Blue Devil Alumni Spotlight: Patrick Mengelkoch

Name  – Patrick Mengelkoch
UW-Stout graduation year  – 2010
Major  – Service Management
Sport(s) Played  – Football
Years Played  – 2006 - 2010
Hometown (High School)  – Champlin, MN
Currently Reside  –  Minneapolis, MN
 

Give us a brief synopsis of your life since graduating from UW-Stout? include job and family.
Since graduating from Stout, I've primarily spent the past 10 years in software sales.  Including working for companies like Infor, Siteimprove, and currently I work for McGraw-Hill.  Many UW-Stout students are probably familiar with McGraw-Hill, as we are a leader in textbooks and digital resources for Universities across the globe.  However, all my campuses are in Minnesota and South Dakota.  I really enjoy working with instructors because you're constantly meeting people from all different walks of life, and ultimately, you get to help solve the problems they are dealing with in helping students be successful.

I married my wife Jessica on July 1, 2019.  She owns an organic, beeswax candle business. (Shout out Crane Candle Company on Etsy!)  And we have a baby girl on the way.  She's due in April and we are excited to be new parents!
 
How are you using your Stout education in your occupation? In your daily life?
I went to UW-Stout knowing I wanted to get into business, but that was about all I knew.  I liked the Service Management degree because I enjoyed focusing on providing a service as opposed to selling objects.  My degree led to a lot of opportunities as soon as I graduated.  I figured in school it would be really important to understand all aspects of business; sales, marketing, management, lead gen, etc...  I felt leaving Stout I had developed a good surface level understanding in all of these areas and was able to allow my career to take me to whatever I enjoyed most.  That ultimately for me was selling. 
 
Why did you choose to be a collegiate student-athlete at UW-Stout?
Athletic Director Duey Naatz was a huge reason for me attending Stout.  He was my primary recruiter and one of the football coaches at the time and I instantly could tell he was someone I wanted to learn more from.  After visiting Eau Claire and Stout on the same day, I fell in love with Menomonie and knew it was a good environment for me to learn, as well as continue playing football.
 

What did you like most about competing in collegiate athletics?
Mostly playing in the games!  I just loved football and wanted to keep playing as long as I could.  I would definitely also say my teammates and coaches.  I think I recognized in high school that being involved in a sport and on a team during college would keep me focused and I would get to meet some amazing people.  Many of my former teammates are my closest friends today and I still stay in touch with Duey and much of the coaching staff.

What is the greatest lesson you learned from being a collegiate student-athlete?
I think there are three main lessons - leadership, teamwork and time-management.  In the sense that football helped me figure out who I was as a teammate and as a leader.  I wasn't always the loudest, but I remember trying to be seen as the person who worked the hardest.  I always respected the silent worker more than the "over-the-top" talker and I think as I went into my career that is something I've continued to focus on.  People seem to respect others who are humble and working hard.

Time-management was big as well.  Managing a sport, participating in community service, and handling college feel impossible looking back at it now.  But every job I've had since school has felt easier because of everything we were juggling.  It's kind of like the old saying, "You practice harder than a game will be, so that when you get to the game, it's easier than what you've gone through in practice."
 
Who was the most influential person(s) in your athletic career?
There have been so many influential people..  My parents, coaches, teammates..  It would be hard to name one and leave out others here.  But one of the most influential people I had an opportunity to work-out with was Larry Fitzgerald.  Before senior year, I was working out at a facility he used to train at in my hometown.  The only time I got to workout with him was at the new Gopher stadium, right after it opened.  I remember how nice and willing to share advice he was for being such a big star.  I also remember completing a grueling workout that ended in 19 timed full-field sprints.  Afterwards, as everyone else was dying, I still remember him taking a sip of Gatorade, grabbing his receiver gloves and standing on the 50 yard-line, just waiting for the quarterbacks to throw him routes.  I wished I had that opportunity earlier in my career, because it was eye-opening to see how much dedication and sacrifice was needed to be that elite.
 
Which former Blue Devil student-athletes are you still in contact with? 
A lot of them.  I've been lucky to stay close with a lot of former teammates who are back in the Twin Cities now.  Brian Saaf, who played linebacker at Stout, is actually my manager these days! We were both on Student Senate together. It's pretty cool to have a good friend be your boss and luckily he's really good at his job.
 
How would your teammates describe you as a person and as a student-athlete?
I'm not really sure..  Maybe dedicated?  I feel like I put everything I could into football.  I really enjoyed seeing the improvements as I went through my career.  
 
What are some of your career highlights?
8-2 season where we absolutely should have been given a playoff berth..  We lost to Whitewater by 7 that year and they went on to beat just about every playoff team they faced by 50+.  
First Team All-American
AFCA All Good Works Team
Most receptions by a tight end in school history
 

Share some additional details about your Good Works experience, both working with the young man here in Menomonie, then after being selected, your trip to New Orleans. That said, what did you learn from that entire experience? What type of community service are you involved in now?
That was probably the coolest thing I got to experience during college.  It wouldn't have happened without the coaching staff and Duey Naatz putting my name out there to begin with and I was lucky that the NCAA selected me as a member for the Good Works Team.  I was involved in Student Senate, Relay for Life,and a few other projects we had going on around campus at the time.  I was also "tutoring" a local elementary student dealing with Muscular Dystrophy.  Which really just entailed going to the school a couple times a week to play games or go to recess with him, since he couldn't really do stuff as active as his classmates.

All of those experiences changed who I am.  I think I started getting more joy in helping others, than anything I was doing for myself.  That is something I will always try and carry with me.  You realize there are opportunities to serve others while doing things you love to do as well.  Like hanging out with a cool kid and getting to run around at recess again.

Today I'm still involved in working with the youth around the Twin Cities.  I've spent the past nine years coaching for Harrison Park and Recreation Center.  We have teams from three years old, all they way to eighth grade and we've had a ton of great young men come through the program.  It's amazing watching as they are playing high school ball and heading off to college now as well.
 
What are some of your most memorable or favorite sports moment(s) at UW-Stout?
My favorite football game was the last game of my junior season (2009).  We beat Oshkosh on their own field to finish 8-2 and we really felt we would get an at-large bid for the playoffs.  But I was proud of how we went out and won that game.  Giving ourselves a chance to get into the playoffs.  Plus, Kyle Provos threw me three touchdowns that game.  So that was fun as well. 

Anything else we should know about your time at UW-Stout?
I remember hating hearing people say "time flies" and "your gonna miss football when it's over".  In the middle of two-a-days or during offseason lifting, it didn't really feel like time was flying.  But you will miss it!  So enjoy it and start using those experiences and opportunities to build out who you will be after school.  Thanks to everyone who supported me in Menomonie.