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n o r t h w e s t e r n f o o t b a l l • D I G I T A L P R O G R A M • N O R T H W E S T E R N v s . o h i o S T A T E
SMILING FACES CHANGING FACES
Dick Stanfel coached the great Bear line that opened holes for Walter Payton and keyed the team's run to the 1986 Super Bowl title. "A mean
[expletive] on the field and a perfect gentleman off" is the way he described the quintessential offensive lineman.
"It is so interesting here at Northwestern," Vogel said when told that. "You have got guys who are just so smart, guys who are really standup
guys off the field. But when you take that group of guys who are smart and good-mannered kids off the field and put us all together on the field,
it gets chippy out there. Guys are getting into physical stuff between whistles. That is my favorite part of it, seeing how personalities change
on and off the field."
"I wish I could answer that question," Thomas will say when asked how he changes from a genial chap to a smash brother. "I guess the biggest
thing for me is just being able to flip my mindset. When I step on the field, when we step on the field as an offensive line, we are on the attack.
We are looking to make contact with any and everything. Then when we step off the field, we are good community members who do the right
things. It is mental at the end of the day. It is a mindset you have to train yourself— it does not just come overnight.
"It takes some forging. It takes some blood, sweat and tears. But once you hit that niche and do it collectively as a unit, it is a pretty good
feeling."
coach spotlight
SENIOR OL JARED THOMAS
