Opportunity knocks; UNM WR Erickson has the answer
Mar. 23—When Andrew Erickson speaks of his time while on the University of New Mexico football team he points out that he hasn't experienced a real season yet.
In 2018, he was redshirted as a freshman walk-on after he had starred for Manzano High School. In 2019, after earning a scholarship, Erickson suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during preseason camp. Then came the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, when he actually delivered sort of a breakthrough during the delayed and shortened season.
Erickson has come a long way since arriving at UNM, where he is now regarded as the most consistent wide receiver by coach Danny Gonzales and a leader of a young and inexperienced group.
"It's been a long journey," Erickson said. "I think by just keeping my head down, just trying to work as hard as I can every day to keep improving, that's what has been the main part of (becoming a starter and a leader). It was also about having great coaches and teammates who really encouraged me and kept me moving forward."
In addition to consistency and leadership, Erickson is known for his intelligence — he's able to quickly grasp technique and concepts — as well as his high level of competitiveness. He has a killer instinct, said Brandon Blackmon, UNM's wide receivers coach.
Erickson, despite the knee injury in 2019, is one of the fastest wide receivers on the team and has been putting his sneaky speed on display during spring football. The Lobos were on a break last week and return Tuesday to complete eight more practices.
"He just has that competitive nature about him that you love," Blackmon said. "If you look at him you wouldn't think that. He is such a competitor. He hates to lose. Just his preparation and his will to win is on a high level. and then on top of all the stuff that he has to do academically, that says a lot about him."
Erickson, who is majoring in mechanical engineering, is not at Tuesday practices during the spring because he's in classes, including Vibrations, Race Car Design and Materials Science. In the Race Car Design class, Erickson said he is part of a group that constructs a small Formula-1 car to race against other cars from various universities.
Erickson showed his speed on the football field during UNM's 2-5 season, becoming the Lobos' deep-ball receiver. That's expected to change this season with the addition of Missouri transfer Cjay Boone, who has been clocked at 4.37 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
Erickson led UNM with 264 yards and two touchdowns on 17 catches last season. The Lobos stayed in Las Vegas, Nevada during the season due to the COVID-19 restrictions in New Mexico. Erickson roomed with his younger brother, Austin, a walk-on wide receiver, for the six weeks.
"We grew really close," the older Erickson said. "It gets really old after a couple months, but it was really good. It built a great relationship. It's just been really fun having him out here. I know it's really fun for my mom and dad and my family to see us out on the field together, especially now that he's doing so well. We're side by side most of the time out there."
The Erickson brothers played together at Manzano, where Andrew was the starting slot receiver his senior season, and Austin was his back-up. Andrew also contributed on defense and was a key player during the Monarchs' first undefeated (13-0) season in school history that ended with a Class 6A state title.
Their father, Bobby, an Eldorado alumnus, was the receivers coach that year and is now the offensive coordinator.
"That was one of the most special moments," Bobby Erickson said of winning the blue trophy. "We knew we had a chance going into the season. We had a real special senior class that year. The expectations were high and so the pressure was high. It was hard to enjoy it because it was so intense. When that clock hit zero against La Cueva and we finally realized that we had done it, it was such an incredible sense of relief and euphoria. We were jumping up and down."
Bobby Erickson, the pastor of Monarch Baptist Church, walked on at UNM, where he played as a defensive back for the Lobos (1985 and 1986).
Andrew, 20, and Austin, 18, grew up Lobo fans and went to football games.
Their mother, Tyra, homeschooled them throughout most of their childhood. They have a younger brother, Aiden, 13, and an adopted younger sister, Desta, 10, from Ethiopia.
Bobby says "Desta," means "happy."
Gonzales usually smiles when he says that Bobby is proud of his sons and enjoys tweeting about them on Twitter.
"He should be proud as heck because those two have proved that they can play," Gonzales said. "Andrew is the most consistent receiver on our team. It seemed like last year every time that we needed a big play we throw it up to 87 and he's gonna come down with it. He's the one I trust right now. Everything he's overcome, I'm super proud of him."