It only takes one conversation with Case deBruijn '82 to realize he is the ultimate team guy. His journey to Idaho State University paints the perfect picture of family support, determination, and a focus on education. Associate AD Joel Moersch recently had the opportunity to walk through Holt Arena with the Bengal great.
Pocatello, Idaho – When Case deBruijn and his family moved from the Netherlands to Virginia when he was five years old, he had no idea he would eventually be flying into the Pocatello Airport from Wichita Falls, Texas with a National Championship trophy in hand and a plane full of lifelong friends.
"The streets from Chubbuck to the airport were lined with headlights," recalled the Idaho State Athletics Hall of Fame punter and kicker just moments before landing. "I will never forget that memory and what it meant to our team."
The Bengals had just beaten Eastern Kentucky in the 1981 Pioneer Bowl 34-23, and in doing so, secured one of the greatest program turnarounds in the history of Division I-AA college football.
After going 0-11 in 1979, the re-energized team led by legendary Bengal Head Coach Dave Kragthorpe went 12-1 and were deservingly welcomed home by the Idaho State faithful as the No. 1 team in the nation.
Turn back the clock to the fall of 1976 when Case was a junior at Stonewall Jackson High School in Manassas, Virginia. One of his former coaches, Tom Allen, encouraged him to reach out to some schools because he knew the future eighth-round NFL draft pick had what it took to compete and excel at the college level.
Case's dad, who worked in the printing industry, made around a thousand copies of an introductory letter that was inspired by Coach Allen and intended for just about every college football coach in the country.
"Coach Allen had a book with all the head coaches' addresses and we mailed letters to all of them," said Case. "I remember licking and sealing all those envelopes with my best friend in high school one night."
The strategy worked. Case received partial scholarship offers, or walk-on invitations, from various schools including Minnesota, Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, North Carolina State, William and Mary, Dartmouth, and Notre Dame. Fortunately for the Bengal Football program, Head Coach Bud Hake sent Case a full scholarship offer.
"After my visit, it just stood out that Idaho State University was where I wanted to be," said Case. "It was a great institution, with an excellent business school, and an indoor stadium. I could practice year-round and become as good of a kicker and punter as possible in Holt Arena." Case and his family decided that Pocatello was the place to go and he never looked back.
Football and Case's degree in management and organization paralleled each other to a tee.
"I was in it for school," Case said about his recruitment. "I loved sports and I loved playing football, but to have an education that was fully subsidized by Idaho State University was invaluable."
"The lessons that I learned from Coach Kragthorpe was accountability, the responsibility that you have in your position, and how it's all part of a team," said Case. "In my career after football, I found out that it's very similar in a lot of ways."
After a five-year career in the NFL and USFL, Case learned that no matter if it was football or the business world, other people depended on him and he was responsible to deliver results. "I was entrusted by my coaches to get the job done and to work as one team. When you get in the game, whether it's in the business world or sports, you are held accountable for your responsibilities."
"The education is the most important thing that came out of all of this. Football ended but I have benefited from my ISU degree in my working career. Without it, there were certain management positions I would not have been able to have. The education, teamwork, and leadership experience I obtained at Idaho State University helped me tremendously throughout my career."
After professional football and then owning a real estate company for eight years, Case later met his wife Karla while working at Newmont Mining. Case retired from Newmont after twenty-four years in a rewarding career in human resources, including training and development in various countries spanning three continents.
Case and Karla established a scholarship endowment in 2015 in support of a Bengal punter or kicker. "When you first get out of school and have a family it can be hard to dig in and contribute in a similar way as others did for you," said Case. "Once you have had more time and are more financially secure you start to look at how you can give back and make a difference."
The deBruijns' vision is for their endowment to help future Bengals that might be in similar situations as Case once was. "Whatever opportunity we can give that can get some student-athlete over the edge, that's our goal. That maybe we can help somebody in a small way to better themselves or enrich their experience."
Case's heart for helping others dates back to his early days at ISU, if not before. "Coach Kragthorpe would ask me to talk to some of the local elementary schools and that was a lot of fun. You hope to have even a little impact on young kids that might encourage or motivate them in some way."
"Looking back, what has mattered the most has been my family," Case concluded. "Aside from that, the four years I spent at Idaho State University have been memorable with lifelong friendships and a strong brotherhood bond that continues."
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Idaho State Athletics would like to thank every donor that is committed to making a positive impact on the lives of 300-plus Bengal student-athletes. To learn more about supporting Idaho State Athletics, please contact Associate AD Joel Moersch at (208) 282-4503 or joelmoersch@isu.edu.
