NAPERVILLE, Ill. (BVM) — Hours after South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski injured his left leg in the 2021 NCAA Division I Football Championship, he opened up Twitter.

The Jackrabbits had just lost to No. 2 Sam Houston State 23-21, falling short of their first national title. Gronowski left the game immediately after the team’s opening drive, and he felt as if he had let his teammates down. 

But throughout his life, Gronowski has always trusted God to make him a better person out of adversity. Driven by optimism, he tweeted, “God has his plan. I will be back better than ever!” Gronowski didn’t know the severity of the injury or when he was going to play next, but he knew God had a plan for him.

God has his plan🙏🏼I will be back better than ever!!

— Mark Gronowski (@mgronowski11) May 16, 2021

“I would say I’m a fairly religious person,” Gronowski said. “I’ve always been told throughout my life that God has a plan for you, and no matter how it is, it’s gonna be OK in the end. Sometimes, days will be better than others. That day was not a great day for me, but just trusting God and what he has in store for you … that was the real thing behind that.”

While Gronowski might’ve ended his freshman season almost a whole game earlier than he would’ve liked, the Naperville, Ill., native experienced tremendous success in his first season as the Jackrabbits’ starting quarterback — a role he didn’t necessarily expect to have when he arrived in Brookings, S.D., last summer.

Gronowski attended Neuqua Valley High School, where he was the Wildcats’ starting quarterback his junior and senior seasons. While in high school, he engaged in conversations with Bemidji State University and received offers from both Valparaiso and Butler. 

Heading into his senior year, Gronowski received an offer from South Dakota State. He felt the Jackrabbits showed a high interest in him, and he knew he could quickly establish close relationships with the program’s coaches.

“One of the big things that I really learned throughout the recruiting process is unique: it’s go somewhere that you’re loved and that you really have people that want you to be there,” Gronowski said. “It really felt like South Dakota State was the one place people truly loved me and wanted me to be there.”

As excited as Gronowski was to begin his freshman season last fall, he soon felt a sense of disappointment. The Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) postponed its football season due to COVID-19 concerns just days after he arrived on campus, and there was a lot of uncertainty on whether there would even be a spring season. However, Gronowski was still able to practice and connect with his teammates and coaches. He viewed the lack of a fall season as a blessing in disguise because the time he spent practicing helped build his confidence heading into the spring. 

While preparing for a possible spring season, Gronowski knew the starting quarterback job was open. Sophomore J’Bore Gibbs, who held the starting duties in 2019, was recovering from an injury and wasn’t going to be ready for the spring. The role ultimately came down to Gronowski or sophomore Keaton Heide.

“I came down, guns blazing, ready to go,” Gronowski said. “I just kept working, slowly started getting some more reps … those relationships with teammates around me, they started to trust me and [I] really started pushing coach to get me more reps and try building relationships more.”

When the Jackrabbits ultimately began their season in February, Heide was dealing with COVID-19 issues, which caused him to miss time. Because of the reps Gronowski got in and the relationships he spent months establishing, he was ready for the starting gig. Gronowski led the Jackrabbits to a 24-20 season-opening victory Feb. 19 against the University of Northern Iowa, recording two passing touchdowns and 194 passing yards.

Following a 5-1 regular season, Gronowski led the Jackrabbits to Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoff victories over Holy Cross, Southern Illinois and Delaware en route to the FCS National Championship May 16. The MVFC Offensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, Gronowski entered the game with more than 1,500 passing yards and 23 total touchdowns.

With no classes to attend, Gronowski compared his lifestyle the week leading up to the game to that of a professional football player.

“That week was huge,” Gronowski said. “I mean, everyone on the team was really excited to get down to Frisco to start playing and practicing with everyone. When I went down and saw the field, you really felt like, ‘Oh, this is real. We’re really here — we have an opportunity to win this entire thing.’”

Taking the field for the Jackrabbits against the Bearkats, Gronowski was pumped, to say the least. All the effort he put into practices and all the time he spent connecting with his new teammates and coaches came down to this moment — a chance to make Brookings proud and put his team in the national spotlight.

But during the Jackrabbits’ opening drive, a Bearkats’ player tackled Gronowski and directly hit his left leg. In the heat of the moment, though, Gronowski assumed he would be fine the rest of the game. He decided to stay in for the next play. 

However, while walking off the field after the Jackrabbits failed to convert a third-down play, Gronowski knew something was wrong. Not returning for the next drive, he talked with his coaches and his athletic trainer and knew it was unlikely he would return later in the game. 

After briefly riding the bike on the sideline, Gronowski attempted to throw a football with a slight hope of returning later on. After taking one throw, he decided it was best for him to sit out. 

“I did feel like I let [my teammates] down a little bit, just not being able to give my best effort on the field with them,” Gronowski said. “Not being able to battle through the entire game with them really kind of hurt.”

The day after the game, Gronowski had a doctor’s appointment and underwent an MRI scan on his left leg. Shortly after, he found out he would need to undergo surgery. After taking some time to focus on himself, Gronowski underwent surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. He then began regular physical therapy. 

For Gronowski, as tough as the process was, he had a large support system of close family members and friends who he could rely on to make him feel better. 

“There wasn’t really much I could do at that time,” Gronowski said. “So just having people to spend time with, especially my parents, always helped me whenever I needed something. My parents were a big part of the first couple days and weeks of my recovery, and I really couldn’t thank them enough for that.”

While participating in physical therapy, Gronowski did a lot of exercises to work on bending and strengthening his left leg. He’s spending time in both Naperville and Brookings this summer and while he doesn’t expect to play this season, he said his coaches plan to use him as a mentor on the sideline for his teammates during gameplay. 

“I’m going to have an important role on the team this fall,” Gronowski said. “It’s even important for myself, really just learning more about the offense and more about my teammates and how I can  become a better person, a better leader for them.”

“I don’t know what to expect, really. I’ve never had an injury that cost me the entire season before. I’m kind of interested to see how I will react to that, but I don’t really know how I will be because I’m so used to playing. But I think it will be OK.”

Gronowski is in Brookings right now and is participating in summer practices along with additional physical therapy. He also has a part-time job working for a local flooring company, which he said is an effective way to pass the time when he’s not focusing on football. 

When he eventually hits the gridiron again, Gronowski believes he’s going to be a stronger player and person, which he said relates back to his initial tweet. He’s excited to gain a new perspective from leading his teammates on the sideline while knowing there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. 

“I’m going to come out better because of it,” Gronowski said. “And it’s really going to give [me] a different perspective — how important and how much I value the sport of football, my time being on the field, and really trying to enjoy every single moment that I have. But also, in the sense of just learning and giving this season, I feel like that will help improve my game to another level coming back in the next year.”

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