Not only that, he became the first QB in FCS history to declare himself early for the NFL Draft and be selected in the first round.

Now comes the hardest part: reality. Former Bison quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Easton Stick know all too well the idealistic life of the NFL, the same occupation that Lance begins with the San Francisco 49ers.

Wentz was the Philadelphia Eagles second overall pick in 2016 and Stick was a Los Angeles Chargers fifth round pick in 2018.

“There is so much going on,” Stick said. “You are in a new place. Where do I live? And then on top of that, getting to know the locker room, learning the playbook, there is just a lot of stuff and you have to take it all in stride. “

Lance was the 49ers’ third overall pick at the end of April. Since then, the many media that follow the team have been looking for as much information as possible on the rookie. Anyone who has known Lance to any extent has probably been a guest on a talk show.

Add to that the responsibilities of Organized Team Activities (OTA) and trying to get into the team atmosphere in a short period of time can leave a player’s head spinning.

“One hundred percent,” Wentz said. “But just being able to talk to Trey and get to know him over the last couple of years he’s been fine. I know he’s got his head on his shoulders and he’s in a great position for him, his style of play, this coaching staff and what they do for him.

Wentz and Stick are back in Fargo for the weekend with Wentz’s AO1 charity softball game on Saturday night at Newman Outdoor Field. The two ran a free Sanford POWER youth football clinic for just over 200 children at Dacotah Field on Thursday.

Wentz said his few months between the draft and the start of training camp were filled with uncertainty. On the one hand, he was considered the third quarterback behind Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel.

“It was a lot of trying to figure out, hey, where do I go here?” said Wentz. “I have a house, where am I going to eat? Lots of simple things. What is this NFL lifestyle like? A lot of those things that you just don’t know until you do and experience them and I’m sure (Lance) is trying to figure out a lot of stuff right now. But it’s a fun process.

Stick had the advantage of being able to rely on Wentz for advice. Lance is fortunate to be able to count on Stick as well as on Wentz. The three had dinner together last winter as they trained in California after the season.

“I think I tried to follow him as best I could,” Stick said of Wentz’s advice. “You’re so engrossed and just trying to find the balance between finding time to get to know the guys but at the same time it’s like I have to find a place to live but I don’t know the plays. Am I going to make the team? There’s a lot going on, so you compartmentalize as best you can. “