Western Illinois linebacker Kevin Washington Jr. leads the Leathernecks in sacks while ranking second in tackles, solo stops and quarterback hurries. (Photo by GoLeathernecks.com)
By Dan Verdun
With college football now fully in its transfer portal era, the saying “Let the buyer beware” has never been more applicable.
“Sometimes these decisions on players are made very quickly,” Western Illinois head coach Joe Davis said.
Rushed decisions can often be bad choices. However, Davis and his staff’s decision to bring in transfer linebacker Kevin Washington Jr. proved otherwise.
“Kevin is a guy we hit a home run on,” Davis said. “He’s just a very well-mannered student-athlete. He’s very organized. He handles his business. He would be what I would describe as a very low-maintenance, highly productive member of our football team.”
WIU linebackers coach Brandon Kreczmer said, “When Kevin first got on campus, you could just tell how much he cared and how much he loved the game.”
Washington, a senior, transferred to WIU from Bethune-Cookman, an HBCU school located in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Sunshine State native made an instant impact.
“He’s a very diligent practice player, which I often say translates to Saturdays,” Davis said.
Washington ranks eighth among OVC-Big South tackles leaders and leads Western in sacks.
“He’s really stepped up and been the leader of the defense. He’s been making a lot of plays. He’s been very consistent,” Kreczmer said. “He’s just a very smart football player, a student of the game.”
Washington, who played on a state championship team at Miami Central Senior High School, said he wanted a better opportunity and Western has provided that.
“Coach Kreczmer played linebacker here and I always try to pick his brain and see what he thinks and what I can improve on,” Washington said.
Western’s season took an upswing when the Leathernecks edged Tennessee State, 17-16, Oct. 25 in Nashville.
“It meant a lot to win that game. The past two, three weeks we had halftime leads and just couldn’t hold it,” Washington said. “After the game, we just huddled up on the field and were just cheering. It was needed.”
Washington said his role is one of a leader.
“As a linebacker, you’ve got to make the calls and talk to the D-line, other linebackers and secondary,” he said. “We have a lot of young guys playing, so you help them out.”
Washington and the Leathernecks (2-7 overall, 1-4 OVC-Big South) host Lindenwood (4-5, 3-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hanson Field in Macomb.
This week’s opponent
Lindenwood, located in suburban St. Louis, is fresh off a 35-13 throttling of Tennessee State in Nashville.
Linebacker Sanjay Strickland took home OVC-Big South Defensive Player of the Week honors with seven tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery. The Colorado State transfer ranks fifth among league leaders in tackles and solo stops.
East St. Louis High School graduate Christopher Bennett Jr. was lauded as the league’s Freshman of the Week, thanks mainly to his returns on special teams.
Meanwhile, receiver Rico Bond is on the Jerry Rice Award Watchlist for the top freshman in FCS. Bond is the Lions’ leading pass catcher with 43 receptions for 515 yards and five touchdowns.
Jared Rhodes, Steve Hall and Nate Glantz lead the Lindenwood ground attack. Glantz, the team’s starting QB, has completed 57% of his passes.
Kickoff: 1 p.m.; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: Q981fm.com
Key matchup to watch
WIU kicker Antonio Chadha vs. Lindenwood special teams
In a game that could come down to the wire, Chadha has nailed 11 of 14 field goal attempts this season. He has a long of 51 yards.
Chadha has put 60% of his kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks.
What’s at stake
Western seeks its second straight conference win, this one coming off its bye week.
Quick hits
Since joining the OVC-Big South, Lindenwood has defeated Western Illinois in both meetings, including last year’s 49-38 win in St. Charles, Mo. The Lions rallied past the Leathernecks for a 43-40 victory in Macomb two years ago. … WIU running back Markell Holman ranks 53rd among FCS rushing leaders. The junior has run for 571 yards and five touchdowns this season. … The Leathernecks’ two OVC-Big South losses at Hanson Field have come by a combined 13 points this season. … Davis said that the bye week offered a chance “to get in some positive work with our younger players in some competitive scrimmage situations.” … In discussing the growth of WIU freshman Cason Carswell from a high school player to starting collegiate quarterback, Davis said, “The game day component, the physicality is just different from high school. Cason is learning how to protect himself, how to throw the football away, get himself in and out of bad plays. (These) are all really big signs of growth for him over the last five or six weeks.”
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.
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