The moment Dan Dierking was told he had been selected as the Tribune/WGN-Ch. 9 Athlete of the Month for September, he looked up, smiled and said: “Really?”
Then he plunged right into a monologue praising his offensive linemen.
It sounds almost a little corny in this day and age, but Dierking is the kind of teenager who proudly poses for a photo in his letterman’s jacket like some Wally Cleaver as he turns Wheaton Warrenville South into a modern-day “Leave It To Beaver” land.
“He’s a really good kid, and I’m talking more than just football,” Wheaton South lineman Kyle Antos said of the Tigers’ breakaway running back. “A lot of guys can act nice, but behind closed doors they are a different person.
“This kid doesn’t have a bad word to say about anyone–in public or private. He is so genuine, and that’s from the way he was raised. He is so talented he could easily be cocky or arrogant. Instead, he is everybody’s hero.”
Four times in six weeks Dierking has bought doughnuts for the guys who open the holes. That’s only part of their reward for helping the 5-foot-10-inch, 180-pound Purdue recruit rush for 1,204 yards and score 18 touchdowns for No. 3 Wheaton South (6-0).
“All the credit for me winning this honor definitely goes to the offensive line,” Dierking said. “I’m thinking about taking them out to a steakhouse after the season is over. I get such big holes, all I have to do is think about outrunning the safeties.”
Antos, Will Matte (6-3, 255), Jon Roberson (6-2, 309), Phil Bochat and Tim Day carved out road-grader-like chunks in Naperville North’s defense last Friday to spring Dierking on TD runs of 76 and 49 yards.
Imagine how good Dierking will be when he is 100 percent healthy. Laying out for a pass in practice caused him to jam a shoulder that has the Tigers senior running a little higher than usual.
“It’s getting better, but I don’t want to test it yet by lowering it into a defender,” said Dierking, who broke tackles with his power running last season.
“Also, coach [Ron] Muhitch has gotten me to see more of the open field. Instead of putting my head down and running 15 or 20 yards, I’m looking for seams and thinking end zone.”
Of Dierking’s 17 rushing touchdowns, seven have been for 40 yards or longer. Intense off-season training seven days a week allowed him to drop his 40-yard dash time from 4.5 seconds to the 4.43 he registered at Northwestern’s camp.
That was enough for the Boilermakers, who offered him a scholarship to play in their backfield. Northern Illinois and Ball State made the same offer while Illinois and Iowa recruited him to play defense.
He chose the alma mater of his mom (Erin) and dad. Scott Dierking was an all-Big Ten running back at Purdue who played seven years in the NFL, mostly with the New York Jets.
Oh, and another thing. He adores his parents, looks forward to joining older sister Caitlin at Purdue and watches over younger brother Shane.
“There aren’t too many like him anymore,” Antos said.
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bsakamoto@tribune.com
For more on Dan Dierking, watch WGN’s “Instant Replay” at 9:40 p.m. Sunday and the “WGN Morning News” from 5 to 9 a.m. Monday.
