ARDEN HILLS, Minn.—Bethel University's football team has received a lot of attention for their athletic accomplishments, especially after winning five MIAC championships and making eight trips to the postseason in the past 15 years. But over the last four weeks BU's notoriety has gone way beyond the local circuit, as their preseason headshots have gone viral across the country.
Thanks to the initial video that aired on a Fox Sports show called, "At the Buzzer," Bethel's splash went far beyond the campus community. The Royals faces began popping up on national websites, such as the NCAA and CBS Sports. Finally, when Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com coined BU's headshots as the best in college football, Bethel's name and faces became a common table topic across the nation. When all was said and done, eight local and national news sites featured the Royals head shots, with a reach of well over 300,000 people.
Jesse PhenowThe Royals' creativity in this routine event all started three years ago when then-senior running back Jesse Phenow (now coach) showed up for picture day with a set of chains around his neck. That act encouraged a few others to be different during their head shot the next fall and once "prop" shots were introduced for social media purposes last year, all bets were off when it came to "normal" head shots this year.Numerous athletes began premedating what their memorable moment would look like and some even made purchases to "enhance" their shot. Bethel's defensive line made a pact together to darken their mustaches, while others brought in additional props for their one shining moment. Interestingly enough, the head shots featured on each player profile online are just a taste of how creative this team was for their prop shots. Those images will be revealed over time on the Bethel Royals Twitter and Instagram accounts.
The creative head shots were nothing new for this squad, as they've always wanted to be known as "tough suckers" on the field and genuine, authentic individuals off the field. This provided an opportunity for them to show personality and charisma off the gridiron. Despite the fact that individual players have enjoyed the uptick popularity, their number one goal is still to be known for their performance on Saturday.
No. 19-ranked Bethel hosts No. 6-ranked Wartburg in a Top 20 clash this Saturday at Royal Stadium.
