Approximately seven percent of all high school athletes continued their sport in college. Only 3% of those were at the Division I level. Senior Josiah Andrews certified his legacy at Rocklin High by becoming part of that 3%. Andrews announced his commitment to continue his football career at Northern Arizona University (NAU) in July. Andrews said, “NAU found out about me from the film. I put some pretty good film out from last year’s junior season, and I chose them because I really like the coaching style, the team, the environment, and the place.”

It was well known how hard achieving the level of a Division I athlete was. It required a strict work ethic. “I would say I’m one of the hardest workers on the team. We have to wake up at six, then practice after school. But I pour into myself a little bit more, I have training and I go before weights,” Andrews said. Andrews would be going into his freshman year next season, but despite being the new guy, he had set high goals for himself. “I want to start and play as a freshman. I want to be an All-American and just kill it.” Wide receiver coach Jason Yallich, the most important coach to Andrews, said, “We’ve always kind of seen it in him. You know, he didn’t play his sophomore year, but his freshman year we got a chance to see him out on the field, and there were just some special things that he did.”

“This has been a dream since I was a kid” – Josiah Andrews

While Andrews had seen many of his teammates come and go throughout his football career, senior Connor Bow had been by his side since eighth grade. “Basketball really started the friendship there. We started in third or second grade, I think. Then I started football in eighth grade, playing with [Andrews],” Bow said. It was clear from very early on that Andrews wasn’t an ordinary athlete. Bow noticed his potential when they were just “12 years old or 13 years old. He was all work, all the time.” Andrews was known within his team to be very impactful. His leadership and friendliness made him the ideal player for both coaches and teammates. Bow said, “He’s always trying to uplift us, give us a good look, and just [try] to be the best leader he can be.”