Marin Independent Journal

September 21, 2007

Novato's Strom comes up big for Hobart College
Dave Albee

Two years ago, when Andrew Storm was playing big-time JC football at City College in San Francisco, he never envisioned himself winding up sitting the bench at Hobart College, a NCAA Division III school 2,500 miles away in Geneva, N.Y.

"My (CCSF) roommates went to Nebraska, Ohio State and Cal," the quarterback said, "so I thought was going to get something (big)."

Well, it took a while and a little soul searching, but Strom, a Novato High graduate, is a big man on campus at Hobart these days. Last Saturday, he completed 22-of-40 passes for 247 yards and rushed for a team-high 35 yards leading the Statesmen to a 27-26 upset of No. 22-ranked Carnegie Mellon. It was Strom's second game as Hobart's starting QB and the second time in two

"This is very rare (back-to-back player of week awards) and especially for someone playing their first two games as a starter," said Hobart coach Mike Cragg. "It's certainly well deserved."

Yet not entirely unexpected. Strom played hurt, but well enough in San Francisco that Cragg was aware of what Strom might

"I had heard great things about him. We knew Andrew was going to be our quarterback this year," the Hobart coach said. "I feel very comfortable that he'd be the man and run the show."

Strom, though, had to wait his turn. At City College, he hurt his back and lost his starting job. He was hoping he might secure a scholarship offer from a Division I school, but his size (5-foot-11) and lack of consistent success at CCSF worked against him. Strom didn't know if he wanted to play college football anymore.

Fortunately, CCSF head coach George Rush had a friend who was an alumnus of Hobart, a private and prestigious liberal arts college in upstate New York. Strom received a scholarship and went to Hobart with the intention of getting a degree that might someday soon earn him a six-figure salary annually, more so than becoming a football hero.

Strom packed his belongings and took off to small-town Gevena, sight unseen, along Seneca Lake. He didn't have a good first impression.

"It was right in the dead of winter," Strom said. "I wanted to go home every day. I was out here in the middle of nowhere."

"I knew it would be a tough time. I was fearing he'd be homesick," Cragg said. "I was hoping he'd be able to fall in love with it here and we're blessed to have him."

Strom played behind school-record setting senior quarterback Shawn Mizro. The transfer from Novato didn't start a game last year at QB and attempted only 10 passes. But Cragg tried to get Strom on the field as an option quarterback (he averaged 7.5 yards a carry) and on special teams, such as punt coverage.

In the meantime, Strom made friends off the field and in the weight room. He was preparing himself to lead the Statesmen this season.

"As soon as he came it was evident he took that role," Cragg said.

Television intern

Over the summer, Strom made arrangements to work out in the weight room at Cal State Fullerton. He was doing an internship with KABC TV in Los Angeles after completing a summer internship with KGO TV in San Francisco the year before. On his first L.A. assignment in the field, Strom was sent to a football camp run by USC coach Pete Carroll.

"I thought I'd probably get the reporter some water," Strom said.

But, when Strom arrived, a KABC cameraman handed him a microphone and told Strom it was his assignment to interview Carroll. Nervous, Strom didn't even think to tell the USC coach, a native of Marin, that he was from Novato.

"I didn't tell him about that. I was caught off guard," Strom said.

Strom, though, learned from the experience. During his internship with KABC, he interviewed Angels manager Mike Scioscia and several players on the field at Anaheim Stadium, plus he did interviews with USC star basketball recruit O.J. Mayo and Jean-Sebastien Giguere, goaltender for the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks. However, because Strom was an intern, his face never appeared on camera.

"They got my hand on air," Strom said, chuckling.

Captain the offense

If Strom felt good about his TV gig, he felt even better about going back to Hobart. His back was fine, his

weight was up to 193 pounds and his leadership qualities were evident. The kid from California was selected one of the team captains.

"I just can't take football lightly," Strom said. "I took a big role on my shoulders. I know all eyes are on me. I want to take that on."

Now Strom is ready to take on the world. A media society major, he is studying harder than at any time in his school life and, in January, he's taking a trip to Rome, Italy. Until then, Strom is prepped to take the Statesmen as far as they can go. They play their Liberty League opener at home on Saturday against the 2-0 Rensselaer Engineers.

So far this month, Hobart's senior QB has completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 439 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Strom's completion percentage of 84.6 in his debut on Sept. 8 was a school record by a Statesman quarterback making his first start. Statistically, he is ranked among the total offense leaders in Div. III this week.

"I'm not surprised by the numbers and what he does," Cragg said. "I was concerned about our young offensive line protecting him. It's a strong advantage to have an athletic guy back there. He does a lot (of improvising) from the seat of his pants."

Not to worry, Strom feels comfortable now. It's his team and Geneva has become his town. It feels like Petaluma to him. He loves traveling in and about the area and, last year, Strom went with his family, including his parents Mike and Robin, to the Baseball Hall of Fame in nearby Cooperstown.

"My dad was like a little kid there," Strom said.

Of course, playing football brings out the kid in Strom, too. This could be his last year of playing organized football and he's soaking it in.

"I'm taking advantage of every day, every practice," Strom said. "I've been doing that since the fifth grade."

So, if this season is to be his last hurrah on the football field as a player, Strom can shout about it. He's started two games for the Statesmen and he's been the best offensive player on the team and in the league both times.

"It's cool but it doesn't mean that much because I haven't played up to my potential yet," Strom said. "I'm not there."

But Strom is somewhere he wants to be, in a place he never imagined would be something so big.