Dillon Conway (4), a redshirt sophomore safety at Eastern Illinois, is playing college football where his late father Duane played in the 1990s. Conway said committing to EIU allowed him to feel “a little closer” to his dad. (Photo by Bill Biggs)
By Barry Bottino
The connection safety Dillon Conway has to Eastern Illinois football goes back to the 1990s.
But it’s a chapter of his family story that he doesn’t know much about.
Conway’s late father, Duane, was an offensive lineman at EIU from 1991-94 and spent time in training camp with the Indianapolis Colts.
“I didn’t really know too much about my dad’s playing career,” Dillon Conway said. “He passed when I was 8, so my memories of him aren’t really football related. I started playing football a year after he died. He wanted me to play football, and my mom really pushed me to do that.”
EIU head coach Chris Wilkerson, who was a defensive lineman for the Panthers, is well aware of the history, and the unique connection Dillon Conway has to EIU.
“Duane and I were classmates our entire careers,” Wilkerson said. “He was one of my great friends. He and I remained close until his unfortunate passing.”
The elder Conway arrived at Eastern as a walk-on, but “quickly earned a scholarship” playing at center, Wilkerson said. “He became one of the best players in our class.”
The younger Conway’s link to his dad became apparent during his recruitment.
“When I came on my visit, I was talking to Coach Wilk about it and that made it like home here. I feel a little closer to my dad,” he said. “That played into my decision. After I committed, a couple of his old teammates and friends reached out and sent pictures and stuff, so I got familiar with (his career).”
For Wilkerson, having Dillon Conway – who played at Chicago powerhouse Mount Carmel High School — in an EIU jersey also brings back memories.
“It’s surreal sometimes to watch guys come through our program and they’re the sons of guys that I played with,” he said. “Having Dillon here now is an awesome experience.”
Along with Wilkerson’s own son, Peyton, two sons of former Panther Jamie Pilson have played at EIU. Conway and offensive lineman Carson Fichtel (son of Brad) are current EIU players.
There’s plenty more to Conway’s story in this week’s Moving the Chains Q&A.
He shares the Chicago restaurant he wants to see in Charleston, discusses playing high school football for a Heisman Trophy finalist and identifies the loudest and quietest teammates on game day.
You played for former Northern Illinois University QB Jordan Lynch, who was a Heisman finalist, at Mount Carmel. Did you or any other teammates ever challenge him to a race?
(Laughs) Maybe once. A quarterback did it. Defense-wise, we never did that.
While at Mount Carmel, you played on state championship teams. What was your best memory of that time?
Celebrating with my friends afterwards, being in the locker room. We went back-to-back, and my senior year was the second one. That was a great feeling. It was our last year, going out with a bang.
Against FBS Alabama in the 2025 season finale, you had six tackles. How would you describe that experience?
That was surreal. Being in front of that big of a crowd (100,077) and in that type of environment, it’s something I dreamed of since I first started playing football. I have some family in Alabama and down south. They were able to come to the game, and that was the first time they were able to see me play in a while. That made the experience 10 times better.
Do you have an NFL safety that you like to watch?
My favorite safety is Kyle Hamilton from the Baltimore Ravens. He’s versatile and the Ravens use him everywhere. I feel like I’m similar in both body type and play style.
Other than O’Brien Field, what’s your favorite spot on campus?
The student union. I go in there and grab a quick meal. In between classes, I go and just chill there. It’s a hot spot on campus. A lot of my friends come through.
As a finance major, what do you hope to eventually do with your degree?
I want to be a financial manager for athletes. I want to stay in the realm of football. With a finance degree, I can help athletes manage their money.
I’ve always been good with math. In middle school, that’s when I started to develop it. Math was easy to me. It’s always been easy to me.
What are your favorite hobbies?
I enjoy listening to music. I’m a big music guy.
Would you rather watch a movie or read a book?
Watch a movie. My favorite ones that I watched over the summer were “Friday” and “Friday After Next.” Those are my favorite movies. I could watch those a hundred times.
Where are you in your family order?
I have seven siblings (four boys and three girls), and I’m the second youngest. Most of my siblings are down south. I have two siblings in Chicago and one in Ohio.
Having grown up in Chicago, what’s one thing from up north that you’d like to see in Charleston?
I would say Portillo’s. I feel like the only thing Charleston is lacking sometimes is food spots.
What type of car do you drive?
Currently, I have a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. I’ve had it since my sophomore year of high school, but it was my mom’s car before that.
Do you have a dream car?
No, I don’t. I’m not really a big car guy. I like (the Jeep) because it’s reliable. Nothing ever really goes wrong with it.
Who is your neatest roommate?
(Offensive lineman) Rahfeeq Katumbusi. He’s very organized. Things go in specific spots. That way he won’t lose anything. He cleans up after himself very quickly. We went to Mount Carmel together and we’ve been playing together for the last seven years.
On game day, who’s the quietest person in the locker room and who’s the loudest person?
The quietest is (defensive lineman) Trevon Piggee. I feel like he flips the switch, because usually he’s one of the more talkative guys. On game day, he locks in. The loudest is probably (defensive back) Le’Javier Payne. He’s pretty much a jokester. Cracking jokes is his thing. He’s a little more loose on game day.
Who’s the toughest running back you’ve had to tackle in practice?
During my time at Eastern, it’s probably Jacarre Fleming-Page. He’s one of the quickest backs I’ve had to go against. With his size and stature (5-foot-9, 190 pounds) and me being as tall as I am (6-3), it’s hard to tackle him. He has great balance as well.
Who’s the most inspirational person in your life?
My mom (Domonique McCord), 100%. She’s been a single mom since I was 8, always doing a lot for me, showing up. She’s the type of person I want to be for my kids. I want to show up, regardless of the situation and make sure they know they’re loved. She’s done everything for me, and I want to be that type of person.
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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