Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Griffin Quinn / Northwestern Athletics
Grit, Faith Fuel Joseph Himon II’s Rise From Arkansas Preps Icon to NU Star
10/21/2025 9:09:00 PM | Football
Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach David Braun expected various challenges when he accepted Northwestern's defensive coordinator role in January 2023. Placing faces to names, adjusting to his new work environment and adapting to the FBS level topped the list.
But Braun encountered an unforeseen test upon his first spring ball in Evanston. A quiet-natured 5-foot-9 running back — then a rising redshirt first-year — posed all sorts of problems for Braun's first-team defense.
Few could tackle the Little Rock, Ark. native, and once Joseph Himon II caught daylight in the open field, the speedster seemed as good as gone.
"That dude was such a headache in spring ball with me as the defensive coordinator," Braun said in late Oct. 2023. "He gave our defense fits."
Himon's early impression on the coaching staff paid immediate dividends the following fall, with the versatile running back shifting into an elevated offensive role during Braun's first season at the helm.
Just as he'd done throughout a storied career at Arkansas' Pulaski Academy, the relative newcomer to the collegiate game proved his prowess as a threat through the air and on the ground. Himon added new hardware to an already considerable collection with a Las Vegas Bowl ring in 2023.
After he amassed 832 all-purpose yards the following season, Himon knew he needed to reach for another level ahead of his third year of significant offensive action.
"There's always more work to be done," Himon said. "We didn't end on a note that we wanted to. We wanted to hit it hard in the offseason. It starts in the weight room, [then] with nutrition and recovery. Once we got into camp, we were trying to figure out who we are and what our identity is. When you understand and know your identity, that leads you into success."
Himon and redshirt sophomore running back Caleb Komolafe have spearheaded a resurgent Wildcat rushing attack this season. Through four conference games, Northwestern has amassed 728 rushing yards, marking the program's most prolific four-game rushing start to Big Ten play since the 2012 season.
Fresh off a career-high 22 carries in a 19-0 win over Purdue this past Saturday, Himon said he wants to maximize his production whenever his number is called.
For the redshirt junior, who has recorded 362 rushing yards, 103 receiving yards and 62 kick return yards in seven games this season, the Wildcat backfield corps is nowhere near its potential.
"We prepare in a way that no matter who's out there, we will all be ready," Himon said. "We all play really well off each other."
***
Running backs coach Aristotle Thompson first studied Himon's tape when Thompson served on the coaching staff at Cal. He saw an explosive running back who routinely torched opposing defenses and electrified in the return game.
"Joe is a man with many skills," Thompson said. "He can run the ball, he can catch — heck, don't be surprised to see Joe throw something. He really has a diverse skill set on the field, and if you blink, you might miss it."
A multisport athlete who could dunk as an eighth grader, Himon soared to "icon status" on Arkansas' high school football scene.
The running back won three state championships and was named the 2021 Gatorade State Player of the Year in addition to receiving the Landers Trophy, Arkansas' high school version of the Heisman Trophy.
"They love him here in Arkansas, he's a super hero to the kids," said Franklin Green, a longtime family friend and mentor to Himon. "His name here in Arkansas is legendary when it comes to football. In this era, if you're a running back, offensive player, you're always going to be compared to Joe Himon."
For the Pulaski Academy coaching staff, Himon's character outweighed any production he put forth on the field. As a junior, Himon stood just 29 yards away from cracking 3,000 all-purpose yards. When Himon's coaches asked if he wanted to shoot for the lofty milestone, the rusher swiftly stepped aside and urged them to instead get his younger teammates in the game.
When he graduated from Pulaski Academy, Himon ranked second in Arkansas history in yards by a non-quarterback (7,602), first in points scored by a non-quarterback (624) and fourth in 100-yard rushing games (25).
"He wanted to be the best running back in the state," Pulaski Academy football coach Anthony Lucas said. "When people didn't recognize that, it upset him, and he just continued to work hard. He did what NFL guys normally do, and he did it at 100 miles per hour."
Himon hauled in 16 offers by the time he reached a collegiate decision in the summer of 2021. He had his pick of SEC, ACC and perennial Group of Five powerhouses, but when he presented his list of pros and cons of each school to his parents — one program jumped off the page.
He verbally committed to the Wildcats on July 11, 2021.
"The top 10 education you get here and playing in the Big Ten is just something you can't get anywhere else," Himon said. "This was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up on. It's a 40-year decision, not a four-year one."
***
Himon's success on the football field was no accident. From the running back's early days scoring touchdowns as a peewee football player, Pamala and Joseph "Rod" Himon Sr. began fielding praise from other parents that their son was "gifted."
Rod Himon, a former high school football standout who first introduced his son to soccer as a means of honing his footwork, gave his son a vital piece of advice to keep himself grounded.
"I told him early on when all the accolades were coming in and all the reporters were calling the house, wanting to speak with him: 'You have a talent to go to college and play football, and that's a blessing. But there are guys bigger and faster than you — you just haven't seen them yet,'" Rod Himon said.
It soon became a common occurrence for Rod Himon to return home from work and find his front yard battered by the byproduct of an elite tailback's individual training regimen. The father couldn't help but beam with pride as his son went through hours of chops and cone drills on his own volition, ripping up the southern grass in the process.
For Himon, leaning on his Christian faith has helped drive his tireless work ethic.
"God blessed me with the ability to go out there and play football and many different sports," Himon said. "I want to be the best, and if you want to be the best, you have to go out and do the extra work, put in the extra hours where nobody's looking."
Himon's motor caught Thompson's eye the moment he joined the staff this past winter. Although the running back was amid an injury recovery process early in the offseason, Himon remained involved and kept pushing himself to return.
Thompson knew it would translate to on-field success once Himon received the all-clear from the training staff.
"He was never a wallflower," Thompson said. "He was always doing stuff like, 'No, I can do this, I can do that.' He's just a hard worker. He's driven, and he has a great spirit about him."
This past summer, Himon officially launched the Joseph R. Himon II Foundation. The foundation is currently funding a scholarship for a Pulaski Academy student, and Himon hopes to tie in further educational opportunities to his summer football camps.
"I just love giving back," Himon said. "I love being a servant to other people in other communities. There have been so many people that have poured into me ever since I was a kid. I just want to be a resource for other kids growing up that I can pour into for other communities."
While Himon holds tremendous gratitude for his status as a role model for the next generation of football players back in his home state, the redshirt junior holds himself to an especially high standard. He does so through the power of written goals.
A practice he began with his bedside Bible in the ninth grade, Himon writes down both short-and-long-term goals to aspire for on sticky notes throughout his residence. There's a collection on his bathroom mirror and another in his kitchen.
"When he writes down a goal, he expects to achieve it," Pamala Himon said. "He creates vision boards. He's always focused on the task at hand, and he wants to be that person, that guy, that football player. With his goals and how he focuses, he'll get there."
From his arrival on campus as a first-year in 2022 to his ascension to a featured offensive role in his past two seasons, Himon's path hasn't always been smooth. He's adapted to different coaching philosophies and fought to carve out a role in a crowded running back room.
Long before he'd earn an All-Big Ten honorable mention nod in 2024, some scouts doubted Himon's ability to translate his game to the collegiate level due to his smaller stature. For Himon, all the doubt and adversity have forged resilience and character development.
"It has molded me in tremendous ways," Himon said. "I couldn't thank God enough for all the trials and tribulations. Without trials and tribulations, you don't get your true calling, your true purpose. Through everything, all the adversity has allowed me to grow on and off the field."
But Braun encountered an unforeseen test upon his first spring ball in Evanston. A quiet-natured 5-foot-9 running back — then a rising redshirt first-year — posed all sorts of problems for Braun's first-team defense.
Few could tackle the Little Rock, Ark. native, and once Joseph Himon II caught daylight in the open field, the speedster seemed as good as gone.
"That dude was such a headache in spring ball with me as the defensive coordinator," Braun said in late Oct. 2023. "He gave our defense fits."
Himon's early impression on the coaching staff paid immediate dividends the following fall, with the versatile running back shifting into an elevated offensive role during Braun's first season at the helm.
Just as he'd done throughout a storied career at Arkansas' Pulaski Academy, the relative newcomer to the collegiate game proved his prowess as a threat through the air and on the ground. Himon added new hardware to an already considerable collection with a Las Vegas Bowl ring in 2023.
After he amassed 832 all-purpose yards the following season, Himon knew he needed to reach for another level ahead of his third year of significant offensive action.
"There's always more work to be done," Himon said. "We didn't end on a note that we wanted to. We wanted to hit it hard in the offseason. It starts in the weight room, [then] with nutrition and recovery. Once we got into camp, we were trying to figure out who we are and what our identity is. When you understand and know your identity, that leads you into success."
Himon and redshirt sophomore running back Caleb Komolafe have spearheaded a resurgent Wildcat rushing attack this season. Through four conference games, Northwestern has amassed 728 rushing yards, marking the program's most prolific four-game rushing start to Big Ten play since the 2012 season.
Fresh off a career-high 22 carries in a 19-0 win over Purdue this past Saturday, Himon said he wants to maximize his production whenever his number is called.
For the redshirt junior, who has recorded 362 rushing yards, 103 receiving yards and 62 kick return yards in seven games this season, the Wildcat backfield corps is nowhere near its potential.
"We prepare in a way that no matter who's out there, we will all be ready," Himon said. "We all play really well off each other."
***
"Joe is a man with many skills," Thompson said. "He can run the ball, he can catch — heck, don't be surprised to see Joe throw something. He really has a diverse skill set on the field, and if you blink, you might miss it."
A multisport athlete who could dunk as an eighth grader, Himon soared to "icon status" on Arkansas' high school football scene.
The running back won three state championships and was named the 2021 Gatorade State Player of the Year in addition to receiving the Landers Trophy, Arkansas' high school version of the Heisman Trophy.
"They love him here in Arkansas, he's a super hero to the kids," said Franklin Green, a longtime family friend and mentor to Himon. "His name here in Arkansas is legendary when it comes to football. In this era, if you're a running back, offensive player, you're always going to be compared to Joe Himon."
For the Pulaski Academy coaching staff, Himon's character outweighed any production he put forth on the field. As a junior, Himon stood just 29 yards away from cracking 3,000 all-purpose yards. When Himon's coaches asked if he wanted to shoot for the lofty milestone, the rusher swiftly stepped aside and urged them to instead get his younger teammates in the game.
When he graduated from Pulaski Academy, Himon ranked second in Arkansas history in yards by a non-quarterback (7,602), first in points scored by a non-quarterback (624) and fourth in 100-yard rushing games (25).
"He wanted to be the best running back in the state," Pulaski Academy football coach Anthony Lucas said. "When people didn't recognize that, it upset him, and he just continued to work hard. He did what NFL guys normally do, and he did it at 100 miles per hour."
Himon hauled in 16 offers by the time he reached a collegiate decision in the summer of 2021. He had his pick of SEC, ACC and perennial Group of Five powerhouses, but when he presented his list of pros and cons of each school to his parents — one program jumped off the page.
He verbally committed to the Wildcats on July 11, 2021.
"The top 10 education you get here and playing in the Big Ten is just something you can't get anywhere else," Himon said. "This was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up on. It's a 40-year decision, not a four-year one."
***
Rod Himon, a former high school football standout who first introduced his son to soccer as a means of honing his footwork, gave his son a vital piece of advice to keep himself grounded.
"I told him early on when all the accolades were coming in and all the reporters were calling the house, wanting to speak with him: 'You have a talent to go to college and play football, and that's a blessing. But there are guys bigger and faster than you — you just haven't seen them yet,'" Rod Himon said.
It soon became a common occurrence for Rod Himon to return home from work and find his front yard battered by the byproduct of an elite tailback's individual training regimen. The father couldn't help but beam with pride as his son went through hours of chops and cone drills on his own volition, ripping up the southern grass in the process.
For Himon, leaning on his Christian faith has helped drive his tireless work ethic.
"God blessed me with the ability to go out there and play football and many different sports," Himon said. "I want to be the best, and if you want to be the best, you have to go out and do the extra work, put in the extra hours where nobody's looking."
Himon's motor caught Thompson's eye the moment he joined the staff this past winter. Although the running back was amid an injury recovery process early in the offseason, Himon remained involved and kept pushing himself to return.
Thompson knew it would translate to on-field success once Himon received the all-clear from the training staff.
"He was never a wallflower," Thompson said. "He was always doing stuff like, 'No, I can do this, I can do that.' He's just a hard worker. He's driven, and he has a great spirit about him."
***
During the offseason, Himon wanted to give back to his local community, where he laid the groundwork for an ascendant athletic and academic journey. Pamala Himon said her son has long been passionate about student athlete mental health and social justice initiatives.
This past summer, Himon officially launched the Joseph R. Himon II Foundation. The foundation is currently funding a scholarship for a Pulaski Academy student, and Himon hopes to tie in further educational opportunities to his summer football camps.
"I just love giving back," Himon said. "I love being a servant to other people in other communities. There have been so many people that have poured into me ever since I was a kid. I just want to be a resource for other kids growing up that I can pour into for other communities."
While Himon holds tremendous gratitude for his status as a role model for the next generation of football players back in his home state, the redshirt junior holds himself to an especially high standard. He does so through the power of written goals.
A practice he began with his bedside Bible in the ninth grade, Himon writes down both short-and-long-term goals to aspire for on sticky notes throughout his residence. There's a collection on his bathroom mirror and another in his kitchen.
"When he writes down a goal, he expects to achieve it," Pamala Himon said. "He creates vision boards. He's always focused on the task at hand, and he wants to be that person, that guy, that football player. With his goals and how he focuses, he'll get there."
From his arrival on campus as a first-year in 2022 to his ascension to a featured offensive role in his past two seasons, Himon's path hasn't always been smooth. He's adapted to different coaching philosophies and fought to carve out a role in a crowded running back room.
Long before he'd earn an All-Big Ten honorable mention nod in 2024, some scouts doubted Himon's ability to translate his game to the collegiate level due to his smaller stature. For Himon, all the doubt and adversity have forged resilience and character development.
"It has molded me in tremendous ways," Himon said. "I couldn't thank God enough for all the trials and tribulations. Without trials and tribulations, you don't get your true calling, your true purpose. Through everything, all the adversity has allowed me to grow on and off the field."
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