Feller to play football for Drake Bulldogs

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

With Charles City senior Shane Feller signing his National Letter of Intent to play football for Drake University, the Bulldogs gained a player.

Comet football coach Darren Bohlen lost about four or five.

“We had him at quarterback, receiver, defensive back … we even had him running the ball for us,” Bohlen said of his Academic All-Stater and First-Team All-District receiver. “We tried our best to get the ball in his hands.”

By signing with Drake, Feller hopes to still get the ball in his hands. But at least now he can drop a load from his mind.

“I didn’t make the final decision until last Friday,” said Feller, who was also considering Wartburg. “I saw that I match up a little better at Drake.

“I’m glad this part is over and I know where I’m going,” said Feller, also a starting post player for the Comets basketball team and a track athlete. “I could concentrate more on my final year here.”

As a junior, Feller was one of the main contributors in the Comets making the playoffs. This past fall’s football team didn’t fare so well as it finished with an injury-plagued 3-6.

Drake, which plays in the Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision, finished with an overall record of 5-6 and 4-4 in the Pioneer Football League in 2015.

Feller’s future as a football player is always going to be fickle, even if he does make the NFL — the personal bankruptcy rate of former professional football players is disturbing.

Good thing Feller has chosen a good career to fall back on.

“I’m going to study actuarial science,” said Feller, who looked ready to have to explain himself.

“I plan to be an actuary.”

Not a lot of people, including those Feller’s age, know what an actuary is. But lately it’s been ranked as one of the top jobs to get into in terms of salary and sustainability.

An actuary analyzes financial consequences of risk by using mathematics, statistics and financial theory to help businesses and institutions, especially those concerning insurance and pension programs, to get a better grasp of future events.

“I’ve been always good with numbers and math,” Feller said, “and they have a good program there at Drake.”

Though Bohling hates to see Feller go, he’s happy he’s moving on.

“He was our team MVP and a key component of us making the playoffs two years ago,” Bohlen said. “As any football coach, I’m glad to see one of my players go on and play for a good school.”