Cat-ching up with Dan Persa

First in a series of stories about former Northwestern greats by WildcatReport contributor Tim Chapman.

PersaStrong was the name given to the 2011 Heisman Trophy campaign that promoted Dan Persa, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound quarterback for Northwestern who could bench press 360 pounds and squat 520.

It may be a better description, however, for the mental fortitude that Persa possessed. A talented and accomplished quarterback at Bethlehem (Pa.) Liberty, he was the first player in Pennsylvania high school football history to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 1,000. But much of Persa’s athletic accomplishments were due more to his great work ethic than it was his God-given ability.

Persa has two hard-working parents, Dan Sr. and Jane, along with a network of family and friends in the blue-collar state of Pennsylvania who helped mold him with a drive that would help him earn so much of his success.

“Where I grew up, you had to work to get what you wanted,” he says. Persa asserts that he’s always had the mentality that there was always someone out there who’s bigger, faster, or stronger than he was, which meant that he would have to outwork his competitors.

“I had to find a way to differentiate myself”, he added. Whether it was putting in time in the weight room, throwing extra passes or studying more film, he knew this extra work would heighten his game and separate him from the pack.

In the spring of his junior year at Liberty, Persa was invited to visit the Northwestern campus in Evanston. Wildcats head coach Randy Walker knew of Persa’s athletic talents, but he needed to be convinced of his ability to throw in Walker’s balanced spread offense, where a quarterback truly needed to be a dual-threat.

During the camp, coaches had all of the QBs in attendance stand at the 50-yard line and make a dead standing throw to the end zone – no run-up, just pure, practical mechanics. Persa had the furthest and sharpest throw of the bunch, which impressed Walker so much that he shook his hand and offered him a scholarship on the spot.

Walker’s wife, Tammy, would later state in an interview with BTN that she remembers her husband being excited that day. She remembers him telling her with a smile (speaking of Persa), “I think he’s going to be a good one!”

Soon after committing to the Wildcats on June 23, 2006, Persa received a personal letter from Coach Walker, dated the same day of his commitment. It read,

Dan,

I’m thrilled you decided to become a Wildcat! I was very impressed with you in camp! I have no doubt that you’re a great player and you will be a great player in the Big Ten! Have a super summer!

Coach Walker

In a digital age when fewer people are inclined to pick up a pen and write a personal memo of gratitude, Persa really appreciated the gesture.

Tragically, Coach Walker died six days after writing that letter. Like everyone in Wildcat Nation, Persa was stunned and saddened by the news. But even after Pat Fitzgerald was named the new head coach, Persa never wavered in his commitment to the program.

Above all, he revered the confidence Walker showed in his ability to be a successful part of this program. So much, that when Penn State, West Virginia, and other schools came calling later in the process, he remained devoted to the Purple and White.

“There’s something to be said about loyalty,” Persa said. “Northwestern was there from the beginning.”

Persa never got a chance to play for Walker, but he has never forgotten the coach who showed so much faith in him. Today he still keeps that hand-written letter in a frame.

“He believed in me”, Persa says simply.

After contributing on special teams as a redshirt freshman and backing up Mike Kafka as a sophomore, Persa entered the 2010 season as the starter and team captain.

His first start came on the road at Vanderbilt. “[I was] pretty nervous, but once the bullets started flying, it was a rush, a lot of fun”.

Persa finished 19-for-21 passing, tossing three touchdowns and no INTs in Northwestern’s 23-21 win. He also led the team in rushing with 82 yards. In his first home start against Illinois State a week later, he was calmer because he had a game under his belt. He finished 19-of-23 for 240 yards and three total TDs, again without an interception, as the Wildcats rolled, 37-3.

“I was a lot more comfortable [against Illinois State] and even more confident than at Vandy,” Persa said.

Having two good games in a row in which he was remarkably efficient helped to get the season started off on the right foot. Persa noted that being a captain helped give him extra confidence, as opposed to a pressure that some might feel in being handed such a responsibility prior to taking their first snap as “the guy.”

“If you have 100-some people that trust you and believe in you, that gives you confidence,” Persa confided. “Preparation and hard work paid off.”

Persa finished his 2010 season throwing for 2,581 yards, highlighted by 17 TDs. He also led the Wildcats in rushing, accounting for 519 yards and 9 TDs. What was most impressive was his efficiency. He completed 74 percent of his passes – tops in all of major college football – and only threw four INTs.

In recognition of his performance, Persa was voted as the first-team All-Big Ten QB by Big Ten coaches, ahead of the more publicized Denard Robinson (Michigan) and Terrelle Pryor (Ohio State).

And he did it all despite missing the last two games of the regular season and the Ticket City Bowl.

On Nov. 13 of 2010, Persa had one of his best games against No. 13 Iowa, connecting on 32 of 43 passes for 318 yards and three TDs. With 1:22 left, he hit Demetrius Fields in the end zone with a 20-yard touchdown pass that clinched a dramatic 21-17 win for the Wildcats.

The pass also ended his season. Moments after Fields hauled in the game-winner, Persa collapsed on the field as he was running. He had ruptured his Achilles tendon.

“[There were] a lot of emotions on that play”, Persa remembers. “It just popped. That’s most frustrating thing. It’s something I’ve done a million times (running), but for whatever reason it just popped.”

Such an injury shelved Persa for the remainder of the season. Not coincidentally, Northwestern didn’t win another game as backup Evan Watkins and true freshman Kain Colter weren’t quite ready for prime time.

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Persa was injured against Iowa. As much as Persa hurt the Hawkeyes, the Hawkeyes hurt him too – literally.

In three games against arguably the Wildcats’ biggest rival, Persa was at his best, completing 67 of 89 passes (75 percent) for 597 yards and four TDs, to go along with 117 yards rushing and one more score.

Yet those wins came at a price.

In 2009, Persa played most of the second and third quarters of the Wildcats’ stunning upset of the unbeaten and No. 4 Hawkeyes, accounting for the game-winning TD pass to Drake Dunsmore. But he was forced to leave the game with a hand injury. In 2010, he led the Wildcats to a win over another ranked Iowa team but was sidelined the rest of the season and part of the next with the torn Achilles. Then, in 2011, he again had a stellar game statistically (30 of 39 for 242 yards, with one TD and one INT) but wasn’t able to play the entire game and threw a pick-six.

Still, Persa has fond memories of those games.

“When we played Iowa, it was a lot of fun,” he says with a grin.

To someone that mentally and physically exerts himself beyond the common threshold, controlled rehabilitation was a challenge for Persa in 2010.

“It was tough”, Persa declares. “At the time, I had never been seriously injured.”

Persa was sidelined the last three games of the 2010 season, ugly losses to Illinois and Wisconsin, as well as a Ticket City Bowl loss to Texas Tech. Then, in an ironic twist, Persa missed the first three games of 2011, despite the billboards throughout the Chicago area touting his Heisman candidacy.

He eventually came back but was in and out of games. A prominent example – an injury forced Persa to leave the Wildcats’ biggest win of the season, a 28-25 win over Nebraska in Lincoln, as Colter piloted the team to the upset in the second half.

His 2011 numbers were actually comparable to 2010, however. He threw for 2,376 yards, completing 218-of-297 yards (73.4 percent) for 17 TDs and a QB rating of 154.8. As expected, his rushing numbers dropped as the Achilles continued to bother him.

Still, he pushed to do what he could and his numbers, especially against stronger competition, were more than sufficient.

Persa admits that he was his own worst enemy in rehab. That work ethic that had served him so well his entire career sometimes often compelled him to push too hard, leading to re-injury.

“But if that’s the thing that’s gonna push me out, then I’m okay with that,” he said stubbornly.

Besides, the injury only reinforced his decision to attend Northwestern.

“That’s why you go to Northwestern (to get a good education),” he said. “You’re also blessed with a great Northwestern network.”

Though his days of wearing No. 7 ended in 2011, Persa found a way to a rewarding career outside of football while still making contributions to the Wildcat program.

Persa is currently a senior associate at CBRE within their Advisory & Transactions Services, Office Tenant Representation group. In other words, he helps secure real estate – large office buildings and towers – for large commercial organizations like Glassdoor, Nitel, Athletico, and even Northwestern University. An associate since 2014, Persa is “widely respected among his peers”, according to CBRE, and won the 2015 CBRE Rookie of the Year Award for his performance.

Persa came CBRE from Duke Realty, where he worked for another former great NU quarterback, Steve Schnur. Not coincidentally, Schnur was Persa’s mentor at NU under head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s mentorship program, where ex-NU players come back and offer personal and professional career advice to current Cats. Persa says he used Schnur’s advice regularly and still does.

“We talk often,” he said. “He’s a great mentor to me”.

It’s clear to see Persa’s admiration for Schnur. With regard to what qualifies a great quarterback, Persa sides with the argument that greatness is where a quarterback helps take his team.

“Stats discussions don’t make a ton of sense,” he said. “The game is different [now]. QBs are judged by how many games they’ve won. He won back-to-back Big Ten championships; he took Northwestern to the Rose Bowl. Not only that, he was really the first QB to really get things going [again].”

Schnur returned the admiration right back at Persa. Speaking of his on-the-field characteristics, Schnur said, “I loved his style of play, gritty and tough, and also loved his personality”.

Having mentored other former Wildcat players, including Trevor Siemian, Schnur appreciated Persa’s value in the business world.

“Dan was a great intern,” Schnur says, adding that he is a determined guy that pursues whatever he does aggressively. “He is doing great at CBRE.” Then he paused and jokingly noted, “I especially enjoyed his handicap sticker (when he was injured) so he could drive everywhere”.

Though things are going well in commercial real estate, Persa still enjoys spending time around the game. He has worked as a color analyst for college games through BTN and WGN, at times working beside the voice of the Wildcats, Mr. Cat, Dave Eanet. Persa has really enjoyed these early experiences. He considers it a “hobby” right now, but sees it as something he might like to do more of, as the future will allow.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Persa says, “a chance to stay close to college football and Northwestern.”

Persa remains close to the NU football program and Fitzgerald in other ways, too. He attends many practices (which are closed to the public), attends most home games and talks to “Coach Fitz” whenever he can. He also takes part in the Northwestern Gridiron Network (NGN), which raises money specifically for the football program.

Persa is paying forward his experiences in the mentor program by counselling current NU quarterback Clayton Thorson, who, as many Wildcat fans know, is recovering from a serious lower body injury himself.

Persa says “Clayton is progressing well” in his recovery from the ACL tear he suffered in the Music City Bowl win over Kentucky. Having been through this experience before, Persa gave him some important advice.

“I just told (Thorson) to take his time and not to push it (rehab), and to listen to what the doctors are saying,” said Persa. “He will do a great job with rehab and be back before he knows it.”

When asked about his greatest memories in purple, Persa said it was hard to pinpoint any specifics. But what mattered most were the significant connections he made in Evanston.

“The things that happen at the residence hall and in the locker room are the things you remember most,” he explained. “The experience and relationships with the guys… the locker room, the camaraderie. Sure, playing in front of thousands of screaming fans is great, but [people] don’t realize the amount of hours that go into all of that.”

In a family-oriented environment like Northwestern, a brotherhood is developed among players that lasts far beyond their playing days.

Persa keeps in close touch with many of his teammates and coaches. He will be getting married this July to his fiancée, Megan, and teammates and best friends Drake Dunsmore, Brian Peters and Jack DiNardo are standing up in his wedding.

Persa collected a lot of individual accolades during his career, but those never really carried as much significance in his eyes as the success and public image of the program. Referring to the PersaStrong billboards that promoted his Heisman campaign in Chicago and also in Bristol, Conn. (the headquarters of ESPN), Persa said he was indifferent to the personal publicity.

“I wasn’t screaming up and down because my face was on a billboard,” he recollected. “Honestly, I never even saw (them) because I wasn’t really going downtown (at the time).”

The slogan reportedly started from an article by ESPN’s Bruce Feldman, who boasted of a quarterback who could lift weights like an offensive lineman. In addition to the billboards, the athletic department sent seven-pound purple dumbbells to various media outlets to help promote Persa and his team.

Persa, who lives by the principle that “there is no ‘I’ in team,” saw this aggrandizement as a way to get the Northwestern brand out there and open some eyes to what he thought was a great university.

“If it’s going to help bring exposure to the school, then I’m all for it,” he said.