Redshirt freshman quarterback Blainey Dowling is in his second year with the Panthers.

The Chicago native played quarterback at Chicago Mount Carmel High School and had a breakout senior season before committing to Eastern.

Dowling led Mount Carmel to the Illinois High School Association Class 7A State Championship on a 14-0 record. Dowling recorded 205 completions for 290 attempts for 3,030 yards along with five rushing touchdowns.

After his senior season, Dowling was named the winner of the Chicago Catholic League Tony Lawless Most Valuable Player, Player of the Year by Illinois Max Preps and Daily Southtown, a first team All-Chicago Catholic League player, a first team All-State honors player and a finalist for the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year.

Although Dowling didn’t play in the 2023 season, Dowling has seen time on the field throughout the 2024 season.

Dowling played against Illinois State, Tennessee State and Charleston Southern throughout the 2024 season.

In this Q&A, Dowling talks about his love for baseball, how the culture from Mount Carmel helped him adjust to Eastern and where the best pizza place is in the city of Chicago.

Q: When did you first start playing football?

A: “I first started playing football in fourth grade. Tackle football in fourth grade.”

Q: Did you always play quarterback?

A: “Ya. In the younger years, I played some safety, but offensively, I was always the quarterback.”

Q: Who on the team are you giving the aux to?

A: “There’s actually some really bad music played in out locker room. I’m not a fan of it. I’d say Reuben Popoca. He gets the boys going with the music. I’d have to give him the aux.”

Q: What type of music do you listen to?

A: “Country is good, but I like it all. Throwback rap is good too, like Lil Wayne and all that. Lil Durk is good. There’s a lot of good ones out there. I like it all. It has to be a song I know, and then I’ll start rocking with it.”

Q: Where in the Chicago area are you from?

A: “I’m from the south side of Chicago.”

Q: How do you feel the environment at Mount Carmel helped you to adjust to Eastern?

A: “Mount Carmel is the best program in the state of Illinois. Coming from a winning program like that, you tend to bring that winning culture over. When they were recruiting me, that’s what they were saying. They want winners to join Eastern Illinois. I’d say being around winners my whole life just helped me out a ton.”

Q: Why did you choose to come to Eastern?

A: “I had a really big senior year. Everyone was like, ‘All the schools are going to start reaching out,’ and nothing really came. Eastern was the first school to finally give me an offer, and that night, I probably had 10-12 other Division I offers. I liked how Eastern was the first school to really give me a chance.”

Q: What other offers did you have?

A: “Off the top of my head, there were a lot of schools reaching out, and I would just tell them, ‘Ya, I already committed.’ Other schools that offered me were Western Illinois, Dayton, Drake University. Some other FCS schools.”

Q: Who’s the funniest person on the team?

A: “I gotta go with Jamal Jeffers. I lived with him over the summer, and he’s easily the funniest dude on the team. He’s hilarious. Anything he does, he has the whole team cracking up.”

Q: If you had a walkout song, what would it be?

A: “Probably All of the Lights by Kanye West. That’s a classic. You can’t go wrong.”

Q: What do you think the biggest strengths of the quarterback room are?

A: “Obviously, Pierce is our head guy. He’s a great leader. We have a pretty young quarterback room, so being able to look up to Pierce is great. I think the strengths we have is that we’re all pretty smart when it comes to on-field football. None of us quit too. Day in and day out. When we have a bad practice one day, we all bounce back the next. Everyone’s always picking each other up in the quarterback room. We’re all really close.”

Q: Do you believe the Earth is round or flat?

A: “Oh, it’s round. If you think it’s flat, you’re crazy. Come on, grow up.”

Q: Pancakes or waffles?

A: “I’d say waffles. Nice and easy. Keep it simple.”

Q: Do you put anything on your waffles?

A: “I’d put some blueberries on there, toss some syrup on them.”

Q: What has been your favorite memory with this program thus far?

A: “I’d probably say our win over Illinois State last year. I know going into it, we haven’t beat them for the last 10 years, or something like that, but after beating them, all the guys were fired up. Coach Wilk[erson] was fired up. That was probably the best memory I have so far.”

Q: What is your major?

A: “Communications. Nice and easy.”

Q: What are you planning on doing after college with your major?

A: “I’ll figure something out. Probably something in sales. If I wasn’t playing football, I wouldn’t be in college. I’d probably be working the Union now, so we’ll see what happens.”

Q: Who are your biggest supporters?

A: “Definitely my family. I got a pretty big family: six siblings. There’s a lot of us. Especially my younger siblings, they get a lot of joy from seeing me play. Along with my parents too. They try to come to every game, and they somehow make it work.”

Q: Are you the oldest in your family?

A: “I’m the third oldest. I got two older siblings and four younger siblings. There’s a lot of us. Ages through 7 years old to 24 years old. I like having a big family; you’re always on your toes. There’s never a dull moment.”

Q: In a perfect world, what would be your postgame meal?

A: “You can’t go wrong with pizza. After a big win, having a pepperoni pizza. It has to be the right type of pizza.”

Q: What do you mean “right type of pizza?”

A: “There are certain spots that you prefer over other places. I’ve yet to eat a good pizza from Charleston.”

Q: When you’re back at home, where do you get pizza?

A: “My favorite spot is Palermo’s. If you’re ever in the south side of Chicago, hit up Palermo’s. It’s a great spot. It’s kinda pricy, but it’s great. All Chicago pizza is pretty good. You gotta go thin crust; can’t go deep dish. Thin crust is where it’s at. Deep dish is overrated.”

Q: Do you have a favorite NFL team?

A: “I’m a huge Lions fan. I’ve been a Lions fan even when they were horrible. Nic [DiSanto] and I are going to the game [Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions] together in December. We’re huge Lions fans.”

Q: Where’s the best place you’ve ever been?

A: “My buddy’s brother has a place in St. Pete[rsburg], Florida, so we went down there for spring break about a year back. It was a great time going there. Florida’s a good spot.”

Q: Do you watch any other professional sports other than professional football?

A: “I’m a huge baseball fan. I grew up playing baseball. That was my main sport until my senior year of high school.”

Q: What position were you in baseball?

A: “I played outfield. I was center field for a little bit, but mostly left and center field.”

Q: What made you transition over from baseball to football as your main sport?

A: “Going into the summer of my senior year. My brother played Division I baseball, my dad played Division I baseball, so that’s kind of what I grew up on. Once I was able to play in a football game on varsity, I was like, ‘Baseball’s too slow for me.’ Just sitting in the outfield, waiting for the ball to get to you; that ain’t me. That ain’t fun. To play college baseball, or to play any college sport, you really got to love it. I didn’t really have that for baseball.”

Q: When did you get on the varsity football team?

A: “My sophomore year. I was on varsity for baseball and football since my sophomore year. Being on varsity as a younger athlete helped me become the athlete I am today by learning from the older guys.”

Q: Who’s your favorite MLB team?

A: “I don’t even want to answer this one. I’m a huge [Chicago] White Sox fan, but [Chicago] Cubs games are more fun to go to. I’m not a Cubs fan, but I like going to their games. The Soxs are my team. They got to pick it up soon.”

Q: What game, this year or last year, do you think had the best environment?

A: “There was one game, it was a home game, I was shocked to see the crowd there. I think it was Western Illinois. I was pretty shocked by the atmosphere. Obviously, we weren’t having the best season but seeing that many people out there shows that they’re going to support us through the ups and downs.”

Q: How do you like your steak cooked?

A: “I have zero clue. Usually, I let my mom order it. I don’t like it too pink. I kind of just wing it every time. Medium is what I usually say.”

Q: Do you have any secret talents?

A: “I’m double handed. I throw the ball pretty good as a lefty if it ever came down to it. I’m obviously a better thrower as a righty, but throwing as my left hand has come naturally. But I cannot swing as a lefty in baseball.”

Q: How do you feel about playing against Alabama next season?

A: “That should be a great opportunity for us to play a higher ranked opponent. We’re going to be excited to play them, and it should be great to go down to Tuscaloosa and seeing that type of atmosphere. That’s definitely a game that’s circled on my calendar since I’ve been here. We’re going to give it our best shot and see what happens.”

Q: Knowing everything you know now, what would you tell 10-year-old you?

A: “I’d tell him to slow down. Enjoy the process. Don’t ride the highs, and don’t ride the lows. Stay somewhere in between. Stuff is going to happen, and you just have to keep learning how to fight through it. That’s life. Just enjoy being a kid. I’m already a sophomore in college, that’s crazy. I’d tell him to slow down, take every moment in and enjoy it.”

Zaria Flippin can be reached at 581-2812 or at zhflippin@eiu.edu.