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De Pere athlete proves he can deal with any challenge thrown his way

Easton Arendt beating the odds
Posted at 8:13 AM, Sep 02, 2022
and last updated 2022-09-02 09:13:17-04

DE PERE — The De Pere Redbirds have dealt with a lot of adversity so far this season. After a 9-2 season and a conference title, the team was poised for another playoff run.

De Pere quarterback Gabe Herman was injured on the first play of the season and eventually left the game after the first half.

Enter Easton Arendt. A multi-sport athlete at the high school, Easton is no stranger to the bright lights and high-pressure situations. Down at halftime and having never started a varsity football game, Easton had to deal with a lot of adversity.

Adversity is something that Arendt has grown up with and knows how to dedicate himself to overcome. Arendt was born with his three middle fingers missing on his left hand.

While Arendt said it's not quite as difficult as baseball, he's learned to adapt to his quarterback role.

He said that taking snaps under center is more difficult and he's more comfortable in the shotgun and pistol formations. Growing up, Arendt knew he had to train hard to become a high-level athlete.

"I had to work more or harder than other people may have had to work in order to be just as talented or be in the same ballpark as them," said Arendt.

This makes all of the pressure of being thrown into the starting quarterback role midway through the first game of the season and learning a new playbook just another hurdle in Arendt's athletic career.