Austin Goehring might not be the first guy one thinks of as serving a vital role within the University of South Dakota football team's offense, but when you talk to the people who are paid to pay attention to this kind of thing, you hear the real story.
 
"He's done a great job of understanding how he fits into our offense," said tight ends coach Tyler Paopao. "If we're going to be honest about it, he's picked things up at a higher level than a majority of the young players coming in."
 
The 6-4, 245-pound junior is sort of a rock, for lack of a better word. He's one of the strongest players on the team, according to his coaches. He is considered one of the hardest workers in the weight room.
 
"He's also one of our strongest kids when you apply it out on the football field," Paopao said. "He's an extremely bright young man with a very bright future ahead of him."
 
Raised in Kiel, Wisconsin, a town of around 4,000 in the eastern part of the state, Goehring spent some time in the summer working on a dairy farm owned by his mom's side of his extended family. So did his brother Nathan, a freshman tight end for the Coyotes looking to follow his brother's path.
 
Between the two of them they have the whole Wisconsin vibe covered pretty well. That has no direct connection to being a good tight end, of course, but it can't hurt. And at any rate, the Coyotes are stocked with Goehring tight ends for the foreseeable future. 
 
"When I came here I was more like a blocking tight end – I knew the passing game would be something I'd have to work on," Austin Goehring said. "Coach Paopao and I have talked about that lot and I've spent a lot of time trying to get better at blocking and especially at catching passes."
 
Paopao readily acknowledges the Coyotes ask a lot of their tight ends. Senior Brett Samson, also a Wisconsinite, is another whose contributions include catching the ball and blocking. Though Goehring at this juncture is more counted on for his blocking, he can catch the ball. And Samson, with 16 receptions this year and four touchdown catches, can also block.
 
"Tight ends are true football players," Paopao said. "We ask them to be effective out on the perimeter against defensive backs who are small and fast. We expect them to be able to run with those guys. On the other side of the coin, we ask them to be functional Missouri Valley offensive linemen. That's a tough combo, especially in this league."
 
The Goehring-Samson tandem delivers in filling that spot.
 
"The way we complement each other makes it harder on the other teams," Goehring said. "When they scout us they'll see Brett and then the next series they'll see me or possibly both of us out there. It's not an automatic if you're scouting what we're going to do. I think we're working pretty well together."
 
He's done his best to get his brother up to speed in the program. It sounds like the Coyote coaching staff is comfortable with the idea of the older brother occasionally sharing his expertise.
 
"They get along great and they spend a lot of time together," Paopao said. "At the same time, once in a while you see that big-brother, little-brother thing. Occasionally Austin will pick Nathan up by the scruff of the neck and put him in his place."
 
That place would be at tight end, of course. It just depends on the play call as to where that is specifically.
 
"I've noticed lately that my brother is picking things up pretty well," Austin said. "It's good to see. I know that first year can be challenging when you're young and not getting your reps every day in practice. I've probably been a little tougher on my brother – when we were growing up I picked on him a little – I still do, but it's always been about making him tougher."
 
There were probably a few times back in Kiel where Nathan was not appreciating the great favor his brother was doing for him by making life difficult, but it's how families often work. That time Austin broke Nathan's head open during a pillow fight? Yep, Austin was just trying to toughen the dude up a little.
 
More to the point, if Nathan tries to closely follow his brother's example, he'll have to study quite a bit. The elder Goehring has been accumulating Missouri Valley academic honors since his first season on the team.
 
As that academic commitment applies to football, Paopao calls Goehring "a one-time player."
 
Which means what, exactly?
 
"It means he's one of those guys where you only need to say something once," Paopao said. "If you want him to change a technique or fix something, consider it done. That's a very good characteristic to have as far as coaches are concerned."
 
Being a good student while also being a good football player is not magical. It's all about doing the things you need to do before doing the things you want to do. 
 
"My parents were always on me through middle school and high school about doing my homework," Goehring said. "Now I thank them for it. It was always about doing my homework before I'd go hang out with friends or play video games. When I got here I figured they'd have the same expectations for me. So it just carried over. Sometimes school can be tough. Sometimes it's just about you doing what you need to do. You're preparing yourself for the real world."
 
Goehring and the Coyotes return from an off week to face Western Illinois at noon Saturday in Macomb.