Redshirt sophomore quarterback Cole LaCrue transferred to Eastern from the University of Wisconsin. LaCrue started playing football at the age of 5 years old but has been a multisport athlete throughout his life, playing baseball and basketball. 

At first, LaCrue thought he would’ve played baseball in college, but after COVID-19 hit, he knew he was going to play football in college. During his senior year of high school, LaCrue’s top three offers were Colorado, Tulane and Wisconsin. 

Ultimately, LaCrue decided to transfer to Eastern because of the opportunities the program has for him to win. 

In this Q&A, LaCrue discusses why he transferred to Eastern in depth, how he balances being a student and an athlete and what dish would be his perfect postgame meal. 

Q: When did you first start playing football? 

A: “I began playing football when I was probably around 5 years old. I was always interested in sports at a young age. I think one of my first memories was throwing the ball around and running around with it. At 5 years old, I started playing flag [football] and kept building and building.” 

Q: Were you always a quarterback? 

A: “No. Throughout my entire youth, I was just an athlete. The first tackle football team I was on, I was a running back. Anytime we needed to throw, I would be our guy to throw the ball, but I was always put in a position to have the ball in my hands. I didn’t start playing quarterback until my freshman year [of high school].” 

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

A: “We got a bunch of clowns on the team. It might be CJ Nelson. CJ might be the biggest clown on the team.” 

Q: Pancakes or waffles? 

A: “I’m going to throw a curve ball and say French toast. I love French toast.” 

Q: Do you put anything on your French toast? 

A: “Powdered sugar and syrup, it’s all you need. Maybe some cinnamon, but cinnamon is in the French toast.” 

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

A: “Alex Herrera.” 

Q: Why did you commit to Wisconsin? 

A: “At the time, I blew up late. I had some offers out of my junior year, and I knew I was a better player than what I was getting recognition for. I took a gamble on myself going into my senior year, didn’t commit anywhere and let my play do all the talking. By Halloween, I had some pretty big offers, and my top three were Colorado, Tulane and Wisconsin. At the time, it was where I could get more recognition and what’s the better chance to get on the field as soon as possible, and before everything happened, it was Wisconsin. I committed there, and ultimately all the coaching changes, I had to reconsider. I visited both places again, but ultimately, I stuck with my decision.” 

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

A: “I think the Earth is round because science says it’s round.” 

Q: Who on the team would be your emergency contact? 

A: “Probably Drake Van Hyfte. I would trust Drake, if something was wrong with me, to be able to get me out of a hole. Zeke Lewis is another one. I view him as ‘Unc.’ I don’t say that to his face, so if he sees that, that’d be funny. Or Jordan Sprycha. All the older guys, I see a maturity in them that’s nice to have.” 

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

A: “In Colorado, there’s a place in Boulder called Pasta Jay’s, and they got this dish called Stuffed Chicken Genovese, and every time I have it, it feels like I’m born again. The best thing I ever had.”  

Q: How do you balance being a student and an athlete? 

A: “I don’t think it takes that much effort, truthfully. I think it’s every student has a job out there, and it’s about finding a schedule and finding what works and what doesn’t work, what fits and what’s a priority. For me, my priority this year is earning the job, learning the offense, being a good leader, being a good teammate, being the guy for this program. At the end of the day, you can’t be all that if you’re not handling stuff in the classroom. I’m not going to lie to you, most of my time is with football, but I still find ways to make time and find a balance between the two so I’m not just an athlete.” 

Q: Who has the best style on the team? 

A: “Me. I think I got the best style.” 

Q: Do you have any secret or hidden talents? 

A: “I know how to DJ. I’m not saying to hire me, but I know how to mix stuff. I got bored last summer and bought a DJ set.” 

Q: Why did you transfer to Eastern? 

A: “Opportunity. Obviously, when you look at the record last year, that doesn’t entice people. I wanted to go somewhere to have the opportunity to go compete and go win. It’s a competition, and every guy is going to be pushing their butt out there, but I knew with my ability and my talent, I came in with a chip on my shoulder. I still have a chip on my shoulder. I saw an opportunity to win here, where people are going to come in and doubt us. They’re not thinking about Eastern winning the OVC, they’re not thinking about Eastern competing in the playoffs, they’re not thinking about Eastern winning the national championship, but if you don’t think about that as a quarterback and a leader, you’re doing your job wrong. Everything you should be doing is to win. For me, you need to win every game. There’s been a lot of great quarterbacks that came through here, but nobody has brought that national championship in a long time. Being that quarterback that would do that here, being the leader of this team is where I’m at.” 

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

A: “I really like ‘Separate Ways’ by Journey. I like ‘Massaging Me’ by Future too, so probably those two.” 

Q: If you had the power to bring one celebrity to this campus, who would it be? 

A: “I’ll give you two. One, my celebrity crush Emma Watson. I was a big Harry Potter fan growing up, and Hermione Granger was something. Male celebrity though, I think having Brad Pitt on campus would be awesome.” 

Q: Apple juice or orange juice? 

A: “Orange juice. I don’t like apple juice.” 

Q: Did you play any other sports besides football? 

A: “I played baseball as well; baseball and basketball growing up. If you asked me [during] my freshman year, I would’ve told you I was going to play baseball. I was getting recruited by a good amount of places as an eighth grader and a freshman. Ultimately, after COVID[-19] hit, I knew I was going to be a football player.” 

Q: What position did you play in baseball? 

A: “Catcher and outfield.” 

Q: What’s your favorite season? 

A: “Summer-fall. I love warm weather. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes snow’s cool, but I love playing in the heat. I love to play when the leaves on the trees are starting to turn orange, I think that’s such a nice season, and it’s still warm out. Plus, when it’s warm, more people show up.” 

Q: Do you have any superstitions before a game? 

A: “I’m all superstitious. I always have a routine. That’s just how I am. I like when stuff is to a tee, and I have to make sure everything’s right. I like to follow everything to a planned schedule. I like to wake up at the same time, I like to do the same routine, I like to wear the same clothes. I like everything to be the same. It’s almost like putting a super suit on. Once I see that, and once it’s on, I feel like no one can touch me.” 

Q: How do you like your steak cooked? 

A: “Medium rare. I love a good reverse sear.” 

Q: Who are your biggest supporters? 

A: “Definitely my family. My mom, she’s done a lot of sacrifices, being a single mom and she’s pushed her way through. My uncle is huge. He’s the first athlete, first big-time thing in our family. Ultimately, that’s the bar. I don’t just want to be at the bar, I want to crush it. Also, my brothers too. My brother just graduated. He had a great high school career, he’s going off to play DII football, and he’s a stud. Zane, he’s my youngest brother, so those two will constantly push, but we’re also each other’s biggest supporters.” 

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

A: “Realize time is valuable with certain individuals and don’t take advantage of that. I’d also tell myself to look in the mirror and realize your responsibilities and priorities. At the end of the day, you have to do what’s best for you. There were some decisions, growing up, I relied on people, but I know now if I wasn’t scared of hurting someone’s feelings or telling people no, I think about what’s different about me, how different of a person I am, how much of a better person am I.” 

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