Transferring colleges 300 miles apart is challenging, as is restarting a sport two years after high school and playing two college sports simultaneously.

St. Thomas junior football and baseball transfer Nate Shoemaker doesn’t shy away from challenges.

On top of transferring universities and playing two collegiate sports, Shoemaker is also pursuing law school.

“Nate is a young man that has high standards,” wide receiver coach Jarod Dodson said. “He expects a lot out of himself.”

Shoemaker has taken on several roles for St. Thomas football this year, including starting at wide receiver and playing special teams. Dodson said it takes “someone special like Nate” to balance two sports at such a high level.

Shoemaker graduated from Minnetonka High School in 2017 and went on to play baseball at Creighton University in Nebraska, but after deciding he wanted more playing opportunities, he transferred back home.

St. Thomas football, who recruited Shoemaker in high school, left the door open if he ever changed his mind, and he gave the coaches a call.

“First and foremost, he just really missed playing the game,” Shoemaker’s dad, Dave, said.

When Shoemaker’s profile popped up in the NCAA transfer portal, he was also in contact with St. Thomas baseball, which didn’t have a chance to recruit him after he committed early to Division I.

“My hope would be is that he’ll be a starter for us,” head baseball coach Christopher Olean said.

Olean said he typically includes 12-13 pitchers on the varsity roster, and he expects Nate to crack the starting five rotation, due to his hard work and skill set.

Right away, Shoemaker felt that St. Thomas welcomed him with “really, really open arms.”

“It’s the type of thing where if you’re going to eat in the lunchroom and you see some guy who you don’t know that well, but you know he’s on the football team, you guys go sit together and you’ll talk like you’re old friends,” he said.

Dodson said that Nate has the opportunity to compete for a larger role on the football team next year.

“We love his leadership,” Dodson said. “We love his tenacity.”

However, success hasn’t come easily; when Shoemaker first arrived on campus for fall football camp, he felt the effects of not touching a football for two years.

“I remember everybody was just flying around and it was super fast, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, what have I gotten myself into?’” he recalled.

When deciding to transfer, he drew confidence from his father, who transferred from the University of Oklahoma to the University of Minnesota during his college football career.

Dave expressed gratitude that his son gets to play for “transformational coaches” rather than “transactional coaches.”

“He’d run through a wall for coach Caruso, I’ll tell you that right now,” Dave said.

Although Shoemaker said he faces many unknowns, he feels that it’s part of his journey.

“Between Omaha and St. Paul, and football and baseball, it’s a really diverse experience,” Shoemaker said.

Now that he’s home, his family can watch him play both of the sports he loves as a Tommie.

“The only regret I think Nate has, is that he didn’t do it right out of high school,” Dave said.

Mia Laube can be reached at mia.laube@stthomas.edu.