Coe running back Ray Seidel’s nickname describes his running style: ‘Bam Bam’

Coe’s Ray Seidel was labeled with the most accurate nickname.

A Kohawk assistant tagged the 5-foot-8, 220-pound battering ram of a running back with the “Bam Bam” moniker and it stuck.

“Yeah, it’s pretty accurate, I’d say,” said Seidel, who also goes by his middle name, Chad. “I like it.”

The physical rusher is coming off an all-conference season and remains a key cog in Coe’s backfield. He is second on the team in rushing, entering Saturday’s battle of American Rivers Conference leaders at Wartburg’s Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly.

“We were very excited for this game,” Seidel said. “It was circled on our calendars since last year.”

The punishing style has satisfied Seidel’s craving for contact. He has rushed for 1,368 yards and 17 TDs the last three seasons, including a 636-yard and 12-TD season a year ago when he was first-team all-conference selection.

Seidel had 174 rushing yards and a score before facing the Knights.

“I’m a bit of a bigger running back,” Seidel said. “I’m not as shifty as others. The way I run is I like to finish and fall forward. I like to create contact. I think that’s a big role for the team, coming in on first-and-10 and getting a 5-yard gain just sets the tone for us.”

Seidel’s actions reverberate throughout the team. Coe Coach Tyler Staker said the offensive line plays tougher and meaner when Seidel is running. The sideline erupts with enthusiasm when he trucks a tackler brave enough to attempt a head-on stop. Usually, the former Waterloo Columbus prep wins those battles.

“Ray is an awesome human being,” Staker said. “He brings a lot of excitement to our offense. He brings physicality to the way he approaches the game and runs the football.

“He gets all the guys on the sideline juiced up when he’s able to square up his shoulders on a defender trying to tackle him. It’s fun to give him the ball and watch him run. When he has it, he makes the most of his opportunities.”

Staker said he heavily recruited Seidel out of high school. Staker said Seidel has proven their assessment of being a good college player correct.

The chances really began in 2021 in a 31-28 home victory against Buena Vista, according to Staker. An injury to a teammate led to more touches. He led the team in rushing that day and has remained a backfield leader.

“He had that breakout game,” Staker said. “Last year, he continued to get better as the year went on. He’s one of those guys that you get lathered up he starts playing better as the game goes on and as the season went on, he became a focal point for us offensively.”

Interestingly, a dichotomy exists inside Seidel. The hard-nosed and rugged running back is mild-mannered off the field. He is more jovial away from competition only to transform when the whistle blows.

“Outside of football, I feel like I’m one of the nicest guys,” Seidel said. “I really don’t have an attitude to me. I’m in a happy mood. When I come to play, I flip a switch and am ready to go.”

Downfalls exist in his type of running. The collisions can have an impact on his body, leaving him beat up, bruised and sore. Coe has tried to alleviate the wear and tear on him, spreading the ball around to multiple running backs.

Ahead of Saturday’s game, Jacob Brecht leads the team with 297 yards and two TDs. Trenton Barnes scored three TDs (two rushing, one receiving) against Nebraska Wesleyan and has 119 yards on the ground.

“I think it is going to help me a lot,” Seidel said about sharing carries with Barnes, Brecht and Jarin Sanders. “Just getting that rotation saves my legs and saves my body from taking really big hits.”

The rush attack had to play a part in any Coe success against Wartburg, which hasn’t allowed any offensive points in 12 quarters and just two overall points the last three games.

“He’s still our workhorse,” Staker said. “He’s still our No. 1. We’ve been fortunate to be able to protect him a little bit.

“Their rush defense is really good. They pride themselves on being able to stop the run.”

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