Northwestern University Athletics
The Skip Report: The Little Things Matter
3/31/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Follow @NUFBFamily Follow @coachfitz51
By Skip Myslenski
NUsports.com Special Contributor
Their debuts last fall received rave reviews and, for an afternoon, each took a turn as The Kid of the Moment. Anthony Walker was certainly that on September 27 in Happy Valley, where he started at middle linebacker for the first time in place of the injured Collin Ellis. Here, against Penn State, he led the 'Cats in tackles with eight and effectively sealed their victory with a 49-yard pick-six early in the fourth quarter.
Then, a week later at Ryan Field, that mantle fell to Godwin Igwebuike, who was starting for the first time at safety in place of the injured Ibraheim Campbell. Here, against heavily-favored Wisconsin, he collected three interceptions, the last coming with just 18 seconds remaining to preserve the 'Cats' six-point win. "There were definitely nerves. First start, there's definitely going to be nerves, especially against a big team like Wisconsin," he will say, thinking back to that afternoon. "But I told myself, `Football is football. If you're going to make mistakes, go ahead and make them, but make them fast.' That's what Coach Fitz (Pat Fitzgerald) likes to tell us."
"Traveon (Henry, the other `Cat safety) told me not to look into the stands, and that was the first thing I did when I ran out and I was immediately in shock," says Walker, thinking back to his own debut. "But like Godwin said, you realize it's football. So you go back to what you're taught, and that's fundamentals, lining up right, and then you play ball from there."
••••••
That pair, redshirt freshmen both, would play a lot of ball for the Wildcats as last fall headed toward winter, but never again would they dazzle as they had in their debuts. One reason for that, most certainly, was the first impression each had made. "Your first game out there, nobody knows who you are," is how Walker explains it. "They threw at Godwin not knowing who he was. At Penn State, the same thing. Nobody knows who you are. But when you burst onto the scene, everybody knows you right away, and then they're going to test you. They know who you are, you have a name for yourself, and now they know they're going to have to block me, or they're going to make sure they're not going to throw at Godwin."
But there was more at work here as well. "Your first year, there will come a point where you run out of gas. Both those guys ran out of gas. It's just going to happen," Fitzgerald explained in late February. "Every once in awhile, you get a freak and he ends up battling through it. But it gets hard. It's different going in and being a pinch hitter and having a great game, and having to be an everyday player, an every-down player. That grind is something that you have to learn to deal with. I think both guys were learning how to deal with that. It's not easy. But I think they'll both be better off because of it."
He was reminded of that comment on Tuesday and then asked if there was a way, here in spring practice, to better prepare them to deal with what they faced last fall. "Just living through it. I think that's the biggest thing," he said. "The unknown of going through a season like that and not having done it before, that puts a lot of pressure on guys. It just wears on you. It doesn't matter if it's your sophomore year or your junior year when you first go through it. Then you go, `Wow. I'm going to do things differently next year.' They prepared well last year. But it's just a different level. I lived through that. It's a challenge."
Is that challenge more mental or physical?
"I think it's more mental. Absolutely. You get worn out emotionally. You get worn out physically. Godwin got a little dinged up at the end of the year. And especially for Anthony, being in the middle, playing middle linebacker in the Big Ten for the first time. He'll be much better in year two."
••••••
That pair, starters both with Ellis and Campbell graduated, have just finished the 'Cats first practice since spring break. Now, together, they appear to be interviewed and are asked if, as Fitzgerald said, they did indeed run out of gas. "I think I did a little bit, to a certain extent," says Walker. "As you get into the rhythm of things, it becomes a little bit old very fast. You become a starter, and you have to watch film and prepare a little differently, and you become burnt out a little bit. But that becomes part of the game and you have to learn to adjust to the new system and that makes you a better player."
"I agree," says Igwebuike. "It's definitely a transition going from somebody who goes in here-and-there to fill in at a spot to becoming a starter. It's definitely something you have to get used to. You have to overcome the mental part of getting tired. You have to make sure you don't shut down. There were definitely times when I had to give a little self-talk to make sure I was mentally prepared and physically ready."
Is that a result of having to study more?
"That's definitely a huge part of it," says Igwebuike. "Once you move into that position--college football in general, from high school to college--the mental preparation is on a whole different level. The countless hours you have to put in, you might lose a little more sleep. The mental preparation is definitely huge. You're putting in extra hours not only with the team, but individually."
"As you want to progress and become a better player, the mental part of the game makes you the better player you want to be," says Walker. "You already have the physical ability. But preparing week to week to week is all mental."
What are they doing now to better prepare themselves to start?
"For me, my biggest focus is the little details," says Walker. "I'm still trying to focus on just little stunts and starts, and knowing my assignments, and knowing how to get everyone else lined up. That's what's going to put you over the top, what you do fundamentally."
"I agree," says Igwebuike. "One thing I'm working on this spring is technique and recognizing small details like Anthony said. Where the receiver's lined up. A quarterback's tendencies, receivers' tendencies. I'm just trying to perfect those small things."
Will they be better, as Fitzgerald said, because of their experiences last year?
"Most definitely. Being thrown into the fire is really the best teacher," says Igwebuike, speaking for them both. "You can't really get the experience without that. The opportunity to get that experience, most guys don't get that. They end up starting the next season without that opportunity. Getting that experience of being thrown out there definitely allowed me to understand the game a lot more, and capitalize on my mistakes and make sure I don't make them this year."
••••••
Their predecessors, Collin Ellis and Ibraheim Campbell, were estimable leaders and true professionals in the very best sense of that word. They were tutors for this pair as well and so finally each is asked what he has taken from his teacher. "Ibraheim is one of the hardest workers I've ever come across. Just seeing how he prepared, just seeing how he worked, is definitely a testament to me," says Godwin Igwebuike. "I remember sitting back with him after practice, staying late with him after meetings watching film, that's definitely something that will be with me a long time."
"I remember Collin Ellis telling me one thing, I think it was before the Notre Dame game. He said, `What you do on the field will reflect your preparation,'" recalls Anthony Walker. "That was the biggest thing. How you prepare for a game, how you prepare for practice, how you prepare for everything in life-- how you prepare will ultimately show in your results. That's one message that Collin said that will always stick with me. How you prepare for life is how you're going to attack it."
NOTE: A handful of Wildcats returned to action on Tuesday. Offensive lineman Blake Hance, safety Traveon Henry, wide receiver Cole Johnson and center Ian Park all returned to practice in the team's first post-spring break workout ... Running back Justin Jackson and wide receiver Christian Jones will sit out the rest of spring practice after getting their knees cleaned up surgically. "An oil change," Fitzgerald called the procedure, adding that both are expected to be full go come fall camp ... Wide receiver Mike McHugh will also miss the remainder of spring ball, but is expected to be ready for the fall ... Finally, wide receiver Tom Fuessel and defensive end Eric Joraskie have made the decision to retire from football.
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter and Instagram, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook and sign up to receive promotional text alerts for the latest news, schedule updates and video and to interact with NU. For more information on following specific Northwestern teams online, visit our Social Media page!
