With the offense undergoing a transition heading into the 2014 season with graduation of the likes of Jake Kolbe and Ben Andreas, both of whom played pivotal roles in Naperville Central’s march to the 2013 Class 8A state title, the genesis towards working towards a repeat wasn’t hard to find.
Bolstered by the return of Joe Schweikart, Dan Delgrosso and Bobby McMillen, the Naperville Central defense figured to have to carry the weight early on, especially with the team breaking in a junior quarterback, Conor Joyce.
Playing alongside Jack Wooldridge, the 2013 DuPage Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year after piling up 140 tackles, 18 TFLs and four sacks, McMillen provided a suitable running mate as the Redhawks went from being a 6-3 football team to getting on a five-game roll to capture the second state title in program history.
Committing to Paul Rhoades and Iowa State in March 2014, McMillen and the rest of Mike Ulreich’s defensive charges hit the ground running as the Redhawks’ defense permitted their next seven opponents following a 20-6, season-opening loss at Waubonsie Valley to just 5.71 points a game while turning into a turnover-making machine.
While the stifling defense was a collective effort thanks to the contributions of Schweikart, Delgrosso, Jon Barker, Justin Wegner and Garrett Purdy, the ability for Ulreich’s charges to consistently stifle opponents throughout the year started and ended with the future Cyclone, McMillen—Positively Naperville’s 2014 Defensive Player of the Year.
“I mean, he’s big, he’s physical and he’s their leader. Emotionally, he’s a great leader, I think,” Neuqua Valley coach Ellinghaus said of McMillen. “So he brings a lot more to the table than just his physical attributes on the defensive side of the ball. I mean, he’s kind of the motor that makes that thing run over there, as far as the defensive side of the ball.
“I think the kids look to him as being that emotional leader, as well as a physical leader on the field. But I really think when you talk about one player on defense; you’ve got to look at more than just the physicality that he brings to the table. I think he’s their engine over there on the defensive side of the ball. He’s a kid that I think everybody around him plays better because he’s a leader over there.”
Improving on his 118 tackles he secured as a junior while playing next to Wooldridge, McMillen accumulated 140 tackles to go along with nine TFLs, a pair of interceptions and a fumble return for a TD, McMillen kept the DVC Defensive Player of the Year honor in the Redhawk family.
As the road towards a repeat in Class 8A continued through the year, McMillen and his teammates spoke often about just getting seven more days with each other.
With Naperville Central trailing 21-7 to Brother Rice at halftime in its Class 8A postseason opener, any hopes of a possible repeat were in danger of being erased in 24 minutes.
But collectively putting its foot down, led by McMillen, the Redhawks’ defense kept the Crusaders off the scoreboard in the second half, giving Joyce and the rest of the offense ample time to hit their stride en route to a 34-21 victory.
“(Brother Rice quarterback Alex Alarcon) was unbelievable. He’s probably more impressive on defense as he was on offense,” Ulreich said following the Oct. 31 victory. “But he does such a nice job. Their offensive coordinator does a terrific job and (Alarcon) does a really good job of running that offense.
“But that’s the thing. They spread you out and they put linebackers in tension. The game plan we put together really put too much pressure on one guy (McMillen), so we made an adjustment so he could just play and not be in so much stress.”
The adjustments Ulreich and his staff made allowed their 6-foot-2, 225-pound middle linebacker to roam around with less restriction and responsibility, a tactic he made good on after punctuating the 13-point Redhawk victory with a 20-yard fumble recovery for a TD.
A week later, McMillen’s fourth-quarter interception of Waubonsie Valley senior quarterback Zack Bennema started a fourth-quarter avalanche that saw the Redhawks intercept Bennema three times and force four turnovers, including a McMillen recovery of a muffed punt, en route to turning a 14-10 deficit into a 24-14 victory, avenging their Week 1 loss to the Warriors.
All told, Naperville Central’s defense forced 23 turnovers during the 2014 season, including seeing nine players combine to haul in 16 interceptions, as it held eight of its 12 opponents to 14 points or less.
“He leads by example and obviously he’s quite vocal out there also,” Glenbard North coach Ryan Wilkens said of McMillen a week after he had one of three pick-sixes against the Panthers in a 28-14 Naperville Central victory on Sept. 26. “He’s, for sure, the leader of that defense and (Schweikart) plays well, too. He’s a good player and then obviously when they bring in the receivers to play defensive back, that’s another story. But I’d say for sure McMillen is the engine.”
Naperville Central’s dream for a Class 8A repeat fell three victories short after Simeon came into Memorial Stadium on Nov. 15 and eliminated the defending Class 8A state champions, 34-20, in a Class 8A state quarterfinal.
With the moment still raw and while starting to come to grips that one chapter of his athletic career had just ended after piling up 16 tackles in an effort to help keep his team’s season alive, McMillen spoke eloquently about what it meant to be a Redhawk over the course of three varsity seasons.
“I mean, going off next year (to Iowa State)—it’s going to be a blast and I can’t wait for it. But I wouldn’t trade these last four years for anything,” he said. “I love every single one of those guys in that locker room and on the coaching staff. All the student sections that came out, all the families that have been supporting us the past four years, I appreciate them so much and each and every single one of them holds a special place in my heart.”
