Moving the Chains with … Eastern Illinois defensive tackle Jaron Hacha

Defensive tackle Jaron Hacha has played in 37 career games at Eastern Illinois. He also played on the offensive line in 2022 when the Panthers needed an emergency fill-in player. (Photo by EIUPanthers.com)

By Barry Bottino 

On Saturdays in the fall, Jaron Hacha is colliding with offensive linemen, taking on double teams and fighting in the trenches for a purpose.

“A lot of my job makes the linebackers look pretty,” the Eastern Illinois senior defensive tackle said.

If Hacha could choose a different position for a day, he’d play quarterback … so he could “look pretty.”

Hacha’s time at Eastern has been pretty inspirational, having gone from walk-on to a full scholarship player who has 37 games under his belt.

Though his fashion choices aren’t the best, he spends his time away from the field on a variety of interests, including movies, LEGOs and Barrington (aka Bear), his Bernese Mountain Dog/Rottweiler mix.

Hacha spent time with Prairie State Pigskin talking about football, family, his mother’s more-spicy-than-sweet chocolate mole. his plan to give back to young athletes and which teammate he’d call to help him change a flat tire.

Get to know Jaron Hacha in our Moving the Chains Q&A interview:

Your former EIU and Lincoln-Way East High School teammate Matt Judd is now an assistant football coach at Lincoln-Way West. Can you ever forgive him? 

(Laughs) I’m just happy to see him be able to give back to the sport and be able to coach.  

On your Instagram account, you have one post, and it’s you walking in downtown Charleston in a new outfit. Your teammates had a lot of comments about your fashion choices. So, who has the best fashion sense among your teammates? 

I don’t even know. I have no sort of drip. If I’m being completely honest, I didn’t even pick out that outfit. My girlfriend did. The most drip, I’d have to say, is the DB room or the wide receiver room.

As a high school senior, you won a Class 8A football state title. What are your best memories of that game and that season? 

That season was just a time to step up. I wore the No. 97 because my older brother (Jaden, a former Illinois State player) wore that before me. I had some pretty big shoes to fill, and I felt like I did that. That game was big time for us. I got to do something that not many people can say that they did. I believe I was even the star player of the game. That’s something I hold dear to me as well.  

You played some offensive guard at EIU in the last game of the 2022 season. How did that come about? 

I came here as a walk-on, earned a spot on the roster in the D-line room. Our team was facing some challenging times that season. I wasn’t seeing that much playing time. (The O-line) didn’t have that many guys in their room. It was a win-win situation for the program and for me to get some playing time but also to help my teammates and my brothers out. That experience was something I definitely won’t forget. It was the first time I’ve ever played O-line, but I gave it 110%. It was a unique experience.

As a former walk-on player and a veteran in the program, what are you most proud of? 

A lot of the stuff I do and the position that I’m in is unnoticed, being a tackle in the trenches. One thing I’m so proud of is being able to come here at the time that I did as a walk-on, to earn a full scholarship and still be here and playing.

Eastern has done a lot for me and opened up a lot of doors, and so has football. I’m going to give it my all until I can’t. I’m just proud to be here and to still be able to play football for EIU.

Your Instagram post included a Bad Bunny song. What are some Latin artists that everyone should check out? 

My go-to is always Prince Royce. That outfit on my post came from a Bad Bunny concert. That’s the reason why I put that on there. He’s also a good person to listen to. 

Do you speak Spanish or any other languages? 

I’m not fluent in Spanish, but I can definitely hold a conversation. I’m Mexican and Native American. 

What’s your favorite authentic Mexican food?

I love mole. That’s my go to. Not many people like it, but I love mole. It’s something that I always ask my mom to make. Another thing I love is my girlfriend’s mom’s tamales. She loves to make tamales. It’s something I enjoy every time around Christmas. 

Every Mexican family has a different take on mole. What’s your favorite? 

I like the chocolate mole with homemade tortillas. Sometimes you get those thick ones. Nothing much needs to be added to that. I like a little kick to it, so I’ll tell my mom to make it a little more spicy than sweet. 

Name three places that are on your travel bucket list.  

Italy, Hawaii and maybe the Netherlands. 

Do you have a favorite place to eat in Charleston? 

Mi Casa Tu Casa. I’ll get a chicken bowl with brown rice, fajitas, frijoles, some cheese, corn, guacamole and some lettuce. But it depends on the day.

Do you cook yourself? 

Oh yes, of course. You just give me something to work with, and I can make it. If there’s a will, there’s a way. One of the best dishes I make is something I started making last year. It’s steak or chicken pasta with a white sauce. I throw some broccoli in there as well and maybe have bread on the side. It’s pretty good. 

What skills make a good defensive tackle? 

Good hand-eye coordination. Understanding the scheme. One necessity is just being gritty. There’s a lot of contact – non-stop, all the time, double teams, and whatnot. Being able to take on double teams and fight against that. A lot of my job makes the linebackers look pretty. If I can do that, that’s a great technique for me. 

If you could trade places with one other position for a day, what would it be? 

Quarterback. Man, I’d like to sling the ball around, dot up some people, throw some touchdowns and stand there and look pretty. 

Do you have a favorite place on campus you go to relax? 

I have a dog, and I usually try to take him out and walk him on the quad or on the trail (near O’Brien Field). I’ll take him out on the field sometimes or play catch with him. His name is Barrington, but we call him Bear. He’s a Bernese Mountain Dog mixed with Rottweiler. I’ve had him since he was 3 months old.

What do you enjoy about having a dog? 

It’s something nice to come home to. It’s one of your best friends. No matter what type of day you’re having or how long you’ve been gone, they’re going to treat you the same and be happy to see you. It gives me something to do outside of football too. 

What’s your dream job after college? 

I’m a physical education major. A dream job for me would be being a P.E. teacher, either coaching football or wrestling, just to give back to the sports that helped me. I want to be able to be the same outlet that my (high school and college) coaches were for me. 

What’s the best advice you’ve gotten from your parents? 

There’s a lot. My stepdad has been in my life a long time. He always told me that you’re only as good as your word. Always be honest and respectable. My mother always told me that I represent more than just myself. I represent my family. I represent my school wherever I go, so always do the right thing. 

If you’re having a bad day, who’s the teammate that will always make you feel better? 

Usually when I walk in the locker room, just seeing everybody makes me feel better. One person I know that always comes up to me is (redshirt freshman defensive lineman) Trevon Piggee-Blake. He’s a character and a young one who’s always got that energy. He’s always trying to make me laugh or doing something goofy. I appreciate that. 

As someone who has had a long college career, what message do you have for young players? 

Don’t give up. The reason I say that is because the person’s that is rooting for your downfall is going to win. If you’re going to give up, someone else might give up as well. You might be someone else’s motivation. You might be someone that somebody else looks up to. Keep your head up. 

Do you have any hobbies that you do in your free time? 

I do all sorts of things. I like to watch movies. I go over to the AMC theater. I build LEGOs. I got the (Star Wars) Mandalorian helmet. It’s going to take a little bit (to build). I like to draw in my free time.  

If you’re driving over to see a movie and you get a flat tire, who’s the teammate you call first? 

(Junior D-lineman) Drake Van Hyfte. He’s been one of my good friends. We came in together. We’ve lived together for a while now. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know him on a personal level. One thing I know is there’s nothing that Drake Van Hyfte cannot fix.

Halloween is coming up. What’s the best and worst candy out there? 

Top candy is Reese’s peanut butter cup, or an Almond Joy. Worst one? It’s got to be Butterfinger. It’s like the weakest one. You can’t have that. If I gave you a Snickers or a Butterfinger and you chose Butterfinger, I’ll be looking at you strange. 

Growing up, did you have a favorite Halloween costume? 

The one that I remember the most is being Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with my brothers. I have three brothers, one older and two younger. Three of us were (Ninja Turtles) and the youngest one was Master Splinter. I was Leonardo.

Anything I do with my brothers or anything that’s positive from my childhood, it’s about my brothers and my family and how tight we are.

Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.

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