Over the years, many prominent NDSU student-athletes have gone on to play their sport in professional leagues. Football stars Carson Wentz, Marcus Williams and Billy Turner have made it to the NFL, to name a few.
So too have stud basketball players Ben Woodside, Taylor Braun, and Lawrence Alexander, all of whom have played in European leagues.
One sport though has noticeably never launched a pro career: NDSU’s tennis program. Dexter Werner is looking to change that.
Werner took part in NDSU’s annual Pro Day on Wednesday, March 29th. Typically, the Pro Day is held for Bison football players to showcase their skills for NFL scouts. This year, Werner played a match to dazzle the tennis scouts in attendance, surrounded by football drills being conducted around him. A court was outfitted specifically for Dexter to play on at the FargoDome.
“We’ve never had a tennis player attempt to go pro, but we’re happy to aid Werner in his pursuits,” athletic director Matt Larsen stated. “Dexter has done so much for our department and our university, and we’re thrilled to be a part of the next chapter in his career,” Larsen said.
The aspiring professional believes the performance went well. “All in all I think it was a good performance. I hope the scouts agree,” Werner commented.
One scout in particular took notice of his skills, and how his basketball background fit into his playing style. “His game is really powerful, it’s exactly like he played basketball. He serves with ferocity,” the scout said. On multiple occasions, Werner’s serve was clocked at over 100 miles per hour. American tennis icons Andy Roddick and John McEnroe even took notice, taking to Twitter to offer kind words.
Tennis head coach Scott Jackson is proud to see his former player taking the next step. “Dexter has been a joy to coach. He came in as one of North Dakota’s best prospects, but he never let his ego get ahead of him. He was constantly looking to get better,” Jackson remarked. Werner twice won the state singles title at Bismarck High School.
“My hope is that he is successful in whatever he pursues in life, be it tennis or otherwise. I’ll always have Dexter’s back,” the coach continued.
Dave Richman, Werner’s basketball coach, shared Jackson’s sentiments, and wished Dexter the best. “I always say it, I am just really proud of our guys, and Dex is no exception to that. Dexter, he’s just a guy that makes winning play after winning play. I have no doubt in my mind that will serve him well in his tennis career, no pun intended,” Richman told the media after the news broke.
Throughout his years at NDSU, Dexter Werner has compiled quite the athletic resume. On the hardwood, the 6’6” forward was a vital contributor to two Summit League champion teams, and was a member of the 2013-2014 squad which upset Oklahoma in the NCAA tournament.
His prodigious basketball achievements overshadowed his silently impressive Bison tennis career, though. Werner helped carry the tennis team to three Summit League titles, and won the 2012 doubles championship alongside fellow dual-sport student-athlete, Carlin Dupree.
However, unlike basketball, tennis is not a revenue sport, and despite of their recent renaissance, the NDSU tennis matches seldom drew crowds of more than a few dozen. Tennis has yet to catch on among students and fans in the area.
Jackson himself is even perplexed by the lack of interest among students and fans, but he offered a few explanations as to why that may be the case. “First off, North Dakota has never been known as a hotbed for tennis development. We’ve enjoyed a great run of success over the past four, five years, but that isn’t typical,” he said.
“Tennis is made for the outdoors, so our matches are played outside. But with North Dakota’s weather, the playing conditions are often less than ideal. The weather frequently cancels matches,” Jackson added. Seven matches last year were postponed due to high winds exceeding 35 miles per hour.
While the ATP World Tour is far away, Dexter Werner’s Pro Day performance could get him there sooner than expected. Should that happen, tennis may very well become Fargo’s new favorite sport.