Nationally recognized

By Ben Gross

DeKALB | Side by side, 125 pounds and a one-foot height difference characterizes the physical variation between offensive tackle Doug Free and running back Garrett Wolfe.

Free easily wins the big man contest between the two — but both are big men on campus.

Throughout the past few seasons the two seniors have been creating a name for themselves in DeKalb, as well as across the country.

“I haven’t been a normal college student for two years,” Wolfe said. “There’s no way to be normal or blend in.”

But this summer, something different, something bigger, happened from summers past.

The pair jumped into national headlines as they collected honors ranging from All-MAC to All-American candidates.

With the recognition, though, came a price — the media.

While college students across the country dream of being interviewed daily, shuttled around for press conferences and photo shoots, these two just want things to stay simple — they just want to play football.

“I can do without getting interviewed,” Free said. “I just like playing the game.”

The Manitowoc, Wis., native likes to stay out of the limelight and focus on performing his job.

Plus, with all the attention, there’s always the danger of being misquoted and having a story written about yourself which doesn’t reflect you at all.

Wolfe knows these dangers all too well.

“One thing that’s kind of upsetting is when people don’t write down what you say,” Wolfe said. “They take the main idea of what you said and they word it incorrectly. It then sends the wrong message.”

Both Free and Wolfe are concerned their quotes will be taken out of context, or that they will wake up the next morning to find headlines that don’t make them happy.

Yet they continue to do interviews, press conferences, photo shoots and more.

“I understand it’s one of the necessary evils,” Wolfe said. “It doesn’t bother me.”

And even if it does become a bother, the two put up with it because they love the game.

The seniors don’t take the field for the attention, for the press or for the Facebook groups — they do it for fun, for enjoyment and for love.

“I wouldn’t trade anything,” Wolfe said. “The way I look at it, some people are just generally concerned and I appreciate that.”

Ben Gross is an NIU football beat reporter for the Northern Star.