The football card packed a punch.
Back in December, Austin Andrade devoured all the information the Internet had to offer on Timm Rosenbach, who had just been named the new football coach at Adams State. Instantly, the burly offensive lineman became “overwhelmingly excited” that he was about to play for a former Heisman Trophy candidate and NFL quarterback.
But it wasn’t until Andrade walked into an office inside the football building in Alamosa just last week, and saw Rosenbach’s rookie card with the Phoenix Cardinals sitting on a desk, that he began to truly appreciate his coach’s football odyssey.
“I was like, ‘Oh, no way!’ ” said Andrade, a senior from Tucson. “He was under center and he was taking the snap, and it just finally hit me that this guy has done it all. It was really exciting.”
If the 48-year-old Rosenbach hasn’t experienced everything one can in football, he certainly will soon. After nine months on the job, his first as a head coach, Rosenbach will guide the Grizzlies into their season opener at Texas A&M-Commerce on Thursday.
Rosenbach may seem to be a long way from the sold-out Pac-10 stadiums he played in as a star quarterback at Washington State or the big cities he played in during his NFL career. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t exactly where he believes he’s supposed to be.
“My dad was a coach, so I grew up with a 16-millimeter clicker in my hand watching film,” Rosenbach said. “It was in my blood. I don’t think I ever planned being a coach. I think the only thing I had ever planned on when I was younger was being in the NFL — that was my dream.
“Then you go through life and things happen, and you go back to where your roots are a lot of the time.”
Rosenbach dealt with injuries early and often during his NFL career. He had a bright second season in the league in 1990, playing all 16 games and rushing for more yards than any quarterback except Randall Cunningham. But he missed the entire 1991 season because of a knee injury and his brief career was never the same.
Along the way, Rosenbach became disillusioned by the coldhearted nature of the league, perplexed by how players could be virtually ignored when they were injured.
“The one thing I learned about the NFL … the camaraderie and pageantry and the tradition, it’s not the same in the NFL as it is in college,” he said. “You look at it and go, ‘Gosh, you wish it was better in that league.’ “
Once he left the NFL, Rosenbach had no intention of returning to the sideline as a coach. But the game had its hooks in him, most notably the kinship with teammates he felt most during his playing days in college.
Rosenbach made his first foray into coaching as the quarterbacks coach at NAIA member St. Ambrose (Iowa) in 1999. Jobs directing quarterbacks and offenses followed at Eastern Washington, Washington State, New Mexico State, Montana and Weber State.
In 2013, Rosenbach took the job as offensive coordinator at UNLV and helped the Rebels reach their first bowl game in 15 years. After his second season at UNLV, Rosenbach was ready to embark upon his first head coaching job. When he heard that Marty Heaton had stepped away as the head coach at Adams State after seven seasons, Rosenbach threw his hat in the ring.
“When he came on his interview, everybody on the (search) committee said, ‘Yeah, that’s our football coach,’ ” Adams State athletic director Larry Mortensen said. “He wanted to be here, and that was important. He’s not looking to get to the next place.”
Rosenbach has worked diligently in his first year in Alamosa to embolden the RMAC school’s traditions. He has guided his team through a number of community-service projects. He has worked to connect with former players and bring them back to campus.
“People tend to want to get more involved in the program when there is something that recognizes the past a little bit,” Rosenbach said.
Along the way, he has often reminded his players that football is supposed to be fun.
“He’s a player’s coach, and he’s been easy to talk to from the beginning,” said Grizzlies defensive back Ryan Holland. “Guys are excited to play for him.”
And the guy in the football card is ready to coach them.
Nick Kosmider: 303-954-1516, nkosmider@denverpost.com or
