The only thing that rivaled the historic attention the world was giving the Bakken oil fields a decade ago was the North Dakota State University football team. At the time of the interview, NDSU had just won three straight national championships and were going for their fourth.
Since 2012, The Crude Life has been creating and publishing weekly lifestyle news segments on the radio, in newspapers and often times monthly in magazines. Nate Moody, NDSU football player, Dickinson, ND, native; and Landon Lechler, NDSU football player, Beach, ND, native, grew up in western North Dakota and the Bakken oil fields and share their story with Jason Spiess, the founder of The Crude Life.
(Articles and interviews From 2014)
Western North Dakota natives Nate Moody and Landon Lechler have been riding the North Dakota boom as of late. Only their boom isn’t using words like gas and frack in the oil field. Moody and Lechler, rather, are using the words pass and sack on the gridiron for the three-time FCS National Champion North Dakota State University Bison.
One incredible chapter in ND history that is playing out before our eyes involves the intersection or nexus of two booming stories. The Bakken Boom and the NDSU Boom.
The recent Championship victory over Towson has become yet another chapter in the successful story of NDSU’s transition to Division I. Three consecutive FCS national championships, a legitimate reputation for knocking off FBS opponents and a fan base to rival SEC schools, are just a few of the chapters in the ongoing NDSU story. In fact, NDSU’s fan base is so well known, ESPN chose Fargo this past season as a host site for College GameDay, which is considered the pinnacle of collegiate broadcasts. North Dakota and NDSU are making their names known in many circles of life and industry.
For Dickinson native Moody, the oil activity was just beginning when he left for NDSU to pursue an education in finance and play football.
“I really didn’t grow up in it, I just saw the start of the it during my high school years,” Moody said. “When I was a sophomore and junior I started noticing more people coming into Dickinson due to the oil activity.”
Since then, every trip home for Moody has been a memorable one.
“Every time I go home now something is different,” Moody said. “A few more apartment complexes go up, I see a Menards is going up, every time I go home something is changing.”
Lechler also grew up in western North Dakota before moving to across the state to attend NDSU and play offensive tackle for the Bison. The Beach, ND, native, recalls growing up in the community before the recent oil and gas activity.
“It was a great place to grow up,” Lechler said. “Small town atmosphere, everyone knows everyone, ag community, good place to grow up.”
Lechler, a sophomore studying Agriculture, returns home as much as he can to “help out on the family farm,” and has noticed some changes in the Beach, ND, community.
“The oil activity has certainly changed things out there. It has its good and bads and people can argue all they want, but I think it has been good,” Lechler said. “It brings a lot of commerce in and people together.”
While Lecher was in the final years of high school in Beach, Moody was in Fargo and started hearing of the growing pains in western North Dakota. Moody recalls hearing about a variety of issues in his hometown, knowing it was national news.
“When the oil activity first came there was all this talk about gangs coming to town, rent was going up, older people who were retired couldn’t afford rent anymore,” Moody said. “But not a lot lately, I guess there’s good and bad when change happens.”
Moody’s recent trip home during holiday break stayed true showing signs of major change in his hometown of Dickinson.
“There’s a new hospital that looks like it is going to open soon. There’s also a new clinic I haven’t seen before that looks like it is operational already,” Moody said. “More apartment buildings, more people and more diesel trucks.”
When asked if Moody is beginning to feel like a visitor in his hometown, Moody said, “Yeah, a bit. Whenever I go home the first thing I do is take a drive around and see what is new, see what I missed, so yeah you could say that.”
Moody’s football schedule makes it difficult to watch his alumni, Dickinson High School, football team compete, but he said he does make it back for a basketball game or two and still keeps in touch with some old friends from high school.
“I still keep in touch with old friends from high school and a couple work in the oil fields,” Moody said. “I have a really close friend who works in the oil field and makes really good money and is already starting his life through that business, so it is great for people like that.”
Moody added it has been fun to have the support of his friends with his football endeavors.
“My friend that works in the oil patch has a little one and is always dressing him up in NDSU onesies,” Moody said. “My friends have always been very supportive with me playing NDSU football. They are great friends.”
Like Moody, Lechler still keeps in contact with friends and family back in western North Dakota too. Lechler said he has a solid supporting cast too.
“I keep in contact with a lot of guys I graduated with and keep in contact with relatives back there.” Lechler said. “I keep a pretty close eye on the home town and what is going on in Southwest North Dakota.”
During his last trip home for the holidays, Lechler noticed a few more changes in Golden Valley County.
“Couple of guys moved into the local hotel and turned it into an extended stay hotel (in Beach),” Lechler said. “Plus a few more businesses are going in, its good to see, but it's different that’s for sure.”
Lechler added the traffic surprised him during his most recent trip home this past holiday break.
“The traffic from Dickinson to Belfield was pretty thick as usual,” Lechler said. “When you got to the painted canyon the traffic just kinda stopped. I was the only one on the interstate, it was kinda cool, kinda peaceful. I expect it to pick-up again soon.”
Like the oil and gas industry in North Dakota marching to a major milestone of a million barrels, football programs and universities have milestones too. The number of milestones over the past decade for NDSU football are both remarkable and a plenty.
Moody understands the amazing ride NDSU’s is on and what a good story is. He should know, he is one. Moody joined the Bison as a “preferred walk on” in 2011, which is a non-scholarship position. At that time, NDSU saw a number of injuries at wide receiver, allowing the 6-foot-1, 192-pound Moody an opportunity to step up and contribute. Over the past three years, Moody’s role in each championship year has changed. This past season, he experienced a role reversal as he was battling injuries.
“It was definitely frustrating this year just because how competitive it was, particularity at our position group,” Moody said. “You have seven guys playing at once, splitting 30-35 snaps a game, and all meaningful snaps too, and to be battling injuries was certainly frustrating.”
Although injuries hampered Moody’s speed during the final two months of the season, he was still able to hone other skills of his game and contribute to the team.
“This year I had to shift my focus and become more detail-oriented in other parts of my game,” Moody said. “I just wanted to do what I could for the team, throw a block or catch a short pass here and there.”
Moody thus far has been on all three of NDSU championship teams, Lechler the past two. Both said they haven’t noticed much difference year to year, just business as usual.
“Our goals stayed the same and our work ethic was there,” Lechler said. “It is amazing to see hard work and teamwork pay off in the ultimate goal of a championship.”
One major non-championship milestone for NDSU’s football program was a victory over Kansas State in Manhattan, KS. The victory over the then-defending Big 12 Champions Kansas State Wildcats was not only a milestone, but another amazing chapter in the success of the football program and Moody was an instrumental part.
“It was definitely a huge win for our program and team, it was a great start to an unbelievable year,” Moody said. “Going down to Kansas State was a crazy experience. They have a beautiful stadium down there and getting to play in front of 50,000 plus people was something else and it couldn’t have come with a better ending with that last drive, 8-minutes thirty seconds left, drive the whole field, score with 30-seconds left, you can’t write a better story.”
The 6-foot-7, 240-pound Lechler was also impressed with the Manhattan experience.
“It was a heck of an opportunity to be there,” Lechler said. “It was great to spend that moment with all the teammates that we grinded it out together throughout all of August and it was great to see the all the fans who made it down to support us.”
Lechler’s playing time has been limited the past two years, being a back up to All-American and projected NFL draft pick Billy Turner. Lechler said he not only has understood his role on the team, but is grateful for the opportunity to learn and play with Turner.
“Billy’s amazing. The things you learn from guys like that who just have an understanding that’s through the roof about the game,” Lechler said. “I’ve learned so much in the past two years, its been unbelievable.”
Three consecutive national championships, ESPN Gameday, a string of FBS victories, 24 seniors graduating, a new head coach and a new quarterback. Where does NDSU’s football program go from here?
“Keep working hard, stay humble everyday and keep after our goals,” Lechler said. “We have to have some younger guys step up, me included, and get together and get rolling next year.”
Lechler said he is very confident the team will be ready for next season and “ready to play Iowa State.” Moody agreed with Lechler’s optimism for NDSU’s next season, despite losing a large number of seniors and FCS’s most successful quarterback.
“We lose 24 guys, but we have many key position players coming back,” Moody said. “We’ll be solid, we just have to not become complacent.”
Moody also addressed next year’s projected starting quarterback, Bismarck-native Carson Wentz.
“He’s been ready for the good part of a year-and-a-half, but obviously with Brock there he can’t control that,” Moody said. “But I personally do not think we will miss a beat with Carson.”
What appears to be the final stages of a remarkable story is turning into yet just another chapter in the the incredible story of NDSU’s booming transition into Division I. Moody is excited to be a part of the evolving program at NDSU and the future.
“For Bison fans out there, Carson will be a fun guy to watch.”
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