CANTON, Ohio — There’s a reason North Central College has had such a sustained run of football success, and it goes beyond the on-field product.
North Central has turned into an NCAA Division III juggernaut over the last six seasons, reaching the Stagg Bowl — the Division III national championship game — in each season.
The Cardinals won the title in half of those appearances, but even with Sunday’s 24-14 loss to Wisconsin-River Falls still fresh in their minds, they immediately turned to the philosophy that got the program to this point.
“Our program is about going much further than a football game result,” coach Brad Spencer said. “It’s about creating All-American husbands, fathers and teammates. That’s what our program is all about.”
Listening to some of the seniors whose football careers ended Sunday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, it became clear that the culture and environment cultivated by Spencer and his staff — and by John Thorne and Jeff Thorne before him — has made a lasting impression.
“If there is one thing I can take away about North Central, it’s not just about the football,” defensive lineman John Sullivan said. “It’s about the people. After (Sunday), these relationships are going to last me my whole life.”
That wasn’t lost on Sullivan during his senior season. Not only did he turn into the best Division III defensive player in the nation, but he also made sure he did his part off the field.
“I would say my time here has been kind of cool,” Sullivan said. “Being a part of such great teams and such great people, it changed something about me. I want to be like that guy. I hope I did that in some sort of capacity. I hope I was that guy to the younger guys on my team.”
That’s exactly the mentality Spencer expects from his seniors year in and year out. The way each season’s crop of seniors continues to uphold that standard is a big reason the Cardinals are experiencing this sustained success.
Spencer pointed back to last January and something backup quarterback Calvin Lavery said.
“It just struck me,” Spencer said. “If you’re a senior in this program, you have a responsibility to be a leader. It’s not an option. I thought that represents Cardinal football to a T. Everybody has to own their piece of the puzzle. We use that symbolism all the time, puzzle pieces.
“We like to think we use football as a vehicle, and I think that’s going to benefit these guys going forward.”
That philosophy is a big reason Thomas Skokna became a semifinalist this season for the Gagliardi Trophy, the Division III equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.
Skokna didn’t even dress for games as a freshman. He barely played special teams as a sophomore. He started to emerge as a wide receiver as a junior before exploding for a career year this season.
“Everything that Coach Spencer and the rest of the coaching staff taught us and put us through, I think it set me up for life,” Skokna said. “I couldn’t be more thankful for him and this program and North Central College for everything they did for me.”
At the higher levels of college football, stories such as Skokna’s are becoming more and more rare. With name, image and likeness payments and the rampant use of the transfer portal, Spencer believes part of the essence of college football is being lost.
“We’ve been blessed to be in the position that we’re in to tell the world about North Central College and these young men,” Spencer said. “And I hope to showcase Division III football in a great way because college football needs it. The levels above us, we all know, are going in the wrong direction. If you look at this, this is what college football should be.”
Spencer said he doesn’t fault the players for chasing the big money that’s suddenly available to them. That’s just the system they’ve been thrust into. However, the things that have made North Central successful are rare at the higher levels these days.
“It should be young men loving their teammates, committed to their teammates, staying for four years and playing for the love of the game, not playing for a car or millions of dollars,” Spencer said. “These guys are what college football should be about.”
Players who arrive at North Central might not fully understand what Spencer is trying to preach. By the time they leave, however, it’s clear they have embraced the philosophy.
“Every single moment I’ve had in this program has been an absolute blessing,” linebacker Danny Nuccio said. “I’ve made lifelong friends. I’ve learned how to be a man, a father and a husband and I’m just so blessed.
“I wouldn’t want to trade it for the world.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
