Bowling Green State University Athletics
2025 Football Roster
Jersey Number 56
Ian van der Merwe
- Position:
- Defensive Tackle
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 260
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Tucson, Ariz.
- High School:
- Ironwood Ridge HS
 |
Bowling Green |
2024 | Junior
- Appeared in season opener against Lafayette
- Did not appear in any games
2023 | Redshirt Freshman
- Did not appear in any games
 Ironwood Ridge High School |
Tucson, Ariz. |
- Played defensive line at Ironwood Ridge High School for head coach James Hardy
- Made 19 tackles and 6.0 tackles for loss as a senior
- Named to the 2021 5A Sonoran all-region team
- A 2022 graduate of Ironwood Ridge High School in Tucson, Ariz.
- Also was on the track & field team
- Attended NAU in Flagstaff, Ariz., for one year but did not play sports
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Personal |
- Son of Amy van der Merwe
- Also the son of Stephanie Paris and Derek van der Merwe
- His father, Derek, is the director of athletics at Bowling Green and played football at Central Michigan
- His mother, Amy, played softball at Central Michigan
- His stepmother, Stephanie Paris, played softball at UT Martin and formerly was the head softball coach at Austin Peay
- Has three sisters, Emily, Lauren and Patton
- TJ Watt is his favorite athlete
BG Football Cinematic Highlight 10.11 vs UT - "Take Back the Doyt"
Tuesday, October 14
BG Football Press Conference vs CMU 10.13
Monday, October 13
BG Football Postgame 10.11 vs Toledo
Saturday, October 11
BG Football Press Conference 10.6
Monday, October 06
