“A different breed”: Rolfsen defies odds to get back on the pitch
Sam Fowler
Assistant Athletic Director-Communications
Nobody can deny Einar Rolfsen's work ethic.
In fact, it's one trait that led him to UHV from his home over 5,000 miles away in Gjerdrum, Norway. He wanted to come to the United States to pursue a degree in Business Entrepreneurship while still playing soccer, or football as he and the rest of the world calls it.
"I didn't know what to expect," Rolfsen said. "I had just seen videos, heard stories and I talked to (head) coach (Adrian) Rigby. I got over here and it was exactly what he told me. It's a high level, good training, a good game field, good facilities. We have everything. It was a scary step to take, but worth it in the end."
While his drive to contribute was evident with five goals and two assists through his first seven career games for the Jaguars, he didn't show what he's fully capable of until after suffering a gruesome injury that could've changed his life.
"The biggest thing that sets him apart is his mental toughness," Rigby said. "He has a good work rate, he has a good desire. He's not satisfied with being average. He works extremely hard with his fitness and finishing. He has a good mindset for a striker."
On Oct. 5, 2023, Rolfsen was on the wrong end of a challenge in a conference match at University of the Southwest in Hobbs, New Mexico – a nine-hour bus ride from Victoria. The tackle left the striker with a compound fracture to his right tibia.
He was taken to Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital for immediate care and later was given a one-year timeline to return to the field.
"One of my very good friends (Klaidas Pudlauskas) stood beside me and I could see the shock in his face," Rolfsen said. "He didn't know what to say and I just screamed out, 'I broke my leg! I broke my leg!' It took me all the way until getting to the hospital to comprehend what happened."
Rolfsen and Rigby both credit the collaborative work by Southwest's Athletic Training staff, UHV assistant coaches Chase Boulton and Kimberly Uetrecht, and the EMS staff for providing a strong first step to Rolfsen's eventual return to play.
"The human element goes into it where you're more concerned about him as a person versus thinking about soccer and the team," Rigby said. "All around, when you look back at it – from the training staff at Southwest, to the care he got at the hospital, to the care he got when back to Victoria, and even (Boulton) driving him back in a car – I think the situation was handled great."
Human Element
UHV's Adam Thompson celebrates a goal by bowing to injured teammate Einar Rolfsen (second from left) and his mother, Kirsten Fiskum (left), during a game against Texas A&M-San Antonio in 2023. (Howard Esse/UHV Athletics)
After getting back to Victoria with Boulton, Rolfsen was surprised to find his mother, Kirsten Fiskum, had caught a flight to the United States and was there almost a day and a half after the injury.
Fiskum was in Victoria to spend the next six weeks with her son as he waited to have surgery and eventually go home once he was given the green light to travel. She made the decision quickly after receiving the phone call in the middle of the night in Norway.
"My first thoughts were, 'Ok, you're talking to me. You're awake. You've broken your leg.' He sent me pictures of the X-Rays and I thought this might be career-ending," Fiskum said. "So, my second thought was, 'Do you want me to come over?'"
Rather than staying in a hotel and renting a car, Rigby and UHV Director of Athletics Ashley Walyuchow worked hand-in-hand with Jay Lambert, Vice President of Student Services, to set Fiskum and Rolfsen up in an accessible dorm where the two could stay together.
Fiskum would go to the cafeteria in Jaguar Hall to pick up meals for her son while staying with him. Prior to her arrival, Rolfsen's teammates took on the responsibility of helping their friend get his meals
Rigby and Walyuchow also worked closely with UHV's Disability Services to make accommodations for Rolfsen to continue his studies remotely since he would return home in November following his surgery. Rolfsen was named a Red River Athletic Conference Scholar Athlete for the 2023-24 year, to boot.
"It starts with our philosophy of taking care of our kids who are here," Walyuchow said. "Everybody was aligned to do the right thing and take care of a student here because, first and foremost, he's a student, not just an athlete. I'm appreciative and grateful for those that did the right thing and took care of his needs, his mom when she got here and even reaching out to those who were contracted to the university, like Dining Services. Everybody got together to help a student and that's key to our mission."
Visits from Walyuchow, Rigby, Boulton and Uetrecht, and occasional EA FC 24 gaming breaks with teammates between his studies, also helped lift Rolfsen's spirits and his mental health in the early stages after the injury.
"Coach Rigby gave my mom a UHV sweater and she's using it the whole time. She loves it," Rolfsen said. "The mental part of going through an injury like this is you don't just get put in a room and stare; someone is always coming and checking on you, asking how it's going. You obviously want to come back. I wanted to come back quicker because I saw everyone cares about me. I want to come back and play for them."
"I'm very happy for the help we got from the athletic department, especially coach Rigby," Fiskum said. "When Einar was in the emergency room in Hobbs, (Rigby) called and we had a good talk. I told him I would make arrangements to get to Victoria, and get a hotel and rental car. He arranged for me to stay in the dorm with Einar. I think that was crucial for Einar's recovery. Because of the school's arrangement's, I didn't have to go back and forth from a hotel; I could stay with Einar."
The Road Back
UHV's Einar Rolfsen fights for a loose ball during a game against LSU Shreveport at The Cage on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (Lily Standridge/UHV Athletics)
Rolfsen was given a timeline of one year to return to play by the doctors, though he said doctors told him he escaped what could've potentially been a career-ending injury.
A few weeks after a successful surgery performed by Victoria-based orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Perez, Rolfsen went home to Norway to finish out the fall semester and returned stateside for the spring semester ready to begin his rehab process.
Despite being told he'd have to wait at least a year before getting back to the game he's loved since he was a kid, Rolfsen was determined to beat that timeline and come back sooner.
"It was never in doubt that I'd play football again," Rolfsen said. "I had a funny mindset when they told me it would take a year to play again. I thought, 'Yeah, I'll show you. I'll come back in a year.'"
Rolfsen did prove the doctors wrong, which came as little surprise to those around him.
The striker was back on the field playing summer league games with his club team at home in May, nearly seven months after the injury.
"Anybody who knows Einar isn't surprised that he came back early," Rigby said. "He's a different breed in terms of his mental toughness. Even when he was injured, he wanted the trainer to help him out so he could go back in the game immediately. I think anyone who knows him understands what his work rate is like in his DNA."
Rolfsen has since featured in nine games with seven starts for UHV this season, tallying a pair of goals and three assists.
But no goal was bigger than his first of the 2024 campaign, an 83rd minute equalizer in a 1-1 draw with Nelson University in the Jaguars' season opener.
"If you watch the video, you can see me almost pulling my shirt off," Rolfsen said. "It was an equalizer, so I couldn't get a card and pulled it down. I was just screaming and jumping into the crowd. It was almost a cry of joy. It was a completely different feeling and I feel it was a very important goal to keep my confidence up and keep my drive going."