sure what's out there for me," Heckendorf said. "But if I get a chance, I'm ready to jump on it."
Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack at (701) 241-5546
