A thunderous roar echoes from the stands when the varsity football team scores a touchdown winning the title of regional champs. Connor Buffon, a left and/or right guard (can also be a center and a punter) for the team, talks about football and where it has gotten him in life, so far. Buffon, a recent graduate, is headed to Dordt University on a football scholarship. He is going to a small-town college in Iowa, Dordt University.

“Dordt University,” Buffon said. “In Sioux Center, Iowa.”

He started playing football at a fairly young age, and he has not stopped playing since.

“I started playing flag football in about third grade,” Buffon said.

Buffon remembers why he played in the first place.

“I like hitting people,” Buffon said. 

He puts his everything into football: working out multiple times a day, practicing at home, going over the plays over and over again, and listening to every word his coaches have said. He has people in his life to help him along the way, which has led him to success.

He has gotten to where he is today from “Hard work and motivation from my parents and coaches,” Buffon said.

Playing on the team here was the next big step for him.

“The coaches helped me develop as a player and helped me get to where I am today,” Buffon said.

Although Northwest has changed him, Buffon and the football team have changed Northwest, too, for the better.

He and the team have changed the tradition of football from “Our team having the best team we’ve had in a while, being a part of that,” Buffon said.

Although the hard work paid off, it came with a cost.

“I tore my meniscus before freshman year,” Buffon said. “Coming back from an injury is pretty difficult.”

Buffon came back from his injury just in time for great things to happen.

Buffon’s best accomplishment is “Getting an opportunity to play football at the next level,” Buffon said.

He added that the best advice he got was probably to keep his head down, work hard and reach the awards. He realizes that other people need to hear this great advice just as much as he did.

“Keep working and eventually whatever you’re working towards, you’ll accomplish,” Buffon said. 

Buffon may have failed one or two times, but he has quotes that give him motivation to keep going.

“I can do all things through Him who gives me strength,” Buffon said.

Along with the quote, Buffon has things that are special to him. Things that he will never forget. 

“Probably the chain that my cousin got for me for Christmas after my papa died,” Buffon said.

Everyone has some sort of moment that makes them proud. 

“Receiving my first offer, telling my parents about it and seeing how excited they were for me, gave me the opportunity to go to college, and to get a higher education,” Buffon said. 

He is successful because of the people who surround him every day: his parents.

“I always told him he could do anything he put his mind to,” his mother, Francie Buffon, said. “I encouraged him, and supported him, and honestly critiqued him.”

His mom supported him emotionally and his dad supported him physically.

“I spent $20 at a St. Joe auction on a one-month membership package for 68’s Inside Sports,” Clint Buffon said. “I told him he could do whatever he wanted to do if he worked hard enough.”

With success, comes failure. However, failure makes him a better person because he learns and eventually succeeds from it.

“Probably not playing varsity as much as I could’ve sophomore year,” Buffon said. “I learned to work harder and push myself more.”

His mom and dad also have helped Buffon through rough patches and failures.

“Just being the best mom I could with love, support, and encouragement,” said Francie Buffon.

“I tried to point out the good things he did and his team did, despite not winning the game,” Clint said.

“My parents because they work hard and provide for me and my sister,” Buffon said. 

Family is important to Buffon. He thinks good things about his family. Buffon’s family thinks good things about him too.

“He’s a good kid with a sweet heart,” Francie Buffon said.

Buffon’s mom only had good things to say about him. His nana thought the same.

“I think he is funny,” his nana (grandmother), Mary Powers, said. “I got one more thing, he is very polite.”

People think of Buffon differently from others. Everyone will always have different opinions from each other.

“I think of him as my sweet grandson,” Powers said.

Buffon’s mother thinks of innocence when she thinks of her only son. 

“A two-year-old, trapped in a man’s body,” Francie Buffon said.

His parents are happy to call Buffon their son. They are excited for their son to move onto the next stage of his life.

“I am very proud of him,” Francie Buffon said. “I am proud of the way he plays. But, he’s going to college for an education. Football is just a bonus.”

Buffon’s parents are thrilled for him to play football in college, and to just go to college.

“I am very proud of him,” Clint Buffon said. “I am really proud about him wanting to go and play. I’m excited for him. I think he will have a real good experience and a good time.”

His mom always knew he would play football from the time he was born.

“I had no doubt that he would love football,” Francie Buffon said. “He was an 11-pound baby- already a lineman when he was born. How could he not love football?  His dad played football and I am a big fan of football. So he almost had to love football.”

It took his dad a little while longer for him to think Buffon would truly fall in love with football. 

“Not until about the seventh grade,” Clint Buffon said. “He liked playing football. You could tell the difference that he wanted to play and work out about the seventh grade. And trying to better himself.”

In the fall, Connor will attend Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa and while he will view his beloved sport at a new and exciting level, he will never forget the games he has played, the people he has met, or the memories he’s made along the way.