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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 . U M A S S
EMPTYING THE NOTEBOOK
By: Skip Myslenski
MAKE NO MISTAKE: The tackle Rashawn Slater says the 1-8 'Cats still "have a ton to play for,"
and soon enough he is asked just what that might be. He appears insulted by the question, and
the reason for that is clear when he offers up his answer. "We've got three games left and obviously
we're not where we want to be," he begins, and then comes his point. "But this game, it mirrors life,
and if we quit now, what would that say about us? I know every one of us, me and my teammates, we
have great families, come from great places, and we don't back down. Things aren't going the way
we want them to be going right now, but we still have our pride. The Northwestern team is about more
than just wins and losses. It's about how we respond. It's about sending the seniors out the right way.
We've got plenty to play for these last few games. I'm not worried about motivation."
UPON THIS ROCK: Slater's line has been the 'Cats steadiest offensive unit this season and last
Saturday, against Purdue, it shined, allowing zero sacks and opening holes enough for the team to
roll up 251 rushing yards. "I think we've just come together," he says when asked about its growth.
"This year has been huge. We've created some depth. We've established an identity. We've still got
a long way to go. But I'm really proud of how this group has continued to fight week in and week out."
And what identity did the line establish?
"Our identity is we're tough, we're nasty, we finish blocks, finish plays. We want to take this offense
and put it on our backs. We really hang our hats on being deep, having the ability to, when someone
goes down, someone else is going to step in and the standard's not going to drop. We really trust
each other. We love each other and we're not going to change."
