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FARGO — After the coach gets showered with Gatorade and the roar of the crowd fades away, what’s left for a college football player to do?
If you’re a former North Dakota State University Bison, you might go into business.
The individuals featured in the vignettes below did just that and kicking off the list is a former Bison player who started more than one enterprise.
Dragosavich is a former NDSU standout punter who played with the Bison from 2003 to 2007 and had a brief run in professional football with the New England Patriots, the Cleveland Browns and the Indianapolis Colts.
In 2010, after leaving professional sports, Dragosavich published the first edition of FM Spotlight, a magazine showcasing local bands and other aspects of Fargo’s nightlife.
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The magazine eventually changed its name to Fargo Monthly and Dragosavich’s publishing business — Spotlight Media — now publishes a stable of other magazine titles, including Bison Illustrated and Fargo Inc!
In addition to his media business, Dragosavich founded several other enterprises.
They include Herd & Horns, a Bison-themed restaurant and sports bar in Fargo that opened in 2015 and One Herd, a seller of Bison clothing that contributes a share of its earnings to charity.
Dragosavich has since sold Herd & Horns and become a partner in a new venture, iDigital, a digital billboard company.
Willis is a 2017 graduate of West Fargo High School who was part of NDSU’s offensive line for three national championship teams.
In early 2020, Willis started making a name for himself in the business arena as co-owner of a barbecue sauce brand called Big Deck Barbecue Co.
The company’s products are based on recipes his father, Tyson, came up with while hosting events on the family’s expansive outdoor deck.
“Most people think the name is a funny play on words, but it does have meaning to us and we’re really proud of that,” Willis told The Forum in 2023.
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Wahlo was part of three championship Bison football teams while playing for NDSU from 2009 to 2013.
After college, the wide receiver opened a Mahana Fresh franchise location in Fargo’s Veterans Square plaza.
“I knew I wanted to do something on a bigger scale, I just didn’t know what. Being a business owner was part of the plan, just not as quickly as I thought,” Wahlo told The Forum in 2021, the year the business opened.
Mahana Fresh bills itself as healthy choices restaurant, as there are no microwave ovens or fryers used in the preparation of their food.
In addition to Fargo, the counter-served bowl concept has locations in Florida, Virginia, Idaho, New Jersey, Texas, North Carolina and Georgia.
As a defensive end, Jirik, a native of Northfield, Minnesota, helped NDSU win three football championships between 2012 and 2014.
In 2016, Jirik opened Dynasty Performance Training in Fargo, a fitness club catering to individuals of all skill levels.
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Jirik later sold the business and about a year ago he formed a new company called Optima Companies, which handles real estate, property management and development.
Jirik said partners in the business include other former Bison football players.
Another aspect of Jirik’s business dealings is an ownership stake in the Fort Noks Bar of Gold in downtown Fargo, a business he said other Bison alum also play a role in.
DeBates was a safety for the NDSU Bison during the mid 1980s and graduated from NDSU with an undergraduate degree in biology before earning a dental degree from the University of Nebraska Dental School.
DeBates has had a dental practice with South University Dental Associates in Fargo for about three decades and he is the dentist for NDSU football and NDSU athletics
During his time as a Bison player, NDSU boasted a record of 47-5-1 with three division II national championships.
DeBates had 10 career interceptions and led the team in tackles in the 1986 national championship game, which the Bison won.
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Shockman played safety for the Bison from 1980-1983.
After college, he began working in the financial services industry and opened Shockman Financial in 1987.
Shockman’s biography on the company website states that athletic competition taught him that success comes from consistent, daily teamwork toward a goal.
He said that still holds true, though he added that once someone leaves the structure of organized sports and the watchful eyes of coaches, the responsibility of making sure things get done and done right becomes a personal one.
Shockman said NDSU football is a tightknit community and he said many of the connections he made with people in college continue to this day.
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