Editor’s Note: Montana State announced the addition of 11 preferred walk-ons to its roster when fall camp opens in August. This is the first of a series of profiles about each of the late additions to the Bobcats.
Nick Van Horssen heard the snap before he felt the pain.
On September 25, 2015, Van Horssen was in the midst of a 167-yard, three-touchdown game as Helena High held a 56-6 fourth quarter advantage against Great Falls High. On what was supposed to be Van Horssen’s final play of the game as the Bengals seemed certain to secure their fourth win in five outings to begin his senior year, the talented tailback ran a short out pattern.
He admits he was tired and wasn’t “picking up my knees much.” What was supposed to be the last play of a mid-season game turned into a nightmare that, for a moment, seemed like the last play of Van Horssen’s football career.
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After making the catch for a four-yard gain, Van Horssen had his leg rolled over on by a GFH linebacker. As he sat up, the Bengals’ running back looked down. His foot was at a gruesomely unnatural angle. The fear rushed over him.
“My first thought was that I would never play football again,” Van Horssen said.
Moments after the injury, Helena High’s trainer popped his ankle back into place. The initial pain dissipated. With his foot back to a normal angle and all the shooting pain gone from his leg, Van Horssen begged to go back into the game.
“I don’t really think he had the heart to tell me right there but he definitely knew at that point that it was over,” Van Horssen said. “ I was scared for 10 seconds because my foot was sideways and the pain was bad but then I wanted to go back in. We got to the hospital 30 minutes later and when I saw the x-ray, that’s when the real pain started setting in.”
Nick Van Horssen/ photo by Liza Sautter, Helena High team photographer
Van Horssen had completely broken his fibula in half. His tibia was partially shattered. His ankle had dislocated on both sides. He needed emergency surgery that night in Helena and was bed ridden for weeks after. One of Montana Class AA’s leading rushers at the time – Van Horssen was averaging 117 yards per game before his injury – would not play high school football again.
After a solid junior season that netted almost 700 rushing yards and a fourth-place finish at the Class AA state track meet in the 100 meters, the 5-foot-9, 195-pounder had heavy interest as a slashing running back from colleges around the state. Former Montana State offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey contacted Van Horssen midway through his 2014 season. Montana Tech, Montana Western, local Carroll College and the University of Montana also showed strong interest.
After suffering the season-ending injury, all the recruiters stopped calling. All, except Cramsey, who called and paid Van Horssen a visit in the Capitol City.
“I was getting recruited by other schools and really, I stopped hearing from most if not all of them after I broke my leg,” Van Horssen said. “But MSU kept talking to me and that meant a lot to me.”
“I was kind of shocked at first. It was really early after I first got hurt so I was still bed ridden. I was just really shocked but I was really happy about it.”
Once Cramsey, former head coach Rob Ash and most of MSU’s staff were let go in late November, Van Horssen didn’t know what it would mean for his recruitment. When Jeff Choate was hired in December, Van Horssen had a sense of familiarity after attending the University of Washington individual camp with fellow Bengal and future Bobcat defensive tackle Chase Benson. At UW, Benson worked directly with Choate, the Huskies’ defensive line coach the last three seasons.
The week after National Signing Day, Montana State offered Van Horssen a spot on the 94-man roster when fall camp opens up in August. After a tumultuous five months, Van Horssen learned he would get another chance to play football.
“I’m just so happy I have another chance,” he said. “I’m actually not sure how it will be to get back out there since I haven’t done it. But this summer, I’m going to be doing a ton of football drills where I work on my lateral movement and stuff. I’m pretty confident right now with it being track season. It’s fine and it hasn’t hurt at all. I think if I have a simple ankle braces on, it will be good. I’m just ready to start playing again.”
Nick Van Horssen stiff arms a Missoula Sentinel defender during a career-high 170-yard rushing performance/ photo by John Smith, contributed
Van Horssen has since gained his mobility and speed back. His season-best time of 11.10 seconds in the 100 meters is one of the 10 fastest in AA this season as is his time of 22.61 in the 200 meters. His season-best long jump of 20 feet, 10 inches is just outside the AA top 10. He credits his surgeon and his physical therapist for his rapid recovery.
Van Horssen is a high academic achiever and has earned several scholarships to help him pay his way at Montana State. He has earned in-state grants as well as the Cleve A. Malstrom Scholarship. The scholarship was established last year by Marcia Wall in memory of her son, Cleve, who accidentally drowned in June 2014 while fly-fishing on the Missouri River. The scholarship is open to a Helena High student who achieved a GPA of at least 3.25, is pursuing a college degree in Montana and participated in track and football all four years of high school.
Van Horssen plans to major in pre-medicine, although MSU doesn’t offer the specific discipline. He will likely pursue human development or exercise science before pursuing medicine like his father. He plans to room with Benson, his childhood best friend.
When recounting the gruesome injury from nine months ago, Van Horssen is positive and collected. But when asked about getting a chance to play football once gain, emotion fills his voice.
“It means I wasn’t supposed to be done,” he said before taking a long pause. “It’s surreal still I’m going to get another chance but I’m going to take full advantage. I praise God in all his glory for this. It’s impossible to say what this means to me.”
Photos courtesy of Nick Van Horssen. All Rights Reserved.
