Adam Ricketts knew he felt right at home.

Arriving at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota with two weeks before the start of his freshman football season, Ricketts found himself fighting for a starting spot alongside roughly 200 other players. The speed of the game had increased dramatically since his time at Rochelle Township High School, but Ricketts was happy to find himself in them mix for an elite Division III program.

“I didn’t know anybody when I went up there,” Ricketts said. “I didn’t have to worry about making friends because, when I showed up, I had 200 kids I was interacting with. That’s certainly a huge perk, and my family is a big sports and football family… I love the game, so to be able to continue my career at a program that is nationally renowned is really an honor.”

A four-year football player who also competed in basketball and track at RTHS, Ricketts said he was initially drawn not to Saint John’s University, but its rival St. Thomas University. He said his decision to play for the Johnnies came after a positive meeting with coaches while he was on his way to visiting St. Thomas.

“I was really interested in St. Thomas,” he said. “We headed up to check out St. Thomas during my senior year and my dad said we should find another school to check out while we were up there… We went to Saint John’s first and once I talked to the coaches I was pretty sold. From my first visit there I knew it would be a good fit.”

A varsity starter with the Hubs since his sophomore year of high school, the 5-foot-9-inch, 215-pound linebacker is gearing up for his third season with the Johnnies this fall. While the abundance of players have increased the level of competition for starting spots, Ricketts said the competition has inspired him to push himself harder than he has at any point in his football career.

“We played in a really good conference at Rochelle, but here everybody was the best player on their high school team,” he said. “There were about 75 guys who came in during my freshman year… You can’t take a day off, especially when you’re competing against 200 other kids to see the field. You don’t have a chance to relax, and you have to earn your stripes if you want a chance to see the field.”

While he isn’t battling on the gridiron, Ricketts is working toward an education in sports management. He said he’s working with the Beloit Snappers this summer, a Single-A baseball affiliate with the Oakland Athletics, and his goal is to graduate with a degree that will help him pursue his dream of becoming a general manager in sports.

As Ricketts continues his athletic career at Saint John’s, the Hubs will return to action this fall looking to reach the playoffs for a second straight year. A player who experienced part of Rochelle’s two-year playoff drought, Ricketts will be cheering for his high school team as the Hubs begin their next journey.

“You have to treat every day like it’s your last and you have to get better every day,” he said. “We had a good team my junior year but we never climbed to our highest height… We were never consistent my senior year and we were a different team a lot of weeks… It’s not enough to just be good. You have to be consistent.”