Aiming for the Sky

Michael ’15 (left) and Bobby ’13 (right) Daigle are brothers from Colorado who always have each other’s backs.

For the Daigle brothers from Silverthorne, Colo., the transition from mountains to Midwest was more atmospheric than academic.  Iowa’s four seasons were the biggest adjustment when they enrolled at Central, where the people, they say, eased their move.

“It was a shock, not a college shock, but a weather shock. Where we are from, it never topped 75 degrees on the warmest days in the summer. But the people in Iowa have made it easier—hanging out with the good people,” recalls Bobby Daigle ’13.

Michael Daigle ’15 agrees. “Having seasons—fall, winter, spring, summer—was big because where we are from, it is either winter or summer. There was hardly a transition period but the people have been great to me and made the transition easier.”

Bobby, who graduated in May with a degree in athletic training, is now in graduate school at South Dakota State pursuing a master’s in exercise science. Michael recently declared an environmental studies major. Both brothers knew they wanted to play football in college but neither was familiar with Central.

First came Bobby. “I went through the whole recruiting process. I looked at schools and filled out the online application. I came on my visit to Central, fell in love with the place and knew this is where I wanted to be.”

Then came Michael. “I wanted to try something completely new—different—and it helped that my brother was here to help me make that transition from high school to college a little bit easier.”

That didn’t mean they were together 24/7. “We kind of like to do our own things,” says Michael. “It’s one of those things where we can pick on each other as much as we want but no one else can! Also, going to school together makes communication easier with our parents.”

Bobby follows with, “We’re brothers. We fight, but when it comes down to it, I always have his back. It is just nice to have family close, especially being so far away. Since football, we just don’t see each other very often.”

The Daigle brothers joined a second family when they arrived on campus—the Dutch football family. “It’s just a great group of people to spend time with,” says Bobby, a former wide receiver. Michael, a defensive back, adds, “It’s just another family. They are good people. You know you can count on them. The experience and the friends that I made with my brother, it has been a good ride.”

What Bobby misses most since graduation are the relationships formed on and off the field. “These are my best friends here. I keep in touch with a few people back home but for the most part, these are the people I probably will have a long-term friendship with.”

Each brother describes the other as “athletic, tough-acting, dedicated, trustworthy.”  What they don’t relate about each other is that they are thrillseekers. When asked what’s on their bucket list, both jump in quickly with “Heli-skiing! Skydiving!” Bobby immediately follows with “Bungee jumping. A long drive on the autobahn. I want to get to Australia and New Zealand. I want to get good at surfing,” and Michael adds, “Cage diving with sharks. That would be pretty neat.”

When you grow up on a mountain, only the sky is the limit.