Following the hard work senior safety Tanner Volk put into being drafted at the NFL level, he did not hear his name announced in the NFL draft. He did, however, receive an invite to the Seattle Seahawks’ rookie minicamp, giving him a chance to prove to all 31 other franchises that they made a mistake not selecting the versatile defensive back from the college in rural Ellensburg, Washington.
Volk’s resume is one that speaks for itself, with an extensive list of awards he had accumulated during his time as a Wildcat. In 2023 alone, he was the Ron Lenz National Defensive Player of the Year, D2Football.com National Defensive Player of the Year, Don Hansen National Defensive Player of the Year, J.V. Sikes Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Year, led the entire NCAA and tied a CWU single-season record for interceptions with 13, led all of NCAA Division II and finished 3rd in CWU single-season history with 124 tackles. All from just one season.
“We are super proud of Tanner, it’s been a heck of a journey for him,” Head Coach Chris Fisk said. “He has put in a tremendous amount of work to get to this point. Not only in just his four years here at Central but also the pre-combine work he did to put himself in a position to be invited to minicamps. It’s a culmination for him and hopefully he will be able to go there and make the most of his opportunity.”
Volk spent much of the offseason training for the NFL Combine to show scouts his athleticism. He trained with Ford Sports Performance in Seattle, an NFL offseason and combine training program which saw over ten of their athletes, including Volk, get picked up during this draft process.
After not being invited to the NFL Combine, he made a statement to NFL coaches at his Pro Day, posting similar splits to other safeties ranked above him on draft boards. A draft prospects Pro Day is where NFL scouts come to see the prospect run the same drills they would run at the Combine but in a different setting, typically at the athletes university.
Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Grant Torgerson spoke about what a NFL defense could get out of Volk on the field. “I think his position versatility is something that can be really attractive to an NFL defensive coordinator but his instincts are second to none. His knack for being around the football is some of the best I’ve ever seen in my ten years of coaching,” Torgerson said. “He has this instinctive ability to know what the offense is going to do before they even do it. He does an amazing job with his film study and doesn’t get surprised by many looks.”
When talking about the person that Volk is off the field, Torgerson raved about his professionalism and the impact he has had on the community.
“He’s an unbelievable kid. I don’t think the guy has ever been late or missed a single thing in his four years playing here. He is always early and is just the epitome of a true professional,” Torgerson said. “I’m almost more proud of the person he has become at our program along with the player he is now. He was fortunate enough to be part of our National Marrow Donor Program drive and give a donation to hopefully save somebody’s life. That’s the type of kid he is. Stand up kid, great player but an unbelievable young man. I’m just super proud. I’m super fortunate to be able to have coached a young man like him.”
Growing up as a coach’s kid around the sport from a young age, Volk was able to bring his football IQ to every film session. “He was the leader in the classroom and in film sessions. It was never uncommon for him to speak up,” special teams and safeties coach Jared Gallatin said.
Repping number 44 as a CWU football player isn’t just about the number on your jersey, it means something far more. Fisk elaborated on what it takes to dawn the prestigious 44.
“There’s certain traits that you are looking for, it’s kind of a designation of a defensive captain or team captain. A leader of your program, not just in their play and their results, but what they do off the field and in their personal life, really encompassing what it means to be a Wildcat.”
