Nathan Scheelhaase
Encyclopedia
Nathan Scheelhaase is an American football
quarterback
at the University of Illinois. While playing at Rockhurst High School
, he won the 2008 Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year.
. While at Rockhurst, Shceelhaase was a good student as well as a ten-time varsity letterman in football, track, and basketball. He was a four-star prospect on both Scout.com
and Rivals.com
. He was ranked as the seventh best dual-threat quarterback on Rivals.com. In football, Scheelhaase won the Thomas A. Simone Award
, which is given to the most outstanding high school football player in the Kansas City Metropolitan area, his junior season. He was the fifth player from Rockhurst to have won the award, and the first since Brandon Shelby in 1999. Scheelhaase also was the recipient of the Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year for football his junior year. His junior year he led Rockhurst to a 13-0 season, and a Missouri Class-6 state championship passing for 1861 yards, 20 touchdowns and only five interceptions. On the ground he also rushed 120 times for 917 yards and 14 scores. He is 6’2” weighing 190 lb., and he runs a 4.5 40-yard dash.
Scheelhaase was recruited by The University of Oklahoma, The University of Missouri, The University of Iowa, The University of Arkansas, and The University of Kansas
among others before signing with The University of Illinois. Scheelhaase played safety as a sophomore and admits that some schools talked to him about the possibility of him playing on defense, but under center is where he wants to be. "Most everybody is recruiting me at quarterback and that's what I think I'm gonna play."
; completing 137 passes on 241 attempts for 1,583 yards in the regular season, along with 17 touchdown passes and 8 interceptions. Scheelhaase also ran for 806 yards on 175 carries and 4 touchdowns, and was an excellent complement to Illini RB Mikel Leshoure
in the running game.
In the 2010 Texas Bowl
against Baylor, Scheelhaase completed 18 passes on 23 attempts for 242 yards with no interceptions. Scheelhaase had a 55 yard touchdown run late in the game, and led Illinois to their first bowl victory in over a decade. The Fighting Illini won the game 38-14.
, and started for the 1985 team that lost to UCLA in the Rose Bowl
to finish 10-2, and be ranked No. 10 at the end of the season AP Poll
. He was named as one of Iowa’s all-time team MVPs.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
at the University of Illinois. While playing at Rockhurst High School
Rockhurst High School
Rockhurst High School is a private, Roman Catholic, Jesuit, preparatory school for boys located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, on the Missouri-Kansas border along State Line Road....
, he won the 2008 Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year.
High school career
Scheelhaase attended Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. While at Rockhurst, Shceelhaase was a good student as well as a ten-time varsity letterman in football, track, and basketball. He was a four-star prospect on both Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
and Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
. He was ranked as the seventh best dual-threat quarterback on Rivals.com. In football, Scheelhaase won the Thomas A. Simone Award
Thomas A. Simone Award
The Thomas A. Simone Memorial Football Award is presented yearly to the most outstanding high school football player in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The award was created in 1931 by Dr. D. M. Nigro and continued until Dr. Nigro's death in 1976. The award was reinstated by Mr. and Mrs....
, which is given to the most outstanding high school football player in the Kansas City Metropolitan area, his junior season. He was the fifth player from Rockhurst to have won the award, and the first since Brandon Shelby in 1999. Scheelhaase also was the recipient of the Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year for football his junior year. His junior year he led Rockhurst to a 13-0 season, and a Missouri Class-6 state championship passing for 1861 yards, 20 touchdowns and only five interceptions. On the ground he also rushed 120 times for 917 yards and 14 scores. He is 6’2” weighing 190 lb., and he runs a 4.5 40-yard dash.
Recruiting
Scheelhaase committed to the University of Illinois on July 16th, 2008.Scheelhaase was recruited by The University of Oklahoma, The University of Missouri, The University of Iowa, The University of Arkansas, and The University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
among others before signing with The University of Illinois. Scheelhaase played safety as a sophomore and admits that some schools talked to him about the possibility of him playing on defense, but under center is where he wants to be. "Most everybody is recruiting me at quarterback and that's what I think I'm gonna play."
2009 season
Nathan Scheelhaase was red-shirted his freshman year; Illinois would start QBs Juice Williams and Eddie McGee.2010 season
Scheelhaase became the starting quarterback for the 2010 season. Nathan would lead Illinois to a 6-6 season2010 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
The 2010 Illinois Fighting Illini football team represented the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in the 2010 college football season. The Fighting Illini, led by sixth-year head coach Ron Zook, are members of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Memorial Stadium...
; completing 137 passes on 241 attempts for 1,583 yards in the regular season, along with 17 touchdown passes and 8 interceptions. Scheelhaase also ran for 806 yards on 175 carries and 4 touchdowns, and was an excellent complement to Illini RB Mikel Leshoure
Mikel Leshoure
Mikel Leshoure is an American football running back for the Detroit Lions.-Early years:Leshoure attended Centennial High School in Champaign, Illinois...
in the running game.
In the 2010 Texas Bowl
2010 Texas Bowl
The 2010 Texas Bowl was the fifth edition of the college football bowl game, and was played at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The game started at 5:00 PM US CST on Wednesday, December 29, 2010. The game was telecast on ESPN for the second time in bowl history after being televised by the NFL...
against Baylor, Scheelhaase completed 18 passes on 23 attempts for 242 yards with no interceptions. Scheelhaase had a 55 yard touchdown run late in the game, and led Illinois to their first bowl victory in over a decade. The Fighting Illini won the game 38-14.
Personal information
His father, Nate Creer, started at defensive back for the University of IowaUniversity of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
, and started for the 1985 team that lost to UCLA in the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
to finish 10-2, and be ranked No. 10 at the end of the season AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
. He was named as one of Iowa’s all-time team MVPs.