Hulne: Southland’s Chris May learned a lot in 2 years of college football
Published 10:14 pm Monday, November 17, 2014
Southland grad Chris May hauls in a pass against Concordia-St. Paul in Winona Saturday. — Photo Provided by Chops Hancock/Winona State Universtiy athletic department
In the last two seasons combined, Southland grad Chris May played a total of two plays for the Winona State University football team.
He wouldn’t have it any other way.
May made his first and only NCAA Division II catch when he hauled in a short pass and lost two yards in a season-ending 31-28 loss for the Warriors against Concordia-St. Paul in Winona Saturday and he played in one play last season. May has now used up all of his college athletic eligibility after he played two years of baseball at Riverland Community College. Two years ago, May turned down baseball scholarship offers to play football with the Warriors, where his younger brother Alan May is a standout wide receiver, and he has no regrets about making that decision two years ago.
Southland grads Alan May, left, and Chris May, right, spent the last two years playing football together at Winona State Univeristy. — Photo Provided by Rose May
“I had a lot of people call me crazy for passing up baseball, but I made a lot of new friends and met a lot of people,” Chris May said. “It was worth it.”
As Alan May was making plays for the Warriors on the field the last two seasons, he was getting advice and getting good workouts with his older brother Chris May. The two were also having a lot of fun together.
The siblings thought they were done playing sports together after their last Southland baseball game in the state tournament in 2010, but they were united again on the field for the past two years at WSU.
“It was pretty special,” Alan May said. “Not often do brothers get to play together and we got to do it in high school and college. Some of the guys on the team were telling us how lucky we were to play together.”
Chris May didn’t get the playing time that Alan May did with the Warriors, but he picked up some valuable experience and he played a big role behind the scenes. He spent a lot of time running, lifting, watching game film and competing as hard as he could on the scout team.
“It’s a lot of work. It builds a lot of character,” Chris May said. “I think it sets you up to be successful in the future.”
Alan May said that there is a lot that goes into being a college football player that fans never see, and he said Chris May was a big part of that.
“Our coaches were always talking about his effort on the scout team and for us and that really helps,” Alan May said. “For him to work his tail off was pretty incredible.”
Chris May’s experiences will most likely help him long after he’s left WSU. He plans on teaching and coaching when he finishes college and he learned plenty from his experiences with the Warriors and Blue Devils. Chris May, who plans on playing amateur baseball with the Austin Blue Sox this summer, has laid out the groundwork to have success in the coaching arena.
Alan May has one more year of eligibility left and he’s hoping to leave a lasting mark with the Warriors after next season. He had 38 catches for 497 yards and four touch downs this season for the Warriors, who went 4-7 overall, and he he’s hoping for a better season next year.
Alan May wants to do something that is remembered 25 years later when he comes back and visits WSU — he’d like to be part of a conference championship team.
“I’m going to do every thing I can to make my senior year my best year and make it a great year for Winona State,” he said.
Although Alan May won’t have Chris May on the sidelines with him next year, he will still get plenty of advice and support from his older brother.
And that could make a big difference.
