‘It’s so cool.’ Former NFL, Fresno State lineman helping coach at Mariposa this season
Cody Wichmann was standing on the same practice field he hiked up to every day when he played football for Mariposa High School over a decade ago.
Eleven years later and everything looked the same — from the hill in the backdrop to the faded paint on the leaning goal posts.
“It looks pretty identical to when I was here,” said Wichmann, who graduated from Mariposa in 2010. “They have nicer bags than we did. For sure, those are the same goal posts.”
Wichmann, 29, spent recent years playing in the NFL. The offensive lineman was drafted in the sixth round by the then St. Louis Rams in 2015.
Wichmann played 12 games for the Rams in 2015, plus 12 games when the team moved to Los Angeles in 2016. He made 18 career starts.
He spent the last two years on the practice squad for the Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys.
After officially retiring from the NFL recently, Wichmann decided to help out the Mariposa football program as a coach.
“The last couple years it seems like he was always the 54th guy,” said Mariposa coach Robert Stitt. “He was the last guy cut. We’re fortunate to have him. He’s a professional.”
The players love having him out there.
Wichmann has instant credibility with the kids after playing in the NFL and Fresno State.
“It’s so cool, just his knowledge of the game, it’s on another level,” said third-year quarterback Wyatt Green.
“It’s great to have someone who played at the NFL level. He can give us insight as an NFL player. He was with us in the weight room and taught us some NFL workouts.”
Wichmann says he had an NFL player to look up to from Mariposa in Logan Mankins when he was in high school.
Mankins took a similar path to the NFL, going to Fresno State, before being drafted by the New England Patriots. Mankins became a Super Bowl champion and a seven-time Pro Bowl selection.
“Luckily I had Logan Mankins to look up to, he was 10 years my senior,” Wichmann said. “I always looked up to him. Watching what he did in football was inspiring.”
Football has opened the door to some unbelievable opportunities for Wichmann. It was definitely culture shock for him leaving Mariposa to attend Fresno State and then leaving Fresno State for the NFL.
“That was an incredible experience,” he said. “First traveling from high school to college was an incredible experience. Then going from Fresno State to the NFL you times that by 100. It was a wild ride.”
Now Wichmann is passing along his knowledge to another generation of Grizzlies.
“He can take our game to the next level,” Stitt said. “We have some good players and I can only take them so far. He can make them great. We’ve already seen a big difference. He’s great with teaching technique and all that information he has.”
The Grizzlies rushed for 286 yards and four touchdowns in their season-opening 43-28 win over Franklin of Stockton last week.
“This is the first time during my football career where I haven’t been busy this time of year,” Wichmann said.
“I can work with these guys in practice, pass on some of the knowledge I’ve learned over the years. It’s fun seeing that light go on when they understand what I’m saying and then they go out and do it.”
Friday’s games
Mariposa at Minarets
Gregori at Merced (Veterans Stadium)
Golden Valley at Madera South
Buhach Colony at Tracy
Clovis East at Atwater
Le Grand at El Capitan (Merced College)
Hilmar at Los Banos
Central Valley at Pacheco
Livingston at Livermore
Gustine at Johansen
Delhi at Riverbank
Dos Palos at Kerman
Lemoore at Chowchilla
Stone Ridge Christian at Vacaville Christian
