Adolfo Pacheco, a running back on the UW-Stout football team, hasn’t always been a Blue Devil. Before beginning his career at Stout, he attended a junior college near his hometown and briefly played football there..
After an up and down season, he left the junior college and had his mind set that he may never play football again.
Looking for an adventure away from home, Pacheco stumbled upon Stout. Without ever visiting the campus, he packed up his belongings and made the five hour drive to Menomonie, Wisconsin in 2013.
The main reason that he chose Stout was because the football coaches had pursued him when others had given up.
As a freshman, Pacheco didn’t expect to see the field. Due to teammates injuries, however, he was able to split time with a fellow teammate, Tanner Kuehn.
At the end of the 2013 season, Pacheco earned second team all-conference honors.
Although some may see these honors as the highpoint of ones career, he says that “beating Eau Claire and winning the war of 94 trophy” is the highlight of his career so far.
Pacheco had high expectations for himself and the team heading into the 2014 season.
During the second game of the season, he suffered a sprained MCL. This wasn’t the end of the injuries for him, though. The following game, he sustained a labrum tear and lost cartilage in his hip, causing him to remove himself from the field for the rest of the season.
Coming back from these injuries hasn’t been easy, though. After two and a half months on crutches, he says “I decided it was time to start rehabing.”
In March of 2015, Pacheco was finally cleared to participate in all team activities.
The offseason is time consuming as well. The team has lifting every morning besides Wednesdays.
In order to be a top contender in the upcoming years, he says, “we need to become a more confident team. We can’t be scared of anyone, no matter the rankings.”
Adolfo Pacheco is a sophomore from South Elgin, Illinois and is majoring in Health, Wellness, and Fitness.
Photo Credit: Stout Athletics