Naperville Central offensive line coach Tony Colletti will never forget the first time he met Gage Mills.
A 6-foot-2, 285-pound left tackle, Mills arrived April 10 after transferring from Klein Cain High School near Houston, Texas.
“I heard he was coming a few weeks before, but he didn’t physically walk in to enroll as a student at Naperville Central until my actual birthday,” Colletti said. “I was like, ‘Left tackle. Yes, I’ll take one.’
“It was like the perfect birthday present. He might as well have walked in with a big bow on his head.”
The arrival of Mills, whose father Jonathan works for UPS, figures to deliver big dividends for the Redhawks. They are looking to rebuild quickly after losing the bulk of their starters from the team that went 11-2 and reached the Class 8A state semifinals last season.
“He’s a nice addition,” Colletti said. “His dad had moved up here previously for work.
“The best part about it was we weightlift in the mornings three times a week, so he jumped right in and started with about a month and a half of that, and that allowed him to get to know the guys a little bit more. It helped him acclimate, see how we do things here.”
It also impressed Mills’ new teammates, including fellow senior Jameson Rosenfeld, who will start next to him at left guard.
“He’s fit in quite well,” Rosenfeld said. “He came at the end of last year, and he showed up to morning lifts almost instantly. So just knowing the guy is going to be there, even in those early mornings before school starts with the rest of the guys, is a good sign.”
Transferring during the school year actually helped Mills prepare for his senior year. His biggest adjustment was acclimating to the climate.
“When I got here, it was still a little cold, and I was feeling it a little bit,” he said. “I got a little bit used to it, and now in the summer it feels great.”
Mills said he felt welcomed right away.
“When I came in, the coaches were very nice, and they let me know all the rundown,” he said. “I picked up the playbook pretty quick.”
That impressed Naperville Central head coach Mike Ulreich.
“He’s got great football IQ,” Ulreich said. “He hasn’t had a lot of mental mistakes.
“Any time you go somewhere new, it’s new verbiage. Sometimes it feels like you’re speaking a different language.”
Mills became fluent quickly.
“He’s able to adjust on the fly, so I feel like we haven’t really had to babysit him,” Ulreich said. “He’s been able to operate pretty effectively.”
That will be a key for the Redhawks, who are starting an all-new backfield led by junior quarterback Jackson Loth.
“I think I’m pretty good in the pass protection, and I’m really aggressive in the run game,” Mills said. “I’m tough, and I’m nasty. I always get it done.”
Rosenfeld can attest to that.
“He’s a different animal,” Rosenfeld said. “When we get a deuce call, I know he’s coming in next to me, just coming to lay the guy out. So it’s a blast playing next to him. It’s amazing.”
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Mills said he’s getting some looks from Division III colleges, including defending national champion North Central. He and his teammates are eager to show everyone what they can do.
“I think that we’re going to be great,” Mills said. “We work really hard. We’ve got a good drive, and I think a lot of younger guys are stepping up and getting the work in that they need to.”
In Naperville Central’s system, the work rate in the trenches is especially important, which means guys like Mills and Rosenfeld are being counted on heavily.
“Our program operates on the success of our offensive and defensive linemen,” Ulreich said. “If you have five good offensive linemen, you can’t beat it for all the skill players in the world.”
Ulreich loves to have good offensive linemen. How good will Mills be?
“You never know until you put the pads on,” Ulreich said. “But to get a guy who’s had a lot of experience playing high school football was a blessing. That’s for sure.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.