Grinnell College Athletics

Jeff Pedersen ’02 has made strong contributions to Grinnell, first as a student-athlete and currently as a faculty coach. A two-time All-American and four-time All-Midwest Conference player, Pedersen started at tight end for the storied 1998 football team, which went 10-0 and claimed the program’s first Midwest Conference title in three decades. He was an integral part of teams that enjoyed the best four-year record in school history.   

As a first-year on that 1998 team, he was named honorable mention All-MWC. The Pioneers enjoyed another strong season in 1999 finishing second in the MWC as Pedersen led the nation in receptions for a tight end while claiming first-team All-MWC honors and a coveted spot on the Hewlett-Packard All-America first team. He repeated as an All-American and first-team all-league performer as a junior, and then moved to his natural position as a senior, taking the helm as the team’s quarterback. The move was fruitful as Pedersen again earned All-MWC honors and was selected to participate in the 2001 Aztec Bowl, an all-star game comprised of the best Division III players in the country. 

He is listed 43 times in the program’s record book and his versatility is evident in that he owns single-season school records for both passing (222 completions) and receiving (84 receptions). On Grinnell’s career chart, he is listed in 18 categories including pass receptions (157), reception yards (1,887), and reception touchdowns (22) as well as pass completions (267), passing yards (3,546), and passing touchdowns (24). In his time at Grinnell, Pedersen also won two letters in basketball and was presented with both the G. Lester Duke ’25 Award as a first-year and the Morgan Taylor ’26 Award as a senior. 

After a coaching stint at Catholic University, Pedersen returned to Grinnell and began a 10-year run as the Pioneers’ football coach. In his first season, he guided the team to its first winning campaign in six years and was named MWC Coach of the Year. Pedersen also served on the track and field staff at that time and took over as head coach of that program in 2020. His track and field teams have consistently ranked among the best in the MWC and have featured several national-caliber athletes. He and his wife, Jordan Esbrook ’01, have two daughters, Frances Belle and Nora Jane.