His turn may come. It may not.
Being second fiddle can be frustrating. But all Anthony Maddie can do is make sure he’s ready if and when his number is called.
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The good news for the Northern Illinois University football team’s backup quarterback is that the coaching staff feels comfortable he’s someone they can turn to.
“You feel good about having two quarterbacks like that,” offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Bob Cole said, referring to Maddie and fellow redshirt junior Drew Hare. “You don’t get that very often.”
Last season, Northern’s first year after Jordan Lynch moved on, Hare and Maddie were joined by then redshirt junior Matt McIntosh in a three-man race for the starting job.
It all got sorted out and the Huskies (11-3, 7-1) managed to continue their winning ways. They won their fifth straight Mid-American Conference West Division title to earn a fifth straight trip to Detroit’s Ford Field for the league title game. Then they beat Bowling Green 51-17 before bowing to Marshall 52-23 in the inaugural Boca Raton Bowl.
McIntosh started the first two games and Hare the remaining 12. And Maddie, an Aurora Christian graduate from Plainfield who transferred to DeKalb after redshirting his first season (2012) at MAC rival Western Michigan, saw action in nine games and settled in at No. 2.
This past spring, Maddie continued the process.
“I finally feel comfortable with everything,” he said in April following the team’s spring game. “I got some playing time (last year). Mentality-wise, I just kinda came into it and just wanted to keep getting better, getting faster with getting the calls, running the plays and making the right decision every time.”
The process continues this month in preseason camp.
“I’ve definitely watched a lot more film than I have in the past and I feel prepared,” he said. “I feel I know everything about this offense and I’m ready to go.”
Recognizing defenses and making correct reads were his focus during summer film study.
“The idea is to get on the same page as the coaching staff so we’re all thinking alike and would do the same thing in the same situation,” Maddie said.
“With the reads, a lot of times there are two different things you can do, but the idea is trying to be on the same page as much as possible.”
Hare passed for 2,322 yards and 18 touchdowns, and rushed for 900 yards while Maddie completed 20-of-33 passes for 227 yards and ran for 201 in spot duty, getting inserted into games to run a series or two.
“Last year was really (Maddie’s) first year running this offense and now he’s been able to review it,” Cole said. “I think he has a great handle on it … that he can go out there and lead the team, and feel confident about what he’s doing.
“Last year, there was a learning curve for him. Now, he has it all down. He’s improved tremendously since last year.”
McIntosh, who briefly switched to wide receiver in the spring, has left the program. Redshirt freshman Ryan Graham (Wheaton North) and true freshmen Charlie Rotherham (Green Bay) and Daniel Santacaterina (Geneva) are also on the roster.
Hare (6-foot-1, 218) and Maddie (6-1, 203) are both dual-threat QBs who appear to be cut from the mold that NIU has relied on to dominate the league in recent years.
They even live together.
“Anthony and Drew are like best friends,” Cole said. “They’re inseparable. They compete like crazy on the field but when they get off it, they’re best friends.”
Twitter: @RickArmstrong28
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