Jack Strand has gained a lot more attention already in his NFL career than most undrafted rookies from the Division II level ever receive.
The prolific passer from Minnesota State University-Moorhead is a part of the Atlanta Falcons‘ early-season quarterback chaos, and all the mess has made Strand look like an intriguing (and healthy) option.
It’s unlikely Strand will actually get to play while the Falcons sort through the rest of a depth chart that includes Tua Tagovailoa, Michael Penix Jr. and Cooper Rush.
Still, though, Strand has done quite well for himself already for a guy who didn’t play Division I football. He looks the part physically, and he performed well throughout the preseason to give the Falcons no real choice but to keep him on the roster.
Keeping four quarterbacks around complicates the rest of the roster construction, but it’s a move they felt they had to make with Strand.
Strand, though, is no stranger at shooting for the stars.
Jack Strand’s Career Goals
Strand wants to work for NASA.
Yes, as in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
He studied engineering physics (with goals of a graduate degree in aerospace engineering) while at MSUM — not exactly a cushy major that many Division I football players are often accused of having.
“Strand succeeded on the field despite an often-challenging class load in engineering physics,” writes an article on the Minnesota State-Moorhead official website. “Some semesters, Strand would have two or three classes each day, along with practice, homework, and watching films.”
Strand told MSUM’s student newspaper, The Advocate, that his love for space began when he watched the movie Apollo 13 with his dad when he was just a kid.
As he grew up, Strand wasn’t sure what to do with that, because he knew he was going to be too tall to be an astronaut.
“Once I got to high school I started learning about engineering, but I didn’t know what kind of jobs there were in the space industry other than an astronaut, of course,” Strand told The Advocate, “but at that point I was probably too tall because of the height limit.”
Jack Strand’s NASA Goals
Even if Strand can’t go into space as an astronaut, he realized he could use aerospace engineering to help other people lift off.
First, he himself is trying to reach impressive heights. Division II quarterbacks aren’t in the business of making and lasting in the NFL.
Strand ran an option-style offense in high school in the small town of Bloomer, Wisconsin, and he never looked to leave Minnesota State-Moorhead even in an era of heavy transferring.
He stuck to the people that had stuck by him, and it has pushed Strand to incredible heights already. He still plans on shooting for the stars.
Falcons’ Jack Strand Plans for Astronomical Job After NFL Career