Fort Wayne, Ind. – At six-foot-four, 285 pounds, Bishop Dwenger senior Andrew Trahin casts an imposing figure on the football field as a two-way player in the trenches for the Saints – but during the second game of his junior season against Cincinnati Moeller he hurriedly made his way to the sideline, a place he rarely inhabits since becoming a starter his sophomore year.
“Against Moeller I just felt like I was going to pass out, and I almost did,” Trahin said. “I went to the tent and my heart rate was 260. I went to the emergency room and spent the night hooked up to a heart monitor.”
Trahin (pronounced TRY-in) was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT, a condition that causes rapid and irregular heartbeat along with palpitations, dizziness, and chest pain. The cure? Corrective surgery that kept him out for six games.
“It was definitely scary,” he said. “It was a really easy surgery after figuring out what it was. So, I was only out for six weeks then I was back playing against Snider.”
SVT is a condition that can be hereditary, which was the case with Trahin, who’s father has dealt with the issue. Trahin says he had instances since seventh grade when his heart rate would briefly spike, but nothing near the impact he felt in the game against Moeller.
“I think a lot was spoken about who he is and his story told last year with overcoming the heart ailment and how he handled that,” said Bishop Dwenger head coach Jason Garrett. “He showed a lot of mental toughness to come back after that.”
Trahin finished out the season by helping the Saints reach the sectional title game (where they fell to eventual 4A state runner-up East Noble), then turned his attention to the track season, where he won a sectional title in the shotput.
After making the rounds on the recruiting circuit early in the summer, Trahin verbally committed to Eastern Michigan University in June.
“Going through the recruiting process I think the thing that stood out to Eastern Michigan was just the type of young man he is,” said Garrett. “He’s coachable. He’s humble. He tries to talk with his pads. Those are the things that we talk to our guys about. He plays the game the right way.”
Trahin, who will play either guard or center at EMU, is currently the only offensive lineman in northeast Indiana committed to play D1 football. While he’s the top lineman in the Fort Wayne area, he also carries on a tradition of excellence when it comes to Dwenger’s history along the offensive front.
2021 Dwenger grad Vincent Fiacable signed with Indiana University before transferring to Florida Atlantic, where he’s been the starting center for the Owls so far this fall. ‘20 Dwenger grad Luke Wiginton signed with IU and played three seasons for the Hoosiers before finishing his career at Ball State. The best of the bunch is ‘19 grad Joe Tippmann, who was a second-round pick by the New York Jets after a decorated career at the University of Wisconsin. Tippmann played every snap for the Jets as their starting center last season, and started New York’s season opener at right guard last Sunday, sliding over a spot due to an injured teammate.
“He’s a great young man,” Garrett says of Trahin. “Reminds you a bit of Joe Tippmann in how he goes about it – kind of a fun-loving guy, but puts a helmet on and wins the line of scrimmage. We’re glad he’s on our side.”
While Trahin draws comparison to Tippman, the senior standout is also getting advice from a different mentor who once wore a New York Jets uniform – ’93 Dwenger grad and current BD assistant coach Jason Fabini. Fabini played 11 seasons in the NFL, including the first eight with the Jets after being a fourth-round draft pick out of the University of Cincinnati.
“I think there’s a little pressure there,” said Fabini. “You look at Vincent and all of those guys, and they went on to have great careers. I think Andrew feels a little pressure, but he wants to go on and make his own name for himself.”
While he plays every snap on offense on Friday nights this fall, he’s a rotational piece along the defensive line. However, the coaching staff expects he’ll get more and more action on the defensive side when the Saints face the best offenses on their schedule, as they will this week when BD travels to Carroll.
“Just looking at him, I think he passes the ‘bus test,’” joked Fabini. ”Off the field I think he’s a leader. We need him to be a leader, and I think he has been. That’s the area I think he’s grown the most.”
