ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Rising junior on the Washington University in St. Louis football team, Ethan Venable, is the epitome of a Division III Athlete for the Bears. High-achieving, highly competitive, and career-driven, the St. Louis native has proven a valuable member of the Bears' football team, the WashU community and the broader St. Louis community.
 
Part of the defensive line for the Bears, Venable has played in 17 games in his first two years, making 32 total tackles in 2025 with 7.0 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries and one pass breakup.
 
Venable attended Oakville Senior High and in his recruiting process, had Division I opportunities on the table. Like a true data-drive WashU student, he made a spreadsheet of all his options and priorities before making his collegiate decision.
 
"The thing that really set it apart, if you're from St. Louis, you know what WashU means, it's a respected institution," said Venable. "WashU was high on my list because it always has a competitive team, has great facilities and academics. There was really no other school that came close."
 
"Ethan was a high-profile recruit for our program and an outstanding high school football player from a St. Louis area high school," said Head Football Coach Aaron Keen. "He is a motivated, driven and talented student who is an absolute fit for the academics at Washington University.  What I appreciate most about Ethan now that he is a part of our program is his love for the game of football.  He plays the game the right way - with passion, enthusiasm and energy.  He makes Washington University football better every day!"
 
Another big factor in Venable's decision to attend WashU? Being nearby family who could come watch him play at Francis Olympic Field. He recalled one of his early games as a first-year and the experience of having his family be able to come watch.
 
"It really means the world to me. I remember the game which is awesome to me because one, I got to play a lot in my first college game, and then right after the game, I have like 50 family members waiting in the stands," said Venable. "There's really nothing that can beat it."
 
This spring, Venable, a mechanical engineering major, was able to take a unique opportunity working a co-op position for Ameren, learning valuable on-the-job experience on their facilities team. In this role, he works with all the HVAC systems that Ameren owns. Using a computer, he is able to see live updates of the systems so if there is a problem, they can work on diagnosing and addressing the issue.
 
Additionally in this role, he works on special projects, including putting Christmas lights on Ameren's headquarters and work at Busch Stadium. After starting at the beginning of 2026, Venable will work in this role until August.
 
Working in this co-op position has required an adjustment in his day-to-day life from attending class and football to now fitting in a full-time role. Although the spring is the offseason for the football team, he would wake up at 5 a.m. for workouts or spring practice, then go to work at Ameren, and then go to meetings for the other organizations on campus he is involved in.
 
"It's a grind every day," said Venable.
 
Venable noted that the only reason this co-op role was even on the table is because of the environment that Division III and WashU creates for its student-athletes. With Division I and II football, there would be a full summer of camp, which would limit summer opportunities and general ability to do this during the spring semester.
 
"At WashU, you have the ability to adapt to whatever you want to do," said Venable. "It's a school that you're going to get more opportunities academically, more opportunities work-wise while you're in school. It's amazing to be able to work around it. This is such good, real-world experience that you can't really learn in a classroom."
 
Ask any student-athlete and they will likely tell you that it's hectic balancing the requirements of school with practices, workouts and competitions. Throw in a full-time workload and Venable has really been learning a lot about time management. He credits his ability to navigate the spring semester with the things he's already learned being a student-athlete prior to and in his time at WashU.
 
"I think it's kind of a like a speed course on how to be an adult," said Venable. "If you have an issue, you have to make it very clear. And you have to learn to keep yourself on track. I don't know if that's experience you could really get being a regular student compared to a student-athlete."
 
In addition to school, football and work, Venable is involved in the wrestling club. A former wrestler for 15 years, he works with people wanting to learn wrestling while building bonds and getting a workout.
 
Venable also volunteers a lot, including Night to Shine, which is a prom event run by the Tim Tebow Foundation for individuals with special needs aged 14 and older, hosted by The Rock Church of St. Louis. The Bears have made this night a tradition in their program.

 

"It's a special experience," said Venable. "They're so grateful to have a bunch of college kids willing to come up with the event and help the kids. I just love it. I think it's always cool to be able to give back, especially to your own area."
 
With the spring semester over, Venable will continue his co-op position at Ameren while also working out in the Sports Performance Center with WashU's sports performance coaches.
 
The Bears will be entering a new era for football in the 2026 season, joining the North Coast Athletic Conference, which consists primarily of Ohio schools. Entering his junior year, he will be one of the older leaders of the team and he's excited about the challenge of entering a new conference and making a name for WashU.
 
"We're traveling a little further now, it's awesome. They're not going to know us, you get to prove yourself," said Venable. "I'm excited. It's a fresh start."
 
The Bears open the 2026 season on Saturday, September 5 at Rhodes. WashU's home opener is on Saturday, September 12 against DePauw in its first NCAC game. Click HERE to see the full 2026 schedule.
 
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