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After a successful career as a Chisago Lakes defensive tackle, senior Jake Elzy will be donning green at the next level. Only it will be a different shade of green than the one he sported at CLHS.

Elzy signed his National Letter of Intent last week to play football for the Bemidji State Beavers.

On hand for his signing was Elzy's high school head coach Bill Weiss.

Elzy was originally eyeing up a handful of Division III programs who could use his services as a defensive tackle, but after expressing some interest in Bemidji State, a Division II team, the Beavers came calling back.

After an initial workout with the coaches on Jan. 19, Elzy was contacted soon after to send some film. Coach Weiss sent a film package up to the coaches. "They thought I was a good player and that I would be a good fit up there," Elzy said.

Those were qualities that were evident when Elzy donned the green-and-gold. "Chisago Lakes' attitude toward success has been key. Not only to work hard on the field, but off the field -- doing the right thing all the time. Getting in the weight room has helped a lot, too," Elzy noted.

Elzy will be enrolling in the criminal justice program up at the school in hopes of becoming a United States Marshal. In the meantime, he has a lot of work to do for football. "I want to be training all off-season to improve my size when I get up there," he said.

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