DeLAND, Fla. — Before Thomas Von Grote ever took a snap at Stetson, the Texas native had to adjust to one of Florida's toughest opponents: the humidity.

"Getting used to the humidity," von Grote said with a grin when asked about the biggest adjustment since arriving in DeLand.

Beyond the heat, however, the transition has been a welcome one. The transfer quarterback speaks with genuine appreciation for his new surroundings — the community, the people and, most importantly, a football program that has quickly made him feel at home.

Von Grote's path to Stetson wasn't a straight line. Raised in Texas and shaped by the state's deep-rooted football culture, he spent nearly two years at North Texas learning the college game and developing alongside talented quarterbacks. When changes to the coaching staff opened the door for a new opportunity, von Grote entered the transfer portal looking for a program that believed in him.

It didn't take long for Stetson head coach Mike Jasper and the Hatters to make their interest known.

"As soon as my name was in and it was all said and done, Jasper reached out," von Grote said. "He showed me all this love. It was just like, 'Hey, we have a family here.'"

A visit to DeLand followed. Von Grote met his future teammates, watched film and got his first look at the Hatters' offense. By the time he left, he had found what he was searching for.

But football is only one part of von Grote's story.

The new Hatter grew up in a family with deep ties to aviation and military service. His grandfather's path into aviation began as a teenager in the Marine Corps before eventually taking him into the Air Force, while his father spent 22 years in the Air Force before continuing his aviation career with American Airlines. Von Grote has since followed their path into aviation, earning his own pilot's license while at North Texas and developing aspirations of one day becoming a fighter pilot himself.

For von Grote, the lessons passed down through his family have influenced far more than his future career plans. They have helped shape the quarterback, teammate and person he is today.

Long before Stetson, von Grote was a kid in Texas dreaming about the opportunity to play under the Friday night lights.

His football career began in fourth grade, although quarterback wasn't his first position. Von Grote started as a defensive end and lineman, where he quickly developed an appreciation for the physical side of the game.

"I just liked to hit other people," he recalled.

Eventually, his team needed someone to take snaps in a Wildcat formation. Von Grote got the call, initially using his size and athleticism as a runner before his coaches discovered he could throw, too.

He never looked back.

Growing up in Texas only fueled his love for the game. Von Grote remembers attending high school games with his friends while wearing their peewee jerseys, imagining the day they would be the ones on the field.

"We just were dying to be like those guys," von Grote said. "Once we got there, it was just ball from there."

Eventually, von Grote found himself on the other side of those Friday nights, playing in front of crowds that reached approximately 16,000 during his time at Byron Nelson High School.

By his senior year, he was the one leading the way. A team captain, von Grote completed 70 percent of his passes for 3,331 yards and 38 touchdowns while adding 405 rushing yards and eight scores on the ground. He was named District 4-6A MVP, earned Second Team All-Area honors from the Dallas Morning News and helped lead the Bobcats to a district championship.

His success earned him an opportunity at North Texas, where his role shifted from leading a high school offense to developing within a college quarterback room.

Von Grote did not see game action during his first season with the Mean Green, preserving his redshirt, before appearing in three games during the 2025 season.

While his opportunities on Saturdays were limited, von Grote used his time in Denton to study the quarterbacks around him and adjust to the college game.

One of those quarterbacks was Chandler Morris. Von Grote took note of details such as Morris' quick release and ability to protect himself while operating the offense. Just as importantly, he learned to take something from every quarterback in the room, regardless of age or experience.

"I had to set my ego aside a little bit and learn from someone my own age," von Grote said.

It was an adjustment that required patience and humility, but one von Grote believes ultimately made him a better quarterback. Instead of measuring his progress solely by playing time, he learned to find value in the details he could pick up from the players around him.

When changes to the North Texas coaching staff opened the door for a new opportunity, von Grote entered the transfer portal looking for his next home.

That search brought him to Stetson.

While Texas football helped develop von Grote's competitive edge, many of the traits he carries onto the field began at home.

Growing up, von Grote was surrounded by airplanes, airports and stories from the cockpit. His grandfather enlisted in the Marine Corps at just 17 years old, serving as a crew chief on the F4U Corsair. The experience sparked his desire to become a pilot, eventually leading him into the Air Force cadet program.

From there, his grandfather flew test flights and later traveled to Germany, where he helped teach pilots to fly the F-104. A generation later, von Grote's father continued the family's aviation tradition, spending 22 years in the Air Force before moving into commercial aviation with American Airlines.

So too were the realities that came with military service.

His father spent periods of time away from home while von Grote was young, leaving him and his mother to navigate the stretches in between visits and phone calls.

"My mom took great care of me, and every time I got to see my dad, I was the happiest kid on earth," von Grote said.

As he got older, von Grote's childhood fascination with his father's career developed into an interest of his own.

"When I was little, I thought it was so cool that my dad was doing something as cool as that," he said. "He'd always talk about how he wanted to defend our country. That's kind of carried on to me. I want to do something for my country as well."

Eventually, watching from the ground wasn't enough.

While at North Texas, von Grote earned his pilot's license and began flying himself.

"I just fell in love with it," he said. "It's a great side hobby."

His move to DeLand hasn't taken him far from aviation. Von Grote has already visited DeLand Municipal Airport and looked into local flight schools as he considers ways to continue flying during his time at Stetson.

He has also landed in a community with a strong aviation identity of its own. DeLand is well known for its skydiving scene, adding another connection to the world of flight that has surrounded von Grote for much of his life.

For now, finding time between football and academics remains the challenge, but von Grote hopes to continue adding flight hours when his schedule allows.

Flying and football may seem like different worlds, but many of the qualities von Grote learned from his family — discipline, preparation and remaining composed under pressure — translate naturally to quarterback.

He can even trace some of that toughness back to his first football practice.

After a difficult conditioning session left some of his young teammates exhausted, von Grote walked over to his father, removed his helmet and delivered a response his dad still remembers.

"I looked at him and I was like, 'I love football.'"

Von Grote's introduction to Stetson has been considerably more welcoming than his introduction to football conditioning.

From the moment he arrived on campus, he said teammates went out of their way to make him feel like part of the program.

"It was open arms as soon as I got here," von Grote said.

That welcome extended beyond the football facility. Teammates invited him to throw, grab meals around DeLand and spend time together away from the game. On one occasion, von Grote even made the trip to Orlando to support a teammate performing at a comedy night.

Those moments helped make a new program and a new state feel familiar quickly.

The same attitude has carried into the quarterback room.

Competition remains part of the equation, but von Grote said it hasn't prevented the group from developing genuine relationships. He has grown particularly close with fellow quarterback Chris Stephenson, whom he now considers one of his best friends on the team.

"While we compete, we're talking to each other about what we can do to be better," von Grote said. "At the end of the day, we just want this team to win. Whoever's playing, we just want them to win."

That balance between competing for a job and supporting the players around him reflects the way von Grote views the quarterback position as a whole. For him, playing the position is as much about understanding the people in the huddle as it is making the throws.

As a player, von Grote describes himself with one word: playmaker.

He believes he can create outside the pocket, throw from different arm angles and use his legs when necessary. He also prides himself on his accuracy.

But when it comes to leading the offense at Stetson, von Grote believes knowing his teammates is just as important. Since joining the Hatters, he has made a point to learn more about the players around him — their families, where they come from and even how each responds to coaching or criticism.

For von Grote, those relationships create the trust needed for a quarterback to lead when things become more demanding on the field.

"You've just got to make a relationship with people and be their friend," von Grote said. "Everyone takes criticism differently, so you've just got to find those little details."

That emphasis on relationships extends to his connection with head coach Mike Jasper. Von Grote said he appreciates Jasper's ability to hold players accountable while maintaining a strong relationship with them away from practice.

"He'll be on me during practice, as he should be," von Grote said. "But if I just want to talk to him or ask him about his kids and how everything is going with him, it feels like I'm talking to a mentor or a best friend."

As von Grote begins his Stetson career, his goals aren't limited to what happens on Saturdays.

He wants to become part of the DeLand community.

The Hatters' community outreach efforts have already provided an avenue to do so, including the program's High Five Fridays at local elementary schools. For von Grote, those interactions are another reminder that his platform as a college football player can extend beyond the field.

"I want to be someone that's prominent in our community," he said. "You get to see these kids, you get to talk to them. It's really just nice knowing that you can make a difference in someone's life."

Away from football, the intensity drops considerably.

Von Grote enjoys hosting teammates for UFC cards and movie nights, playing games and finding ways to keep the locker room connected outside the facility. He's a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan who grew up watching Tony Romo, and perhaps unsurprisingly for someone raised around airplanes, "Top Gun" remains one of his favorite movies.

Watching it with his father can be a different experience.

"He definitely critiques it," von Grote joked. "Especially the second one. He's like, 'I hope you know they don't do that. They can't do that.' I just tell him to let me enjoy the movie."

Football and aviation have remained two major parts of von Grote's life. One has taken him from the fields of Texas to North Texas and now Stetson, while the other has grown from a family tradition into a passion of his own.

Now in DeLand, his focus is on making the most of his opportunity with the Hatters. He's competing for a role at quarterback, continuing to develop within a new offense and getting settled into a program he quickly felt comfortable joining.

At the same time, aviation remains part of his long-term plans, with von Grote hoping to continue flying and potentially follow his family's path into military aviation.

For now, football comes first.

After a college career that has already taken him from Texas to Florida, von Grote is ready to see where his next opportunity at Stetson takes him.