Priorities for Quinn Urwiler, NIU football program: Football, not paychecks

Name, image and likeness deals have been a part of college football for a few years.

And last month, The House vs. NCAA settlement opened up college athletes to be paid.

While NIU opted into the revenue-sharing plan, the school hasn’t released any details.

At NIU’s Chicago Media Day on Thursday at Harry Caray’s restaurant in Chicago, linebacker Quinn Urwiler said he’s not really caught up in all that.

“I’m here for one reason: to play football,” Urwiler said. “I love the game so much, I [couldn’t] care less how much I’m getting paid. I came here, I played two years as a walk-on here. I just want to play football.

“So I kind of block it out, and I know a lot of these guys, they didn’t leave. They love the game of football.”

Urwiler said that mindset is what makes this year’s Huskies team so great. NIU is coming off an 8-5 season that included a second straight bowl win and a historic victory at Notre Dame.

The season starts Aug. 30 against Holy Cross in DeKalb.

Urwiler, who starred at linebacker and running back in high school at Batavia, is in his fourth year with the Huskies after transferring from North Dakota. He had 32 tackles last year, the third most among returning players.

Only five starters return from last year, none at linebacker. Urwiler is expected to be one of the key contributors at the position.

In the age of the transfer portal, Urwiler said it was hard at times being buried on the depth chart. But he said that makes this year more satisfying, as well.

“But you know, it’s like I got to toughen up, you know, tough love,” Urwiler said. “I’m just going to compete and work my butt off to be the guy in the role. I’m very excited to have these coaches say that I’m the guy that’s going to be calling it this year.

“I know what I’m capable of doing, and I can’t wait to show everyone.”

Coach Thomas Hammock said the team does a good job of evaluating talent and tries to develop from within, using the portal more as a way to bring on board complementary pieces.

He said players at the back of the depth chart stay hungry.

“One thing about our players? They [couldn’t] care less if somebody leaves,” Hammock said. “They [couldn’t] care less if someone graduates. Matter of fact, they hope you leave, they hope you graduate. That gives them an opportunity to play.”

Hammock said he feels a lot of players in the program are going to be better than the ones they are replacing. He also said building from within helps create a culture. And it’s a big reason the team can be competitive without the financial resources of other programs.

“When you think about it from a transaction standpoint, money can’t buy you heart,” Hammock said. “Money can’t buy you toughness. Money can’t buy you physicality. Money can’t buy you togetherness. Money can’t buy you your team.

“For us, we built ourselves on being a team, a group of brothers that’s going to do everything possible for one another.”

Safety Muhammed Jammeh said he is grateful for whatever opportunities to get paid present themselves, pointing to the $1,500 he earned for licensing his NIL to College Football 26 as being very helpful.

But he added whatever revenue sharing comes down the pike, it’s not as important as just being able to play football.

“I try not to focus on money right now,” Jammeh said. “If you do what you have to do, it will come in the long run. ”