Dexter

Devilish Dexter focused on growths

A week before Saguenay opened their fall training camp, linebacker Anders Haardwyck was flipping through his Xenapchat stories killing sometime, when he stopped right in the story of the new quarterback recruit, Dexter Ahn, walking in middle of the Arctic with minimal equipment. In middle of the summer snowstorm he was not only risking his own life, but was having fun with such venture.

Haardwyck shook his head. This was actually one of Dexter's many trips across the north, but it was still stunning to see the ways he unleashes his talent and fearlessness. He was known for some of his off-field antics even back in high school, after all, and this was just one of many things he's achieved.

'It's like, wow, just unbelievable man," Haardwyck said. "You normally don't see us footballers, especially those getting ready for the first taste of college football, doin' that. But really, by this point we've heard enough about him so I guess we were ready to see what this guy's made out of."

Dexter Ahn's only been on South Bend for last 8 months, but he's done so much and made his name known to the point where no story of his time, from the beginning of it all to now, seems unbelievable nor out of reach.

Just few months before that xenapchat story, in May 2026, Dexter made his official visit to the South Bend school for signing his letter of intent and school offer. He, after signing the contract, took a kneel to the statue of legendary Saguenay QB Mike Tricoma in front of the Saguenay Stadium and wrote 'The Best remembers and seeks to exceed the existing standard of the best', alluding to his excitement as a potentially the first ever freshman quarterback to start for Fighting Irish. That didn't end up happening; senior Leo Page was named the starter for game 1 against UPRI. But sooner than later his chance would come, as Page's season-ending injury halfway through the year changed the dynamics. By the end, he was the hottest new boy on the block, torching Western Ontario in the Northwest Bowl, a game now-referred by all as a "48-5" game- the young star's breakout moment.

There's the story of Dexter, still grade 11, bumping into the Olympic champion Devan Mizhakiiwetung while on a family trip to Perce, Gaspecie. Dexter just got off the train and entered the hotel gym when he caught the attention of his aunt's brother. Hearing about the 16-year old's strengths, Mizhakiiwetung challenged Dexter to a full bout of wrestling. The 30-year old, just retired after winning 2nd straight commonwealth gold, was still fresh, and Dexter wasn't sure he was up to his new task; he may have won bronze medal in 98kg class for wrestling that March, but it was in Greco-Roman. Not freestyle.

Very next moment, when his great-uncle Philippe (yes, that hall of fame fencing coach) came, the match was over. Devan did win the match, but the Dex managed to take one round from him on a valiant 1-3 loss.

Or there's another story of how Dexter became the starting quarterback at Walton High School, where his number is expected to retire in a decade's time.










Or there's the legend of how Jackson won his starting job at Boynton Beach High School. He'd transferred in from a small school nearby after his freshman year, and his grades were too low to play immediately. Still, he walked into coach Rick Swain's office and announced, "I'm going to be your starting quarterback."

Swain had heard raves from other players about Jackson's talent, but he wasn't convinced the kid was for real.

"I thought, either this kid's got a lot of moxie," Swain said, "or he's full of crap."

The next semester, Jackson had earned straight A's to revive his eligibility, and during a 7-on-7 game that spring, Jackson was so impressive that Swain revamped his offense from a Wing-T to a pistol to allow his new QB to showcase his skill set.

"I've coached a lot of players that have gone on to play in the NFL," Swain said, "but this kid has some intangible thing that not many people have."

So when Louisville coach Bobby Petrino sat at ACC media days last month and suggested the Cardinals were a real threat to win the national championship in 2016, it didn't seem like such a lofty goal. He's got Jackson on his side, and from there, anything's possible.