If the quality of a high school athletic program is judged by how far it’s graduates advance at the college and professional levels, then the Brainerd Warrior program is receiving an A+ grade.
Super Bowl 55 on Sunday, Feb. 7, will have 2011 Brainerd High School graduate Joe Haeg playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they face the Kansas City Chiefs. After playing four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, Haeg signed last summer as a free agent with the Buccaneers. The move paid off for Haeg as he’s a member of the first Super Bowl team to play the title game in their home stadium.
Many in the Brainerd area join in the Buccaneers’ excitement. The staff and students at Nisswa Elementary School, where Haeg attended school and his mom, Janet, still works as a media specialist, recently hosted events to celebrate Haeg’s Super Bowl achievement.
“This is all hard to put into words — thinking about Joe playing in a Super Bowl with Tom Brady, who has won six Super Bowls,” Janet said. “I still remember Joe playing football in our backyard with his elementary school friends.”
Haeg’s achievement of playing on the biggest sports stage follows the accomplishment last fall by Nick Anderson, a 2008 BHS graduate who pitched for the Tampa Bay Rays against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Anderson has been one of the top MLB relief pitchers the past few years after being traded by the Twins to the Miami Marlins, and then dealt to Tampa Bay last year.
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That was not the first time in recent years that a BHS graduate played in a championship series. Josh Archibald (2011 BHS graduate) was a member of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017 when they captured the Stanley Cup. Archibald remains in the NHL today as a member of the Edmonton Oilers.
Speaking of the NHL, Cole Smith (2014 BHS alumni) made his NHL debut Jan. 14, as a member of the Nashville Predators. One other skater, Mitch McLain (2012 BHS graduate) played an exhibition game for the Minnesota Wild last season, and is currently with the Wild’s minor league team in Iowa.
Reaching the top professional sports level, including playing for a league championship, is quite an accomplishment. And it’s a compliment for the Warrior program, and success that our community can be proud of for years to come.
It’s also an inspiration to young Warriors, who can see that with hard work and dedication anything is possible — even playing on the largest stage in sports with the Super Bowl. By the way, the stadium public address announcer for the Super Bowl will be Kelly Burnham, a 1984 BHS graduate, who is also the stadium announcer for Minnesota Vikings’ home games.
