MIAMI — Indiana football’s historic run to the national championship is hitting home for two Hoosiers in Miami: a Westfield native living out a childhood dream and a former teacher who says she believed long before the rest of the country noticed.
Wide Receiver Jackson Wasserstrom, who grew up in Westfield, said the moment feels almost unreal for someone raised in an Indiana household.
“I grew up an IU fan. My mom went to IU, so growing up, you’d never really think that IU football would be in a place like this,” Wasserstrom said.
For Wasserstrom, the national championship stage is also a reminder of the people who helped shape him long before college football’s spotlight.
He pointed to his high school support system — including his English teacher, Holly Wheeler, and his high school coach, Jake Gilbert at Westfield High School — as influential figures along the way.
“Mrs. Wheeler, yeah, she’s great,” Wasserstrom said. “She’s my English teacher in high school... I had a very influential high school coach as well… Coach Jake Gilbert at Westfield High School.”
Wasserstrom said his message for young athletes, especially those who feel overlooked, is to keep pushing, regardless of rankings or attention.
“No matter how unranked you are, how overlooked you are in high school and growing up, always keep pushing,” he said. “Your mentality is really what can get you to the next level.”
That message landed a little differently just a few feet away because Wheeler was in Miami, too.
Wheeler, an Indianapolis native who teaches at Westfield High School and is an IU alum, said she has taught Wasserstrom and followed his journey. She called Indiana’s trip to the national title game “everything.”
“Oh my God, it means everything,” Wheeler said. “We’re so excited to be here.”
Wheeler said she’s watched Hoosier fans flood Miami and described the atmosphere as joyful, even with opposing fans in the mix.
“We love the town, the city, everything,” Wheeler said, adding that Miami fans had been kind during their stay.
Back in Bloomington, Wasserstrom said the run has sparked something he hasn’t seen in years, and he believes it goes beyond football.
“The energy around Bloomington… there’s that spark that hasn’t been here for a long time,” he said. “It’s great to see this fan base back to life.”
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