BULLDOG BROTHERHOOD: Annual Summer Golf Outing Brings Ferris State Football Alumni from More Than 50 Years Back to Big Rapids
By Sandy Gholston
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – Jason Vander Laan has enjoyed a storied gridiron career as a multiple-time Ferris State All-American, a two-time Harlon Hill Trophy recipient as the top NCAA Division II player and as a former National Football League tight end.
Yet one of Vander Laan's regular highlights is gathering with his Ferris State Football brothers at the annual golf outing, held most recently on Saturday, June 27, at Clear Lake Golf Club, just outside Big Rapids.
"This is one of the greatest things that my buddies and I always talk about every year," he said while surrounded by Bulldogs whose playing careers span more than 50 years. "We want to come back and see the other Ferris guys and have a special day in the summer that we all get back."
Vander Laan, a Bulldog quarterback from 2011 to 2015, added, "It's a blast being here. It's just good vibes coming around. I was excited about coming up here and having fun on the golf course."
No one appreciates the event's significance more than head coach Tony Annese, who believes the outing strengthens the program's brotherhood across generations.
"It's incredible. This event and the turnout say a lot about what Ferris State University stands for with all the loyalty and people from the 1960s to our current team," he said. "It's probably the best golf outing in America, and it's just a testament to the brotherhood that we have here at Ferris State."
Golf carts lined the area outside the clubhouse as alums greeted one another, had meals together, shared stories and registered their teams. Long before the first tee shot, laughter echoed inside and outside the Clear Lake clubhouse as former teammates reunited for a tradition that continues to connect Bulldogs across generations.
Kurt Dubowski, a Bulldog from the 1990s, is in Big Rapids year-round but still looks forward to the golf outing as alums return from across the state and country.
"This golf outing is something that even as we're busy with our lives and everything that's happening, we're going to have so many guys who are returning for this outing," he said. "We know we're going to have a great time with our brothers."
Dubowski added, "It's special because I get to see a lot of guys I played with who know the things you went through and shared some of the same experiences at Ferris that helped shape our lives."
The memories also help keep the bonds strong.
Cole Meredith echoed Dubowski's sentiments. A Big Rapids native, Meredith starred at the prep level for the Cardinals before becoming a Bulldog receiver in the mid-2000s.
"We don't see each other nearly as much," he said. "This is one of my favorite weekends of the year to get all these guys back together."
The alums arrived at Big Rapids from near and far, including another player from the early years of Annese's tenure: Brady Sheldon.
With multiple professional stops in the NFL and the Canadian Football League, the Novi native loves spending time with his former teammates and fellow alums.
"It just feels right this time of year. Seeing the guys, it's amazing," Sheldon said. "It's great being back in Michigan and back with the guys."
Sheldon, who played linebacker during his career, loves what he sees from the Ferris State Football program, standing prominently among the nation's best.
"This program has reached amazing heights and is still ascending," he said. "There's still room for continued growth. I was part of the last recruiting class of the old staff. We were in our first year when Coach Annese came in, and you just never could have imagined it would be like this for the program all these years later."
This annual return also gives alums a chance to see the university's continued transformation. A new residence hall rising at the north end of Top Taggart Field is among several projects reshaping campus.
Tayo Moss, a former Bulldog linebacker who was part of Annese's first recruiting class, said the annual gathering reflects well on what the program has become.
Moss sees the bigger picture, one that extends beyond Ferris State Football to the university as a whole.
"It's an exciting time to be part of Ferris State University and to be a part of Ferris State Football," he said. "It's great seeing and feeling all the camaraderie, the alumni returning, and just supporting the program's future. I couldn't ask for a better event, and I'm just glad to be part of it."
Moss believes it's a great time to be a Bulldog, a message he would share with high school students considering Ferris State.
"Coach Annese is going to give you the love that he always provides to his players, to his athletes," he said. "He's there for you. If you want a coach who is not only going to empower you to be your best as a football player but is also going to challenge you to be a good person, a role model and a good overall human being, I recommend Coach Annese and the Ferris State Football program."
Moss added, "It's not just Coach Annese and the staff. Big Rapids and Ferris State offer such a welcoming environment where you'll be able to be successful on the field and be set up for success in life."
The Bulldog alums – from 50-plus years ago to as recently as this year – are as appreciative as anyone of the program's success, winning four of the last five NCAA Division II National Championships.
"It's unbelievable. It's everything that you've ever dreamed of," said Vander Laan, who had his jersey No. 15 retired by Ferris State in 2022. "It grows your pride. I loved playing here, and I have a lot of pride in being a Bulldog. Seeing this golf outing every year, along with the national championships, is just awesome."
More Golf Outing Coverage:
Interview with Coach Annese 
Interview with President Pink
Interview with AD Steve Brockelbank
Jason Vander Laan Interview
Brady Sheldon Interview
John Sonntag Interview
Golf Outing Video Highlights
Bill Simonson - Huge Show Interview
Bulldog Sports Network Report
Golf Outing Photo Gallery 