From D3 to $80 Million Deal

Welcome back! Last week’s edition was our best performer of all time 🙌 Now let’s see if we can break that record.

In today’s email: the story of a Division III football alum who made it a lot further than anyone expected.

Oh, and he did it without a senior season of college football.

Now he’s got 80 million reasons why “D1 or bust” is entirely false.

Let’s dive in 👇

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Quinn Meinerz Broke The Mold on His Path From Division III to the NFL

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“I really enjoy proving people wrong, and also proving myself right.”

How did a guy from a D3 school end up signing an $80 million contract in the NFL?

It all started in a farming town of 14,000 people on the outer edge of Milwaukee.

Born and raised in Hartford, Wisconsin, Quinn Meinerz wasn’t the kind of high school athlete who drew the attention of major college scouts.

At Hartford Union High School, he was bigger than the other kids but didn’t quite fit the mold of a future NFL star.

“I wanted to play quarterback,” Quinn said in an interview. 

“But my body type changed and made me into an offensive lineman.  I was always overweight.”

His coaches did what you’d expect.  They stuck him on the line.

“When I got into freshman year, I was expected to move up and play on JV.  But I actually got sent down to the freshmen,” Quinn said.

“That was actually one of the first times I actually sat on the bench for an entire game and didn’t play.  That motivated me a lot.”

Fueled by a diet of meat, spaghetti, and gallons of milk, Quinn packed on 80 pounds between his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Yes, 80 pounds.

“I came back the next year, and was starting right tackle for the varsity football team at 6’2”, 260.”

His teammates started calling him “The Gut”, a nickname he learned to embrace.

With his size and strength, Quinn excelled across several sports including football, wrestling, and track and field.

His interests were so varied that his MaxPreps homepage had a wrestling highlight instead of football.

He earned honorable mention all-state for his work on both sides of the ball, playing both offensive line and defensive tackle.

“When I got to my senior year, I thought I was finally, like, the prototype D1 guy.  I’m 6’3”, I’m 315 pounds.  I’m, almost every snap, pancaking somebody.”

But playing in the smaller, less scrutinized circles of Wisconsin high school football, he remained under the radar.

"The recruiting process was pretty much non-existent for me."

When it came time for college, Quinn made a decision that many aspiring college athletes might shy away from: he committed to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, a Division III school.

Known more for its academic rigor and Division III athletic prowess than for producing NFL talent, UW-Whitewater was an unconventional choice for someone with pro football aspirations.

But Meinerz saw an opportunity to grow and play immediately, rather than ride the bench at a larger school.

Like many D3 athletes, he thought beyond his sport and chose UWW because of its strong business program alongside the football pedigree.

Despite how much the coaches loved him, Quinn barely played his freshman year.

After only appearing in two games in his first season, he was determined to become a force on the offensive line.

His work ethic, raw strength, and tenacity set him apart.

But it wasn’t just his on-field performance that caught attention—it was his offseason dedication.

“I love the offseason,” Quinn told FOX Sports.

“That’s when you get to see people who really do love the game…how much you’re willing to work out every single day, be disciplined, and come into the next season really ready to go.”

He became known for his unconventional training methods.

At his uncle’s cabin in the remote wilderness of Canada, Quinn chopped wood, flipped tires, and power-cleaned 100-pound propane tanks.

These Rocky-esque training routines became legendary on social media, showcasing a commitment to physical conditioning and mental toughness.

“It taught me…how motivated I am inside to just work harder than anybody else.”

After the 2019 season, Meinerz was named a first-team All-American.

Then, his senior season was canceled due to COVID.

With no actual games left and no senior year highlight tape to show, Quinn’s NFL dream seemed near-impossible.

“There was a lot of stress happening.”

“Without having a season in [2020]...I had to control what I could control and that was training a lot and lifting a lot of weights, getting my body composition better. When gyms opened up that’s all I was doing, going to the gym and training every single morning.”

Ultimately, he decided his best chance to reach the next level was to learn how to play center.

So he taught himself, studying technique and setting up creative drills in his backyard.  One of which included shotgun-snapping footballs into garbage cans.

“I’d [film] myself snapping…and watch myself and critique my film, like, ‘Hey, why is the ball going more to the right when I’m trying to go left?’”

Despite his dominance at the D3 level, Meinerz’s big break came when he received an invitation to the 2021 Senior Bowl—a prestigious event that typically features the top talent from Division I schools.

“The easy write-off for a small school player is the level of competition,” Quinn said.

“And I was like, “You know what? Screw those guys. They don’t know anything about me. I’m gonna go out there and I’m gonna show it, even more so, that the level of competition wasn’t gonna be an issue for me.’”

Unlike the other players from bigger programs, this was the first time all year that Quinn got to run out of a tunnel onto the field.

“That was so cool…I think a lot of people take that moment for granted, and it was special to have that.”

With the eyes of NFL scouts and coaches on him, Quinn seized the moment.

His performance drew praise from pundits who said he “made it look easy” playing against the top talent in the country.

His standout play in practices and the Senior Bowl itself turned heads and altered perceptions about his draft stock league-wide.

Quinn’s improbable journey reached a climax when the Denver Broncos selected him 98th overall in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

He entered the NFL as the highest draft pick in the history of Wisconsin-Whitewater, following in the footsteps of other alums like Jake Kumerow, a wide receiver who played for the Bengals, Packers, and Bills during a five-year career.

In his rookie season, Quinn saw significant playing time, earning praise for his versatility and tenacity in the trenches.

Altogether, he played in 15 games in the 2021 campaign, starting 9 of them.

Then in 2022, he became the Broncos’ starting right guard.  He allowed just three sacks in a total of 752 offensive snaps.

The improvement continued in 2023 when he started all 17 regular season games and played 96.7% of Denver's offensive snaps.

According to Pro Football Focus, his run-blocking grade ranked second in the league as he’s “quietly taken his place as one of the better guards in the NFL”.

In July of 2024, the Denver Broncos locked him down with a 4-year, $80 million contract extension.  Unprecedented money for a Division III alum up until this point.

When speaking to the media after the deal was announced, Quinn thanked everyone who’s supported him from the beginning.

His wife, for believing in him more than he believed in himself.  (And for letting him bring his weight bench into her apartment during COVID.)

His dad, for supporting him financially as he chased his dream.  (And for supplying him with 70 pounds of ground beef during their meetups in a Best Buy parking lot every few weeks.)

His agent, for being one of the first to recognize his talent way back in 2019, before anyone knew his name.

“I kept it small this whole ride…What do I have to do today? What do I have to do tomorrow?  And keeping it more present and in the moment.”

“Living by the phrase ‘Hard work pays off.’  I know it’s a cliché, but when you actually live by those types of things, great things like this can happen.”

🐶 

If you’ve got a friend who’d enjoy this story, why not share it with them?

This was written in collaboration with Karl Barkley of D3 Direct – your go-to source for info and advice on Division 3 recruiting, admissions, and post-grad opportunities. If you’re a prospective student-athlete, parent, or coach who wants to learn more about the D3 level, join their Recruit to the Real World newsletter and follow them on Twitter @D3Direct!

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Your feedback helps me make this newsletter better every week. Thanks in advance!

Tune in next week for the story of a couch-surfing teenager who became one of the NBA’s biggest stars.

Til next time,
Tyler

Extra Innings…

👀 In case you missed it: McKenzie Long is the self-proclaimed “Queen of Adversity”. Here’s how she turned tragedy into triumph on her sport's biggest stage.

⚾️ One of my childhood teammates overcame more than most could imagine: four career-altering surgeries and the death of his father. Now he’s the bullpen catcher for the Cincinnati Reds #SingleyStrong

😮 This happened: A former NFL quarterback replied to my story about Luis Perez, who went from not playing a single down of varsity football to now getting a shot at the game’s highest level.