ARDEN HILLS, Minn. -- Over the past four seasons, Logan Flannery has been as steady and reliable as a running back can be. He has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his seasons at Bethel University and ranks second all-time among MIAC running backs in career yardage. He will close out his career as the second-leading rusher in school history.
Flannery has been the model of consistency. He has finished in the top three in rushing in the MIAC all four years and led the conference as a freshman. He has all but wrapped up the MIAC rushing title this year as he leads the pack by over 200 yards heading into the final game.
Part of this success can be attributed to the Royals' emphasis on having a top-quality offensive line year-after-year. In each of the past 12 seasons, a Bethel running back has ranked among the top five rushers in MIAC play. Flannery's quickness, the strength of his legs and his ability to avoid serious injury have also been major factors in his success.
However, the biggest factor in his success is Flannery's will to succeed and his mental toughness. “Logan is shifty, quick and very skilled,” said Bethel coach Steve Johnson. “What people don't realize is how physical and competitive he is. He is really tough. He runs instinctively and has great vision.”
That toughness played a major role in the biggest fight of Flannery's life - a battle with cancer the summer before his senior year of high school.
A three-sport athlete in high school, he first noticed a lump under his left arm after his junior football season. He had it examined, and the original MRI indicated it was a swollen gland or a cyst. By the end of basketball season, it had grown and the decision was made to remove it. The surgery took place in early April, the day after Flannery competed in a track meet.
A biopsy was done as a precaution. It revealed that he had Burkitt's lymphoma, a rare cancer of the lymph nodes. “I was shocked to go from being in good shape to having cancer,” he said. “I was scared, especially at first. It worried my parents more though.”
He underwent six sessions of chemotherapy from April to mid-July. “The chemo took a physical and mental toll,” he recalled. “Physically, it made me weak and nauseous. Mentally, I had to deal with boredom as well as fear.”
The physical toll was evident in the weight room. Prior to chemo, Flannery was able to bench press 265 pounds. After the final sessions of chemo, he was able to press just 130 pounds. He also lost his hair. “When my hair didn't fall out after the first session, I was thinking maybe it wouldn't,” he said. “But it fell out from the second session.”
Flannery's fighting spirit was evident after the fifth session, which was a six-day stay in the hospital and intensive chemo. Two days later, he participated in a one-day football camp at the University of Minnesota, with no special treatment or breaks.
“I got kind of lucky, getting the type of cancer I did,” he said. “Some of the other kids at the hospital had it much worse than me. Some of them were dying. With the type of cancer I had, the chances of it coming back are extremely low.”
Within weeks of his final treatment, Flannery was back on the football field. He led Lakeville South to an undefeated regular season. The Cougars reached the Class 5A state championship game, where they lost to Eden Prairie. Flannery rushed for over 1,100 yards on the season. He was named All-Conference, Third Team All-Metro and All-State Honorable Mention.
That winter, he was back on the hard court playing point guard. He was instrumental in South's run to the state Class 4A tourney, where it finished fourth.
Faith played a big role in Flannery and his family's ability to cope with his cancer. “The cancer was a test of my faith,” he said. “I grew stronger in my faith as I battled through it. Before the cancer, I felt like I had the perfect life. The experience I had makes me appreciate life.”
He was surrounded by a loving family with deep faith. “I grew up in a Christian family,” he said. “My sister Shannon and my brother Shane are both Bethel alum, although they both transferred here after I enrolled.”
Flannery traces much of the family's faith to his mother's parents, who were missionaries. “Her dad was Wendell Kempton,” he said. “He had played pro baseball before he got hurt. After that, he became a missionary, working with many famous athletes, including Joe Gibbs, Julius Erving and David Robinson.”
While in high school, Flannery was confident he would continue to play football in college. He was recruited by many Division II schools in the area and looked at Augustana, Winona State, Nebraska-Omaha, Bemidji State, Southwest State and Concordia-St. Paul. “I visited some of them, but there was no chemistry, nothing 'clicked,'” he said. “I think I would have enjoyed football at any of those places, but I'm not sure how the rest of my college experience would have been.”
Flannery was also recruited by most of the Division III schools in the Upper Midwest. Ultimately, his choice came down to Bethel, St. Thomas and St. Olaf. “My parents wanted me to go to Bethel, but they didn't push it,” he said.
His decision was made based on what he saw as a unique situation at Bethel. “All three schools were great, academically and athletically,” he said. “But at Bethel, the team had a closeness, a brotherhood, that I didn't see anywhere else. It was genuine and I could tell they cared about each other. I also liked the Christian environment here. I felt it would be nice to be surrounded by people who shared my values and interests.”
As a freshman, Flannery piled up 1,334 yards and helped the Royals win an outright MIAC championship. He earned the first of three All-MIAC honors – with a fourth all but certain this fall – and he led the league in rushing with 841 yards in conference games. After going 8-0 in MIAC play, the Royals advanced to the NCAA Division III playoffs, where they defeated Concordia-Wisconsin (28-0), UW-Eau Claire (21-12) and Central-Iowa (27-13) to reach the national semifinals. There, they lost to Mount Union to close their season 12-2.
Bethel slipped to 4-4 in MIAC play and 5-5 overall in Flannery's sophomore year. He finished third in the conference rushing race. Last fall, the Royals improved to 6-2 (7-3 overall) and Flannery ranked second in rushing.
This fall, Flannery and the Royals have stormed to a 6-1 conference record and 8-1 overall. The lone blemish was a 10-6 loss to St. Thomas. Heading into the season finale against Augsburg, Flannery has 3,348 career rushing yards in MIAC play and 4,580 overall. With a win Saturday, the Royals should secure a berth in the upcoming Division III playoffs.
His health has not been an issue while at Bethel, and the cancer has stayed in remission. “Two months ago, I had my last checkup and got a clean bill of health,” he said. “I was told I didn't have to come back for any further checkups. The type of cancer I had either comes back in the first two years or it doesn't come back.”
Flannery is a Business Finance major with a minor in Marketing and will graduate in May. His parents have some small business connections and he is thinking of going to work in one of them after graduation.
His impact on Bethel and its football program goes beyond the record book. “Logan is a quiet leader who is loved by his teammates,” said Johnson. “He shies away from nothing. He is kind and intense. He is never critical of others and is patient. Logan has grown in the program, and has grown the program.
“We strive to be authentic men who are devoted to one another. That's Logan.”
