Five years ago, Jason McEndoo sold John Weidenaar on a vision. Last weekend, that dream became a reality.
At the beginning of the decade, Weidenaar was a tall, skinny, lanky kid from Class B Manhattan. He was 6-foot-7 but his 225-pound frame seemed much more suited for an edge-rushing defensive end than someone who battled in the trenches along the offensive front. McEndoo, Montana State’s longtime offensive line coach who is now entering his second season at Oklahoma State, told Weidenaar he could someday become an NFL offensive tackle if he was willing to dedicate himself.
Former MSU left tackle John Weidenaar
Weidenaar went back and forth between MSU and the Montana Grizzlies as former UM head coach Bobby Hauck tried to sell the son of a potato farmer on becoming the next great Griz defensive end. Eventually, McEndoo’s pleas won out.
Five years, 80 pounds, 49 consecutive starts (a Montana State school record) and an endless amount of hard work later, McEndoo’s premonition is on the brink of coming true. Weidenaar, an FCS All-America left tackle as a senior at MSU, signed a free agent contract with the Cincinnati Bengals last weekend just moments after the completion of the NFL Draft.
“Coach Mac did have a vision for me and he did a good job selling it,” Weidenaar said earlier this week from his home near Amsterdam, Montana. “I wanted to work my hardest for him. He really developed me a lot through those four years I was with him. It’s kind of surreal and I’m thankful to the lord for a guy like Coach Mac. He and I have a special relationship.
“That’s the whole story with this thing getting to the NFL. There’s a ton of people that have poured into my life to help me get where I’m at. Coach Mac, my family, the Lord giving me talent of being 6-8 with some ability and some athleticism. I have just tried to take advantage of the opportunities I’ve been given.”
At 6-foot-8 with fluid hips, long arms, an athletic build and quick feet, Weidenaar has been getting NFL looks since his sophomore season in Bozeman. But the strenuous work in the hot summer sun on his family’s potato farm outside Churchill hindered his ability to gain weight. After graduating in December, Weidenaar moved to Houston for 10 weeks to train in preparation for his pro day. He earned All-Big Sky Conference honors the last two seasons but never played at more than 292 pounds as a Bobcat. He reported back and worked out for 12 NFL scouts at 305 pounds, more prototypical for an NFL left tackle.
Former MSU left tackle John Weidenaar
As the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds of the draft whizzed by on Saturday, Weidenaar anxiously sat in his bedroom at his folks’ house waiting for his phone to ring. Never one to enjoy sitting still, Weidenaar would watch the draft for a few minutes at a time before returning to be alone with his thoughts, hoping he would get the call he has been dreaming of most of his life.
“It was pretty intense,” Weidenaar said. “The anticipation is probably what killed me the most. Seeing other guys’ names get called that I knew of, the easiest one being (former MSU tight end) Beau’s (Sandland) which was cool, but other guys like (Montana defensive end) Tyrone Holmes, guys I had met and trained with in Texas, they got drafted which was cool. Being able to be a part of the draft and have a chance to get called is something you are not familiar with because you only get to go through it once if you’re really lucky”
In the middle of the fifth round, the Bengals called to tell Weidenaar they were planning on taking a wide receiver and a safety with their final two picks. They told Weidenaar they wanted to sign him as a free agent and wanted him to “have first dibs”, he said.
Then the Los Angeles Rams called. Weidenaar has spent some time in Southern California. The fiercely religious Christian has always put his faith at the top of his priority list. He knew of a “really good church down there”, which was alluring. Weidenaar also received a call from the Houston Texans. Bob Beers, Montana’s former offensive line coach, is now a scout for Houston and came to Bozeman to personally work out Weidenaar.
“Ultimately it came down to Cincinnati,” Weidenaar said. “With offensive tackles, it looked like a great opportunity for me to be there. It seems like they have veteran guys who I can learn from and an offensive line coach who is probably the best offensive line coach in the NFL. (Paul Alexander) has been there for 21 years, the most tenured coach in the NFL I think. I knew the coaches, Marvin Lewis is a Big Sky guy, started at Idaho State, so we had that connection. I felt really comfortable saying yes to Cincinnati.”
Former MSU tackle John Weidenaar and guard JP Flynn
Always a student of the game, both from an Xs and Os standpoint and as a fan of talent, Weidenaar has already delved into Cincinnati’s roster. He is excited to learn from two-time All-Pro left tackle Andrew Whitworth. He has heard great things about Alexander, a quirky but well renown coach that has been a key to Cincinnati’s success under Lewis.
Weidneaar’s mother hails from Chicago, so he has spent some time in the Midwest. But he is not worrying about any sort of site seeing. He is squarely focused on the task that lies in front of him.
“It will be nice to go see a different part of the country but I also have to go work,” Weidenaar said. “I’m really excited for the challenge that lies ahead. The NFL, only the best make it. I’ve always wanted to be the best at what I do and be the best I can. I would like to hone my skills enough to the point where I can play at the best level and that’s what I seek to do with this opportunity.”
“I’m nervous but I’m also really excited to. When you go into something like this, you can’t go in acting like a rookie. You have to go in acting like you want something. I’m going in with that attitude that I’m going to work my hardest and give my best effort because the Bengals are putting a lot of faith in me that I’m going to develop into a guy that they want in their franchise so I want to be a guy who can gain their respect. I know I have to earn it.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
