Six Years and 345 Teammates Later, Olson Right at Home

Special teams coach Tommy Perry said it was a dead giveaway.

At Saturday's game at Texas, Perry's brother, David Stenklyft, was in attendance, and the former Colorado State director of player personnel was giving out hugs to the players he knew as they walked off the bus.

"That's how I knew my punt team was old," Perry joked.

Stenklyft was Steve Addazio's director of football operations for a season, which is how he knew most of them. One he remembered from his prior role under former coach Mike Bobo.

Dane Olson. Of course he was going to hug Stenklyft, the man who gave the San Diego kid a shot as a walk-on late in the game. These six years later, he owed him at least that much.

Olson's the last remanent from the Bobo era. During spring camp, he was curious just how many different teammates the tenure encompassed. The answer: 345.

That's transfers in and out, and more than a handful of walk-ons who were here and gone. Even a coach – John Jancek – left and returned. It's a number which consists of good friends, some acquaintances, but he's pretty sure he had at the very least a passing conversation with all of them.

"I knew it was a lot of people. I assumed it was in the 300s. I mean, three coaching staffs, five position coaches, that's a lot of transition," Olson said. "When I first found out I had 345 teammates, the first thing I did was go through my freshman class. I think there were 30-something. I think I got through all of them. There's a lot of players, walk-ons only here for a spring, I still remember some of those guys.

"It's hard to think about all the different teammates. But I've kept up with some of them throughout the years. Sometimes it's just hard to think about all of them."

He showed up as a walk-on safety and is now a scholarship receiver. He's a mainstay on Perry's special teams units. He has grown into an accountability leader the past two seasons. Never would he have imagined he would be with the program for six years, but because of covid, it became possible.

He wouldn't give a day back, either. Best yet, his teammates know the team is his primary focus.

Center Jacob Gardner is considered an old man on the team with his 45 consecutive starts, which he figures makes Olson a grandpa. He can't even imagine six years into a career, but he has nothing but admiration for Olson.

"He shows up every day. He's kind of a quiet kid, but he gets his work done," Gardner said. "He's a very consistent person and player, emotionally and physically. I like having him on the team. He's a good example of what CSU grit is and what we want our team to be like and what our standard is. He's always doing extra stuff, recovery, to take care of his body. I think he's a great example.

"You want to keep those guys around for as long as you can. He loves CSU. He's got a lot of pride in this school, and he cares about his teammates."

He's done a bit of everything for the Rams. He's thrown a pass. He blocked a kick. He's made plays on special teams, returned a punt for 20 yards and has three career receptions. That's on the field.

In the locker room and behind the scenes, he's been a guidance counselor for other walk-ons, quick with encouragement, eager to work and ready to show by example. He doesn't tell his teammates how to do things as much as he just shows them the proper way.

It's spoken volumes to a lot of those around him.

"As a guy that has to earn your way as a walk-on, you have to earn respect from everybody, coaches and teammates every week, and Dane has done that. He made some incredible plays on special teams this past week," coach Jay Norvell said. "He's one of our magnificent seven, our seven core special teams players, so I'm just really proud of Dane.

"In this day of NIL and all that stuff, there's still a place for guys who walk-on and earn their way and show they can play at this level, and Dane has done that."

Walk-ons do have a special place in Olson's heart, having been one himself. He knows what it's like and can see the signs. It's not always about giving them advice. Sometimes it's just being there to listen, other moments he's sharing experiences. A pat on the back can go a long way, he's found.

He's noticed the differences from staff to staff, especially where they recruit. Bobo hit the South hard. Addazio favored the East Coast and Colorado. Norvell has ranged from California to Texas while staying close to home, too.

Those are personalities from distinct parts of the country, which Olson has seen as a learning experience. His youth in Southern California was different than the teammate from Georgia or even Texas.

It has also meant creating a lot of friendships, even with some folks who no longer wear the same uniform. He still stays in touch with Dante Wright and Ty McCullough. Same with Payton Polson, who he will see across the sideline this week. Even Aaron Syverson, a former walk-on like himself now playing quarterback at Saint John's.

"One of the pros of having so many teammates is the bonds I've created and the relationships. It's obviously stunk to see some of the guys go, but they're still doing their thing wherever they are," he said. "As new people come in, it's building more relationships. My favorite part about being here is being around the guys. That's the thing I'm going to miss the most when I do leave.

"It's been interesting learning people have their own personality from the region they come from, interacting with people all around the country and the world has been great for me. Hearing their stories, what they're childhood was like, its eye opening."

The time has been beneficial to him in other ways, particularly his education. He graduated with his degree in business administration this past May, and he'll leave in December with a master's in sports management.

All along, his only goal was to maximize the opportunity presented to him. All along, he's also done everything in his power to make the program and the people involved better.

"It's just the dedication and the hard work he puts in. Having a guy here that long, there's no more that you can ask for," receiver Tory Horton said. "He knows the ins and outs, knows the area, the team and the environment around everybody. He's that up spirit that keeps everybody going. You can tell by him being on all the special teams, being a receiver, whenever you need him, you can plug him in. He's like that glue in the receiver room, but also to the team, of sticking to the course and riding it out.

"You can tell he's a team guy. He's an unselfish person. If you get to talk to him, you can tell how unselfish he is. The younger guys go to him for help when it comes to the concepts and the special teams play. He's on top of it. Just having that guy with that dedication, that type of hard work, that goes a long way for the team."

All he wants now is to finish the initial task. The Colorado State program was in a downturn when he arrived, a trajectory he wanted to help change. Along the way, amid all the changes, there are others who have arrived with the same goal in mind. He talks to Henry Blackburn and Chase Wilson about it all the time, as well as remembering all who have come and gone in the process.

He taken the original chance and stretched it to the max. His final chapter is currently being written, and the ultimate ending is still within reach. What he's learned about himself along the way is perseverance and resiliency are key components to pursuing any action deemed worthwhile.

"All of the opportunity. I believe in this staff, and I love the city of Fort Collins. I just want to give the city and the whole program everything," Olson said. "This is the year to show what we can do. Henry has talked about the whole culture change, so you want to be one of the guys who helps change the culture. I just want to see it come to fruition and have a winning season, bowl game, opportunity for a Mountain West championship. It's all ahead of us. That's all I've been looking forward to since I've been here."

Just don't ask him to name everybody he's met along the way.

He's learned a lot. Three different playbooks. A couple handful of coaches. But more than 300 teammates, that's a lot of people and faces to cement to memory.

"I can name all of this roster, and at least another 150," Olson said. "I'll give myself about 250."

Better than most if the opportunity was presented.

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