From the wise words of Vince Lombardi, “A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall.” Our campus celebrity this week, Colton Underwood, Captain of Illinois State’s football team, may agree! Although this 6’4”, 255 pounds of muscle, defensive end’s heart may belong to football, his intelligence and involvement with extra curricular activities do not lack. As a member of the honor roll and active volunteer at the animal shelter, Colton shows us that there is more to him than his incredible talent on the gridiron.

When you obtain the talents of this young gentleman, they are definitely something to share. Colton’s devotion to the sport and ability to help Illinois State’s Football program continuously grow over the past four years has changed the face of ISU football (with a brand new stadium to boot!). If you were to take a peak at this football stud’s biography on the official Redbird Roster you would see an overwhelming amount of achievements. Although none of these accomplishments should go unnoticed, Colton’s personal favorites include his obtainment of the Honor Roll, being a member of the Good Works Team for his community service, being a National Defense man of the year, and last but definitely not least, being a three time first team All-American football player!

As a twenty-one year old senior, Colton is majoring in business management with a healthcare degree, hoping to work in hospital administration (if he doesn’t make it to the NFL, that is.) He has two black labs, Sniper and Bullet, which as his brother would describe, “are kind of like girlfriends to him, he is obsessed with them and they never leave his side.” Athleticism does not lack in his family, it actually runs in his blood. Colton’s mother and father were both scholar athletes at ISU, his mother being part of the volleyball team and his father also being a Redbird football player. His brother, and one of his best friends, plays football as well. Connor, also known as the wild child, broke the family chain and attended Indiana State University (ISU for short.) There, he is currently one of their star players, making big moves on their defensive end. Yes, you read that correctly. Two brothers, both football stars, who attend ISU’s, and who play the same position. All of this is going to make this upcoming Saturday a lot more interesting at Hancock Stadium as well as for Colton Underwood. Why you ask? Indiana State is coming to our house to face our Illinois State football team. Meaning, the Underwood brothers are going head to head at 1:00pm Saturday afternoon.

Colton and his brother, Connor.

Colton and Connor as young boys!

When asking the brothers about their opinions of playing against each other both seemed extremely excited. Even though there is a large rivalry there, Colton describes it as “a rivalry that helps rather than hurts one another.” After games the brothers will talk with each other, give advice, and share helpful tips about teams one of the brothers has yet to play. Both Connor and Colton want to see each other succeed, but those hopes get a little tricky when both of them help carry a large weight of their team on their shoulders. Each Underwood sees their team succeeding, but when looking at past history over the past two seasons, Colton and Illinois State come out on top keeping a 2-0 record against Indiana State University. During this week leading up to the big game, Colton is excited for a fun yet intense competition.

When gazing at Colton’s extensive list of success and family history in athletics, we often forget that aside from the football star qualities, he is similar to you and me! He has a passion, he loves his pets, he values his family, and looks forward to fall weekends for the college football. On Saturdays and Sundays we both may wear our favorite team’s jersey; the only difference is that instead of watching the game from the stands, Colton plays a large role on the field. Now that you’ve been able to learn a little about our own HerCampus football star, don’t be afraid to cheer for Colton Underwood #35 this Saturday as he faces his brother Connor #55 at Hancock stadium. Roll birds!