Redshirt senior Garret Steffen leads Illinois State in quarterback hurries and sacks. The Wisconsin native transferred to ISU following 22 straight losses at Western Illinois. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Dan Verdun
Two years ago, Garret Steffen and Seth Glatz were mired in the nation’s longest FCS losing streak.
The pair began their collegiate careers at Western Illinois, which lost 22 straight games over a two-year period with the duo on the roster.
Now, they stand on the precipice of a national championship as the Redbirds will face Montana State Jan. 5 in Nashville for the FCS title.
Neither senior could have seen it coming.
“No, never, I can’t even lie,” said Steffen, who leads Illinois State with nine quarterback hurries and seven sacks.
Glatz, a record-setting Illinois prep running back at Morton High School near Peoria, initially chose Western Illinois over ISU.
“Both offers were walk-ons, but Western said I’d have a good chance to play right away, so that’s why I went there,” he said.
WIU head coach Myers Hendrickson was fired after the 2023 season. In two years as head coach, Hendrickson’s teams posted consecutive 0-11 seasons.
Like many of their Western teammates, Glatz and Steffen entered the transfer portal.
“Going to Western out of high school, I didn’t really expect to go on that losing streak,” Glatz said. “Getting out of there and coming here was a total cultural change for me.”
Steffen said he initially committed to FBS Ball State after leaving Macomb.
“But I ended up decommitting,” the Altoona, Wis., native said. “I had some other FBS interest and some other FCS offers.”
In the end, he chose Illinois State, a Missouri Valley Football Conference rival during his time at WIU.
“Coach (Brock) Spack was a big driving force,” Steffen said. “He called me and my dad. He gave me some insight about what would be best for my future. I listened to him. I believed him, and he was right.”
While the former Leathernecks discussed their moves to ISU with one another, each made the choice individually.
“We were buddies back at Western,” Glatz said. “We saw each other on our visit here. It’s cool how it worked out.”
Steffen said: “I had talked to Seth about it, but we made our decision separately.”
Those decisions have impacted the Redbirds positively on both sides of the ball.
Steffen leads the defensive line in tackles. The 6-foot-4, 275-pounder ranks second only to All-American linebacker Tye Niekamp in tackles for loss.
“It’s been a dream come true,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been blessed by God.”
Glatz began the year down the ISU depth chart. However, he has risen to No. 2, spelling Victor Dawson, who took over the lead back role when starter Wenkers Wright was injured Nov. 15 at South Dakota State.
In Illinois State’s four playoff wins, Glatz has rushed for 115 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. He ran for a career-high 85 yards and two TDs in ISU’s 42-31 quarterfinal win at UC Davis.
Glatz has three postseason receptions for 71 yards, including a 68-yard catch and run against Villanova in the semifinals. The play was similar to one he made against FBS New Mexico State in 2023.
“It was that very same wheel route coming out of the backfield and the defenders getting caught up in traffic,” he said. “I use my speed to the best of my ability.”
Come Jan. 5, Glatz and Steffen aim to do their parts in bringing Illinois State its first Division I national championship in any sport.
There’s little doubt that they’ll have former Western Illinois teammates cheering them on.
“A lot of them transferred to different schools,” Glatz said. “It’s always great to see them and catch up.”
Steffen easily rattled off a long list of former Leathernecks that he maintains contact with.
“I talk to those guys all the time. (Defensive lineman) Brian Bruce was at the game here a few weeks ago,” he said.
Yet it’s the Redbird roster that has helped erase – or at least push into the background – memories of the losing streak that defined their time in Macomb.
“The guys here are close together,” Glatz said. “I feel like that drives us during the games.”
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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