Living in Singapore and deep in the heart of Texas didn’t diminish Garrett Nichols’ affection for his hometown.
Nichols says his heart was always in Naperville, and his dream was to play football at Naperville Central with his childhood buddies.
“I really wanted to come back and finish high school with all my friends here,” he said. “I played with all of them on the youth Redhawks team in sixth grade and went to Lincoln Junior High with them, and it’s a lot of the same guys still playing today.”
Nichols is getting his wish. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior defensive back has returned to town after spending his first three years of high school at Cedar Park near Austin, Texas.
Nichols calls his enrollment at Naperville Central a “full-circle” moment for his family. His parents, Mike and Cathy, met as students at Naperville Central. Mike Nichols played football and also wrestled, finishing sixth at 140 pounds in Class AA at the 1989 state meet.
“It’s cool to go and walk the same halls they did,” Garrett Nichols said. “I grew up always wanting to be a Redhawk.”
Mike Nichols’ job in finance took the family to Singapore for three years when Garrett was in elementary school.
“Singapore is super unique,” Garrett Nichols said. “I went to international school with kids from all over the world. It’s a completely different culture, but it was a super awesome experience. I got to travel all over Southeast Asia when I was there and also Australia and a bunch of European countries.”
Nichols’ family returned to Naperville and stayed here for three years but then moved to Texas.
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“He had the opportunity to come back often and see his friends and hang out with us during times he didn’t have football in Texas,” Naperville Central senior linebacker Daniel Nussbaum said.
Nussbaum and his twin brother, Aaron, have been close with Nichols for years and are glad he’s back.
“I think it’s awesome,” Daniel Nussbaum said. “Not only is he an amazing football player, but he’s been an amazing friend to me and everyone else he knows. So to have him as a football player here and a great friend — somebody you can rely on off the field — is amazing.”
Although Nichols is no stranger to many of his teammates, he’s a new face for others.
“I had never met him,” Naperville Central coach Mike Ulreich said. “His wasn’t a name I had ever heard before. We heard that a kid might be coming from Texas. Then you meet him, and he’s an awesome kid, a great student and a terrific football player too.”
Indeed, Nichols said he has a 4.0 GPA and scored a 33 on the ACT. He has committed to play at Brown, where he intends to major in economics and pursue a career in investment banking.
Nichols played only defense the past two years in Texas. But Ulreich is planning to pair him with three-year starter Gavin Wade at safety and get him on the field as a receiver too.
“He’s going to bring an incredible amount,” Daniel Nussbaum said. “Him and Gavin are pretty similar players.
“Having a great secondary means (teams) have got to run the ball, and that’s what we want. We want teams to run the ball against us because that’s where we feel we’re going to play harder and stronger than them.”
What makes Nichols so good?
“He’s a very good tackler,” Ulreich said. “It’s been impressive in all the drill work we do related to tackling. He’s very good at being in the right position, getting eyes where they need to be. Tackling in the open field is not easy, and he’s as good as anybody we have.”
A certain former Naperville Central player can be credited for that.
“I attribute that to my dad,” Nichols said. “He taught me from when I was young how to tackle and stay on my feet.”
Nichols, who is fluent in Spanish, wants to live overseas someday. But he’s going to relish his one and only year with the Redhawks.
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“I think it was an easy transition,” he said. “(My friends) were always asking when I was going to come back, and it was perfect to finally do it my last year.
“The coaching staff here is amazing. They made it really smooth and made it feel like a family right away.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.