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Former Boylan standout Dan Arnold makes leap to NFL with New Orleans Saints

Dan Arnold wasn’t on the field for the New Orleans Saints’ stunning playoff loss Jan. 13, but he felt his teammates’ pain as the Minnesota Vikings escaped with an improbable win on the game’s final play.

“It was a huge shock and a huge heartbreak,” the former Rockford resident said. “You never want your season to end like that.”

That ending was a beginning of sorts for Arnold, a member of Boylan’s 2011 Class 7A state championship team. He has been on the Saints’ injured reserve list since preseason, and now he’s looking forward to getting back on the field in 2018.

“The injury rate in the NFL is 100 percent,” he said. “It’s what you do after that’s important.”

Arnold’s path to the NFL is one few players navigate. He attended Boylan for three years before moving to North Dakota prior to his senior season. He played college football at Division III University of Wisconsin-Platteville where he was an All-American wide receiver.

Though he is 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, he was not selected in the 2017 NFL draft. But he did enough in college to earn an invitation to work out for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Saints last summer. He eventually signed with the Saints, but then suffered the shoulder injury that landed him on injured reserve.

“Personally, it really sucked,” he said. “I was watching football and not being able to play. The competitiveness in you is like, ‘I want to be out there.’”

Fortunately, overcoming challenges is not new to Arnold.

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After watching the team from the press box most of the season, Arnold said he’s looking forward to earning a spot on the team next season.

“I’m just trying to show the coaches that I’m here to be a part of this team, and I’ll do anything to stay on this team,” he said.

Munz is excited for his former player and believes his determination will lead to NFL success.