Karson Klauer was a three-year starter at quarterback and as an
infielder.
Talent was one thing. And he certainly had plenty of that. But just as is so often the case with superior athletes, it was Karson Klauer’s work ethic that set him apart from his peers.
A fierce competitor on the football field and on the baseball diamond, Klauer has a laundry list of awards to his name. But the foundation for that success was laid on the practice fields and in the weight room.
And during those practices, Klauer, the 2005-2006 Free Lance Male Athlete of the Year, was just as focused and determined as he was come kickoff or first pitch.
“He approaches that the same way he approaches Friday night,” San Benito head football coach Chris Cameron said. “He comes out to practice as competitive as he comes out to the CCS championship game.”
A three-year starter at quarterback and as an infielder, Klauer credited the arduous training regimen of ‘Baler football as what taught him the discipline required to excel at San Benito. A year-round weightlifting program beginning his freshman year and the daunting football practices made all the difference.
“If you work hard enough and hone your skills …” Klauer explained, his voice trailing off. “Being gifted and being able to play is one thing, but having someone like Coach Cam pushing you, he just takes you to the next level.”
The result? A storied football career that culminated in First Team All -Tri-County Athletic League honors and the Offensive Player of the Year award his senior season, in addition to a thrilling CCS Large School Division championship. Baseball? Try first team all-league honors three years in a row – at three different positions – and TCAL Co-MVP his senior year.
A RUDE AWAKENING
Like so many boys growing up in Hollister, Klauer had wide eyes when sitting in the stands at Andy Hardin Stadium on Friday nights. He couldn’t imagine anything better than running onto the field under the lights with that huge crowd roaring.
Once he graduated from Spring Grove Elementary School, Klauer set out to make that dream a reality. Along with other incoming San Benito High freshman, Klauer embarked the very next day to the football team’s Wing-T camp, then held at Reedley College near Fresno.
This was it! His chance to finally play with the big boys.
But hitting the practice field at 6am got Klauer thinking this was going to take some adjustment. And as the morning progressed and the temperatures climbed, he began to realize just how tough this was going to be.
“By 12 o’clock, it’s 100 degrees in Fresno and you’re going to 6 o’clock at night,” Klauer recalled with a grimace. “It’s like a workday. It seems like a good deal, but it’s not. Not in Fresno, at least.”
By the time the evening rolled around, Klauer couldn’t imagine how some of the other players had any energy left to do anything. He just wanted a bed to get some rest. But this was training camp, the first of many ordeals he would have to endure to succeed on the football team. And not only was he exhausted and mindful that tomorrow would bring even more punishment, but he also had to sleep in the gym with everyone else. On a mat, right, Karson? Nope.
“The older guys were on the mats,” Klauer said. “We were on the floor, the hardwood. I thought it was gonna suck, but it was worse. Way worse. You’re just beat dead. The whole experience was just bad.”
THE CORONATION
The clock was ticking down at San Jose City College. The quarterback and his offensive unit took the field knowing that if they could score, the CCS title was theirs. After falling in the championship game the previous two seasons, this marked their final chance at glory.
And just as he had done so many times before, Klauer showed the poise under fire that landed him the Golden Helmet Award as a senior, given to the ‘Balers’ team MVP. Calmly and efficiently leading San Benito down the field, the quarterback connected with tight end Art Esparza for the game-winning touchdown pass with 17 seconds remaining, cementing the ‘Balers’ championship and his legacy as a top-notch field general.
“The thing that sets him apart is … you’re going to get his best when it’s all on the line,” Cameron said of Klauer, who threw for 1717 yards and 17 touchdowns over 13 games as a senior.
The 39-game starter said the packed house, delirious fans and pressure situations were what kept him motivated through all the double-days and weightlifting sessions, and what he enjoyed most about his career on the gridiron.
“This is what all that was about,” said Klauer, who also rushed for 13 touchdowns while completing 58 percent of his passes in 2005. “It’s just one of those feelings that you’re not going to get anywhere else.”
THE UTILITY ALL-LEAGUER
Klauer had played shortstop for as long as he could remember. And as a sophomore starter on the varsity team, he was the only ‘Baler to earn First Team All-TCAL recognition.
But come junior year, when Michael Luna took over the San Benito program, the head coach and player started thinking about Klauer’s future. Just as his 6-0, 185-pound frame might make scholarship offers as a quarterback elusive, he hadn’t shown the offensive pop so cherished by collegiate scouts in a shortstop. So Klauer moved to third base as a junior and promptly landed on the all-league first team again. But still not too many long balls.
In advance of his senior season, Klauer took up yet another position, learning the craft of second base in a final effort to improve his chances of a playing future beyond San Benito.
And a funny thing happened. While the batting average and run production had always been there, the ball started flying out of the yard. Finally. Klauer’s senior campaign included outstanding numbers across the board – a .508 batting in league play, 30 RBIs and four home runs – that garnered him the rare feat of a Triple Crown.
Currently weighing the possibilities of playing for San Jose State University or Loyola Marymount University, Klauer is just glad that he has proven himself a versatile commodity.
“San Jose State is thinking second base, I believe, and I know LMU wants me to play third,” related Klauer, who said his late power surge, which included seven total home runs, opened up more possibilities. “When I moved to second, my swing changed and the timing was pretty good because most second baseman don’t have that many home runs.”
THE CONSUMMATE TEAMMATE
Never one to hoard the attention, Klauer listed the ‘Balers’ team accomplishments as what he was most proud of in his San Benito career. While the football championship topped his favorite memories, he called the resurgence of the baseball program – highlighted by a TCAL championship and run to the CCS quarterfinals this spring – perhaps even more significant in leaving an imprint on the athletic program.
Despite all his laurels, Klauer deferred to his teammates when looking back at his days as a ‘Baler.
“The individual accomplishments are just something that happen when you do well as a team,” Klauer said. “Without the other guys, you can’t accomplish what you’ve accomplished. You have to have everyone else around you push you to the next level, as well you do for them.”
Spoken like a true leader. And a champion.
