By: Con Marshall-CSC Sports Information
A Chadron State College football recruit who has Chadron ties has received a major honor from the National Football Foundation.
Dax Yeradi of Wright, Wyo., is one of 82 recent high school graduates from across the country who have been placed on the National Football Foundation’s 2020 Team of Distinction. Those selected are recognized for their combined performances on the football field, in the classroom and in the community.
The Team of Distinction is part of the foundation’s mission to promote the scholar-athlete ideal by honoring the best and the brightest, according to the news release making the announcement.
As part of the award, all of the honorees will be included in the permanent digital display at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
Dax Yeradi was a first-team all-state football selection each of the past three years while playing quarterback and safety for Wright High School.
As a senior in the fall of 2019, Yeradi was a Casper Star-Tribune Super 25 selection, was named the Powder River Conference Player of the Year and set the Wyoming All-Class State Record for most defensive points in a season with 331. His defensive highlights last fall included 151 tackles and four interceptions.
As the Wright High quarterback, he ran for 1,251 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2019. He also had passed for 301 yards and a TD.
During his career, Yeradi participated in 412 tackles and had 16 interceptions. He ran for 2,090 yards and 31 TDs, threw for 2,006 yards and 18 TDs, had 5,515 all-purpose yards and scored 204 points.
Dax is expected to play defensive back for the Eagles.
He was coached as Wright High by his father, Larry Yeradi, who intercepted eight passes to set the Chadron High school record as a senior in the fall of 1983. The record was tied by Charles Mann in 1998.
Besides starring in football, he was the Class 2A state champion 160-pound wrestler as a junior in 2019 when he had a 28-3 record. He also placed fifth and second at the state tourney during his wrestling career.
A year ago this spring, Yeradi won the Class 2A pole vault championship at the Wyoming State Meet by clearing 14 feet, 1 inch. He placed third at state the previous year.
In addition, he graduated with a 3.96 grade point average, was academic all-state and a member of the National Honor Society and student council.
“This initiative allows us to shine a national spotlight on some of the most deserving high school student-athletes honored at the local level by our expansive Chapter Network,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “This honor is one of the most prestigious national awards that a high school player can receive. It also brings into focus the phenomenal work that our chapters do in identifying the most outstanding young leaders in their communities.”
The 82 honorees were selected from a pool of 3,500 scholar-athletes, according to the news release.
Dax is the grandson of Tom and Linda Yeradi of Chadron. The Yeradi family recently received the Nebraska State Inter-Council Family of the Year Award given by the Knights of Columbus for their long-standing service to St. Patrick’s Parish and the Chadron Community.