LOWER BRULE — Lower Brule’s Nate Middletent is a big man with big goals. 

Middletent, a 6-foot, 235-pound senior fullback/linebacker, packs a punch on the football field and powers the Sioux with his physical play style. 

“He plays the sport in a physical way,” Lower Brule coach Charlie LaRoche said. “He’s a tough runner. He plays defensive end, and linebacker for us. He really sets an edge defensively. He plays physical, and it helps us play a more physical brand of football.”

Middletent has played football since grade school, striving to be like his father Kansas and uncle Kyal, a pair of former Lower Brule High School standouts. Nate Middletent gravitated toward football for the contact of the sport and models his game after another bruising running back. 

“I like to think of myself as more of a Marshawn Lynch type of player,” Middletent said. “I want to run through somebody. I want to get those extra yards. I don’t want to try to make someone miss. I can make someone miss, but I would rather just try to run through them.”

Middletent’s physical brand has helped the Sioux reach unprecedented heights, winning three straight Class 9B All-Nations Football Conference championships. Last season, Middletent earned all-state honors after rushing for 1,111 yards and 29 touchdowns. On defense, he totaled 43 tackles and 10.5 sacks. 

This season, he’s rushed for 690 yards on 48 carries and has eight rushing touchdowns. He’s posted 26 tackles and two sacks on defense. 

LaRoche said the impressive numbers are a byproduct of Middletent’s understanding of the game and his football IQ. 

“He understands the game,” LaRoche said. “He’s a smart football player. He’s played a lot of football. He understands situations. Defensively he knows when it’s a passing down. He knows when he should be playing the run. He’s smart in terms of his football IQ.”

Lower Brule's Nate Middletent carries the football against Pine Ridge on Oct. 2 in Lower Brule. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

Middletent has been a key contributor to Lower Brule’s run of football success since his eighth-grade year. He’s played multiple offensive and defensive positions through the years for Lower Brule, which has gone 32-4 since Middletent’s freshman season.  

Middletent credits learning from former Sioux players like Tayshawn Battese, Brian LaRoche Jr., and Gavin Thigh in his development on the football field. 

“It helped me with the experience part because then I got to play against them in practice,” Middletent said. “It helped me become a better player. They also gave me their knowledge from playing so much and it just gave me more experience, more knowledge, more wisdom of the game.”

Middletent has also developed his skills through years of attending football camps. He’s attended individual camps at South Dakota State University, Dakota State University, Central Michigan, and the University of St. Thomas. The Sioux also attended a team camp at Black Hills State University. 

“He seeks coaching,” LaRoche said. “He takes coaching really well, and he’s developed alongside his natural talent. He’s really worked on the mental side of the game, too.”

The camps proved to Middletent and the college coaches he could compete with players from the bigger schools. 

“I got to show the coaches what I could do coming from a small town, small school,” Middletent said. “They don’t really know who I am. So I got to show them what I could do against people who go to big schools. It was a great feeling because some of them came up and talked to me, telling me how talented I am and what I could do.”

Middletent has been in contact with a host of colleges across multiple levels, including regional programs Dakota State University, Valley City State University, Black Hills State University and Morningside College. 

He’s also talked with programs about playing anything from running back, fullback, defensive end and linebacker. Middletent doesn’t have a preference for his college position, and says he’ll play anywhere he’s asked. 

In addition to his football prowess, plays basketball and competes in track and field, where he qualified for state in the discus. 

Middletent also excels in the classroom. He maintains a 3.7 grade point average, has taken multiple dual college credits and won a Lakota Nation Invitational knowledge bowl award last year. 

Middletent’s goals are to play college football and be a history teacher upon graduation. 

“That would be really special to me because that’s been a goal ever since I started playing football,” Middletent said. “I know that’s what most people want to do is play college and get an education. That’s what I want to do because I like football and then I also want to set myself up for life with a good degree of where I would want to do a job that I like.” 

Lower Brule (3-3) will play at Mahpiya Luta (3-3) in Pine Ridge on Thursday.