Redshirt sophomore linebacker Tye Niekamp (46) was a key player in Saturday night’s Illinois State win against rival Southern Illinois. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Dan Verdun
CARBONDALE – Illinois State head coach Brock Spack had a pretty reliable indicator that his defense was playing well Saturday night. All he had to do was focus on his middle linebacker, Tye Niekamp.
“When he’s playing well, we play well,” Spack told Prairie State Pigskin.
Both the ISU coaching staff and Redbird fans have become accustomed to strong performances from Niekamp, the older son of defensive coordinator Travis Niekamp.
On Monday, Niekamp was named the Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week and the Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Southern Illinois in a 45-10 victory in Carbondale.
A season ago, Niekamp earned his way into the starting lineup following a preseason injury to upperclassman Cade Campos.
The Normal Community High School graduate then burst onto the scene in his redshirt freshman season.
Niekamp’s confidence and game grew each week as 2023 played out.
He ranked second on the team with 74 tackles, 42 of which were solo. He was fourth on the team with nine tackles for loss. Niekamp was credited with 1.5 sacks, seven pass breakups and seven quarterback hurries.
By season’s end, the accolades rolled in.
Niekamp was a Stats Perform and Phil Steele FCS Freshman All-America selection as well as Missouri Valley Football Conference Freshman of the Year. He was an All-MVFC second team pick on defense. He landed a spot on the MVFC All-Newcomer Team.
Niekamp finished fourth in the voting for the Jerry Rice Award, annually given to the top freshman in FCS.
Higher expectations
All of that first-year success raised projections for this season.
“We expect a lot of him, and his dad’s hard on him,” Spack said. “I get it. I was hard on mine (Spack’s son Brent played for ISU 2012-2016).”
While Niekamp has certainly been productive again this season, he wasn’t quite the same player as a year ago, Spack said.
“It’s been hard to see (this season) because he’s had a pulled hamstring, and he’s just now starting to feel better,” Spack said.
Saturday night special
That all changed Saturday night.
Niekamp registered 11 tackles, 2.5 of which were for loss. He had a sack and a pass breakup.
He also had an interception that helped put away No. 18 ISU’s 45-10 victory against No. 19 Southern Illinois.
Leading 24-10 early in the fourth quarter, the Redbirds were attempting to stave off the Salukis.
SIU true freshman quarterback Jake Curry – forced into his first snaps of the season after a season-ending injury to starter Hunter Simmons – had put together a drive deep into ISU territory.
Niekamp ended the threat with his interception.
But it didn’t start out that way.
“I actually kind of screwed up on that,” Niekamp said. “It was three extended, which means I need to make a call for the defensive line to move and I didn’t do it.
“Midplay I’m thinking, ‘oh no,’ and then the ball is coming right at me and I just caught it.”
Niekamp grabbed Curry’s pass at the ISU 16-yard line and returned it 20 yards.
“It was an RPO (run-pass option),” Niekamp said of the SIU offensive play. “He’s a young guy (Curry) and probably should have given (it to the running back), but he didn’t. I just sat there and the ball came right there to me.”
Full speed ahead
With the Redbirds improving to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the MVFC, Spack knows the importance of a healthy Niekamp as ISU heads into the balance of its league schedule.
“We hadn’t had Tye at full speed until today. It’s taken a while for him to come back from his hamstring. When you have that, you feel it. You feel a little twinge and you just don’t open up and run,” Spack said. “It can turn a good athlete into a bad one. He’s been hobbled, but he’s fought through it.”
The veteran ISU head coach also noted that despite his relative youth, Niekamp has emerged into a key team figure.
“He’s improved as a leader. I don’t think he gets as frustrated,” Spack said. “When you’re a young player, you get frustrated. It’s just natural.
“He knows he’s an older guy even though he’s a sophomore. He’s played a lot of football for us, and we’ve got to have him.”
After Saturday’s standout performance, it appears they do.
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
Find us on social media!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PSPigskin
Facebook: Prairie State Pigskin
Instagram: Prairiestatepigskin
Prairie State Pigskin 
Leave a comment