Eastern Illinois senior offensive lineman Carson Fichtel is entering his final season with the Panthers and was recently honored for community service by the Ohio Valley Conference. (Photo by EIUPanthers.com)
By Barry Bottino
Eastern Illinois offensive lineman Carson Fichtel was born and raised in Texas. He has the wardrobe to prove it.
But Charleston, Ill., has become like a second home.
“I’ve met so many great people, not just inside the football facility but in the community,” he said. “It’s quite a transition being 11 hours from home, and I’ve had a lot of people help me along the way.”
He admits feeling homesick during his first days as a freshman, “but since then I’ve been settled in,” he said.
Fichtel not only has made lifelong friends at EIU and in Charleston, but his last name carries weight in the area.
His father, Brad, was an Eastern offensive lineman, went on to an NFL career and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2014.
Carson Fichtel shares his favorite item at barbecue restaurants, hobbies that he enjoys with friends, his advice to younger teammates and more in our weekly Moving the Chains feature, which will run throughout the 2026 season.
As a lifelong Texan, what’s the most “Texas” thing you have in your wardrobe?
I definitely have some boots and jeans and a new cowboy hat I just got in May. I added that to the wardrobe. I shopped off the shelf (for the hat), and they shaped it for my size.
The drive from Charleston to your hometown of Heath, Texas, is 11 ½ hours. Do you have a go-to stop on every trip?
It’s pretty close to my house. About 30 minutes away, there’s a Buc-ee’s (travel center). I always have to stop, no matter how close I am or what time it is.
What items do you always have to buy at Buc-ees?
The Buc-ees brisket is always good. If it’s in the morning, their breakfast is always top tier. They’ve got burritos, sandwiches, anything you can think of breakfast-wise.
Does good barbecue exist outside of Texas?
For sure. I went to Indianapolis last semester to pick up one of my roommates and we stopped at a barbecue joint. It was fantastic. It was probably some of the best I’ve had, including my stops in Texas.
Do you have a favorite barbecue place in Texas?
Terry Black’s is a very good spot (with eight locations in the state), and my family does enjoy it in downtown Dallas. I usually go with sliced brisket when I go to a barbecue joint.
What are your favorite hobbies?
I enjoy golfing. Me, some of my roommates and guys on the team try to go golf when we have time off. I also enjoy fishing. I know some people around Charleston that have ponds, and they allow me and some of my buddies to occasionally go fishing there.
It gives me time to relax, get my mind off of things and be with some of the best friends I’ve made here in Charleston.
Your father, Brad, was an O-lineman at EIU and your brother, Hayden, was a center at D-II Henderson State in Arkansas. Who’s the best athlete in the family?
I’d give that crown to myself. (Laughs)
Your father had a Hall of Fame career at Eastern. Have you ever watched film of him, and how would you grade his play?
I’ve watched a couple of plays of his, moreso with the (Los Angeles) Rams. His mentality about everything was why he was so successful. He wasn’t the biggest or the strongest or fastest. But he found ways to make plays on the field. That was a strength of his for sure.
Your dad regularly comes back to EIU for games and events. What’s your earliest memory of being in Charleston?
I remember my dad getting inducted into the EIU Hall of Fame. They had a game here, and I remember that. I have pictures of me and my family at a book signing with Coach (Bob) Spoo. I have a few pictures with Coach Spoo, too, at our house.
We went to an EIU game at Central Arkansas growing up, which was a little closer to home. That was back in the Jimmy Garoppolo days.
What was the first piece of EIU gear you owned?
When I committed, one of my dad’s good friends that he played with shipped me an EIU hoodie. I still have it to this day.
Who have you met in the program that has made an impression on you?
Someone in the community who is always around is Jamie Pilson (former EIU running back and current Coles Country businessman). My dad and Jamie played together. He was a big part of me adjusting to Charleston. When I have a question about anything, he’s always been really supportive.
As the veteran in the O-line room, what advice do you have for young guys?
You’ve got to learn from your mistakes. One thing I tell them is don’t be afraid to mess up. If you don’t know what to do on a play, just give your best effort and go all out.
You were recently one of 17 recipients of the Ohio Valley Conference’s 2025-26 Community Service Award. What does that recognition mean?
It was great. Giving back to Charleston is important. I’ve been able to join a few great organizations during my time here and help out. I was honored.
One of the organizations that EIU football has been a part of, and I’ve been part of for a while, is Uplifting Athletes. It’s an organization that helps raise money for researchers who are helping people with rare diseases.
They also host events for people and families affected by rare diseases.
What reward do you get for helping people in need?
I believe one of my main purposes for being put on this Earth is to serve others. That’s rewarding when I can help people out in any sort of way.
Being your last season, have you had any emotional moments so far?
It hasn’t really hit me yet. I’m going with the flow. I already had my last spring ball, my last off-season workout. I’m sure it will hit me later in the season, closer to the end.
In the current portal and NIL era of college football, some teammates have come and gone. Why was it important for you to stay?
Coach (Chris) Wilkerson and his staff made it pretty easy for me to stay. They’ve always been there on and off the field. It is pretty rare to have one transcript in your college career, especially nowadays. Just being part of that small percentage of people who stayed at one school their whole college career is pretty special.
Over the years, do you have a favorite uniform combination that you’ve worn?
I’m a fan of the all-blacks – black helmet, black jersey, black pants. I like the white helmet, white jersey, blue pants look, too. That always looks good.
Do you have favorite stadiums that you’ve played at during your career?
Alabama was pretty special last year. UT Martin was where I got my first collegiate start. It’s always special when we play there too.
Who would you consider an unsung hero in the program that fans may not know about?
There are so many people, but I’ll have to go with (longtime coordinator of equipment and stadium facilities) Clint Bays and all of his student staff. They’re out there hours before practice setting up and they’re cleaning up after practice. What they do is a grind. They go under the radar for sure, but we appreciate it.
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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