North Chicago senior Lon McLendon is embracing new beginnings.
After playing quarterback the past two seasons, McLendon is sliding down the line of scrimmage to line up at wide receiver for the first time in his career. He is also planning to play basketball for the first time since elementary school.
“I’m not scared,” he said. “I’m pretty excited about it. I wanted to always focus on football, but now it’s my senior year, I want to play basketball. I missed it.”
North Chicago football coach Wilton Hill Jr. isn’t surprised McLendon is willing to try new things. Hill said he has watched McLendon, whose uncles Armoni Rogers and Khalil Rogers starred for the Warhawks and played in college, become a solid leader and ambassador for the program.
“I’ve known Lon since birth and even coached a few of his uncles,” Hill said. “It’s definitely been pretty cool to watch him grow and mature. He plays through anything and is always there to assist with whatever we need him to do. He just wants to win.”
North Chicago assistant Maurice Young, a 2014 Zion-Benton graduate who played defensive back at Loras College and Central State University, is also familiar with McLendon’s family history in Lake County.
“Lon has grown up in the community and watched some good football and been a part of the Warhawks’ lifestyle,” Young said. “He’s definitely driven, is very selfless, and this is the hardest I’ve seen him push himself. He’s willing to do whatever he can for the team to be successful. He’s worked very hard, and hopefully it will pay off.”
The 6-foot, 150-pound McLendon is also slated to play free safety for the Warhawks (1-8), who lost their final eight games last season but have 60 players across two levels, according to Hill. They start the season with a nonconference game at Wheeling on Aug. 25.
“Lon has been in our program all four years and is the ultimate team player,” Hill said. “He’s still a quarterback for us now, but we got a couple of guys who came in who are also quarterbacks.
“He’s almost like a quarterback in the secondary, getting everybody lined up and where they are supposed to be. … He’s willing to do whatever to help the team, which gives us a lot of flexibility with him to do different things.”
McLendon indicated he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I like the team aspect of football, going out there with my guys,” he said. “That’s fun for me.”
McLendon credits his attitude for helping him get along with teammates and classmates. He noted the death of his longtime friend DaShawn Brown in September 2022 made him think about his priorities.
“Last year was kind of tough because I tried to keep my head up even though I lost someone I call my best friend, who was like a brother,” McLendon said. “I talked to my coaches about playing, but I knew he wouldn’t want me to stop and also to play for him, not quit because of him. … DaShawn was a year older than me, but he taught me a lot of stuff to live for.”
McLendon said his mother, Quorlisha Benifield, is his primary inspiration. She works two jobs, McLendon said.
“She helps me a lot and gives me everything,” he said.
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
