Dewitt wide receiver/tight end Logan Paulsen has taken a much different path than his peers to be on the recruiting radar of the University of Iowa and a number of other Division I and II programs.

“I was born with a congenital disorder called Pectus Excavatum," said Paulsen. "Pectus Excavatum is a structural deformity in the chest which causes it to cave inward. In my adolescent years, it got substantially worse. For me, I qualified for surgery to correct it because it got to the point where it quite noticeably stunted my lung capacity when I would run or participate in other activities. This cardiothoracic procedure I had done was corrected with a Nuss Bar. This procedure involved a curved metal bar to be inserted behind the sternum in order to push it into a normal position. The bar was supposed to be kept in for around 3 years, but I really wanted to play football my junior year, so I had it taken out just over 2 years. There was definitely some risk involved with doing that."

"For me now, I do look back to see where I was and where I am at now and I am pretty proud of the way I persevered through that all because it was not easy. It took a lot of hard work to get through all of that. It’s great to see how far that hard work has gotten, but I am not done working yet. As far as if it still affects me, I’m not sure. Whether I kept it in for another year would it have helped that much more? Who knows? I do sometimes still find it hard to catch my breath, but it is still greatly better than how it was pre-surgery.”

Paulsen played his way into the attention of the Hawkeyes coaches during the off-season.

“I would say Iowa started recruiting me in the summer after I went to one of their football camps," Paulsen said. "I do keep in pretty constant communication with coaches and the interest is definitely there.”

His trip to Iowa City over the weekend for their win against Minnesota was special for Paulsen.

“This Saturday I had a really good time visiting Iowa," he said. "This was my second time being down there for a game day visit. I really enjoy getting to talk with the coaches and staff here. They are a lot of great people. And of course, we couldn’t have gotten to see a better game so overall the experience was amazing.”

Paulsen's family ties made the trip even better as a whole.

“My cousin (Mark Kallenberger) plays football for the Hawks so I really like getting to go down there to talk to him and watch him play," said Paulsen. "So that’s kind of the personal connection my family and I have with the program with Mark playing down in Iowa City. It would be great to get to keep the family close and play with him someday. But also, I enjoyed getting to storm the field. That was a lot of fun as well.”

Getting a better feel for a number of the Hawkeye coaches is something Paulsen was able to do during the day.

“A few of the coaches I talked to were coach Tyler Barnes, Scott Southmayd, and Reece Morgan," he said. "I enjoyed talking to them because they do seem genuinely engaged and interested in all of the players individually.”

Paulsen played a different position in high school than he is being recruited at and is staying patient with recruiting.

“I have played wide receiver all of high school, but they talked to me about moving to tight end because they believe I have a solid frame for it," said Paulsen. "As far as the recruiting aspect goes, once December rolls around, they start to focus more and figure out the rest of the roster for the class so we will find out more soon.”

The University of Iowa is a program that is special for Paulsen.

“Living in Iowa, I’ve been an Iowa fan forever," Paulsen said. "Now getting the opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes, I really got to see the values and character the program tries to build beyond the wins and losses, and I respect that very much. I feel very highly about the Iowa football program.”

Paulsen mentioned that being able to play with his cousin would be a lot of fun as well.

“Obviously it is pretty awesome to get to have that personal connection with someone on the team and it would be great to be able to follow him there and become teammates.”

Three scholarships and the Cyclones have also been keeping a close eye on Paulsen.

“I currently have 3 offers from Wayne State, Minnesota State-Mankato, and Morningside," he said. "I was also up at an Iowa State game for a recruiting visit as well a few weekends ago. Otherwise I have talked to coaches and programs at all levels.”

Paulsen knows that getitng a preferred walk-on offer with the Hawkeyes would be something that would factor inot his final decision.

“It would be a decision I would talk over with my family, but I would most definitely consider accepting the offer.”