Matukewicz surprises Southeast Missouri State football walk-on Zach Stagner with scholarship

The theme of Southeast Missouri State's final football scrimmage of fall camp was supposed to be setting the two-deep, especially the ongoing quarterback battle. But as practice wrapped up at Houck Stadium on Saturday, it was the long snapper who stole the show.

As the team huddled around coach Tom Matukewicz at midfield, a Cape Girardeau police car rolled onto the field, lights flashing and siren wailing. A pair of officers stepped out of the vehicle and walked to the group of befuddled college athletes.

As the scene unfolded and Zach Stagner was called to join the officers at the head of the huddle, he had no idea what was about to happen.

"I figured [Matukewicz] was up to something, but I had no idea what," Stagner said. "He's always doing funny stuff like that. I didn't know that was coming, that's for sure."

What the head coach was up to was presenting the sophomore long snapper and local Cape Girardeau Central product with what every walk-on strives for -- a scholarship.

"That was 'Stag Daddy' getting himself a scholarship," said sophomore quarterback Dante Vandeven, who played his high school football across rivalry lines from Stagner at Jackson. "Zach is the sweetest kid I've ever met, good Lord. His mom raised him well. This is awesome to see him get that. He's working so hard, and he's getting nothing to be out here. He's doing it because he loves the sport. I think it's great for him."

As the announcement left the coach's lips, the Redhawks mobbed Stagner, lifting him up on their shoulders in celebration.

If there was a feel-good way to end preseason camp before the focus really shifts to Week 1, delivering good news to a player well-liked throughout the team was effective punctuation.

"Everybody asks me, 'Coach, what's the best thing about your job?'" Matukewicz said. "It's you get to give people what they deserve. A lot of times I walk in the house and I could change a family tree because this kid wouldn't go to school if it wasn't for the scholarship I'm about to give him.

"So, this is the fun part; I'd do this for free. They pay me to speak and recruit and all these other things, but this part of things is what it's all about. I really believe one of the most impressive things you can do is walk on to a Division I football program and earn a scholarship. If you're across the desk some day getting interviewed and they ask, 'Why should I hire you?' all you need to say is, 'Well, I walked on and SEMO and earned a full scholarship.' Enough said. That tells you everything you need to know about that kid."

The plan to present Stagner with a full scholarship was put in motion last Thursday, but the decision-making process is never an easy one for a coaching staff. Matukewicz likens the scenario to maneuvering under the NFL salary cap, with just 63 scholarships to divide among 105 players. In this case, he felt the long snapper -- often a position programs don't use a scholarship on -- had proven he was deserving of a big reward.

Stagner is the seventh player in Matukewicz's three-year tenure to go from walk-on to scholarship player.

"A big day for sure," Stagner said. "I didn't have a clue. My mom didn't have a clue. I think Coach Tuke and maybe one other person knew, and that was it.

"It's definitely something you're working for. You don't always want to be a walk-on -- not that there's anything wrong with that -- but you always want to be working for something bigger, and that's what I've been doing. Thank goodness it's come true."