Junior offensive lineman Nic DiSanto was named the first of four EIU football captains named at the spring game Saturday.  

DiSanto started playing football when he was in fourth grade but didn’t start taking football seriously until his sophomore year of high school.  

At first, DiSanto’s heart was to another sport: hockey.  

He played hockey all the way up until college, but it wasn’t until midway through his junior year of high school that he knew he wanted to play college football.  

“Towards the end of hockey season, he said, ‘You know what, I think I’m going to play football in college,’ and I was shocked because he was always on the trajectory that he was going to play college hockey,” his mom Liz DiSanto said. “I think he grew even more, and his body was going football.”  

When Nic DiSanto made the decision to focus more on football, Liz DiSanto called Jeffrey Johnson, Nic DiSanto’s second cousin, to help out with strengthening him to be a stronger football player.  

Johnson has experience of training professional athletes and football players, such as Glenn Winston, Greg Jones, Kamar Jordan and Brandon Denson.  

“He started working out five days a week, and after the first year, the monster started to emerge,” Johnson said.  

After DiSanto’s junior year and after a successful season for DiSanto, both Johnson and DiSanto made a highlight tape of DiSanto’s best two games and sent the tape to over 1,400 colleges and universities.  

Starting with Division II schools within the state of Michigan and expanding to Division I schools, the two sent his film to every conference across the country.  

“We knew whoever gave us that opportunity, [Nic DiSanto] was going to seize it,” Johnson said.  

Eastern was a school that wanted to see DiSanto, and the first time former offensive coordinator Joe Davis saw DiSanto was at hockey practice.  

“[He] had hockey practice, and the guy was like, ‘He plays hockey?’ and then once he saw Nicholas [DiSanto] play hockey, he was like, ‘Oh, I got to try to sign this kid,’” Johnson said.  

DiSanto said the fact that Davis and Eastern’s former offensive line coach John Cannova drove six hours just to see him play hockey meant a lot to him.  

“Them driving six hours really made me feel like they wanted me,” DiSanto said.  

After committing to Eastern, DiSanto got to work the second he stepped foot in the football facilities. At the start of summer camp, DiSanto was listed as a three in the depth chart, and the overall goal is to get to a one on the depth chart, earning a starting spot.  

Initially, DiSanto was planning on redshirting his freshman year. He called Johnson to tell him there were 20 other guys in front of him, and Johnson told him to put his head down and work hard.  

“I was a two for the first game, and coach said, ‘You’re the next guy up if someone else goes down,’ and my stomach dropped,” DiSanto said.   

DiSanto was looking over film with his offensive line coach when head coach Chris Wilkerson told him that he will start against Bowling Green.  

“I was watching film with the O-line coach, and coach Wilk walked in, and said, ‘Hey, did you tell him?’ And I was like, ‘Tell me what?” And he said ‘Oh, you’re going to be starting this week.’ I was pretty speechless at the time,” DiSanto said.  

Bowling Green State University, located in Bowling Green, Ohio, wasn’t far away from DiSanto’s family. When he found out he would start that game, he immediately called his parents to tell them.  

“When he called, I was like, ‘No way,’” Liz DiSanto said. “It was such an amazing sound to hear that.”  

Nic DiSanto had about 40 people drive about one hour to Doyt L. Perry Stadium to watch him play and support him.  

After the second week, DiSanto didn’t play in the third game of the season against Illinois State because he was still unsure of redshirting. After the third game, DiSanto ended up playing in every single game throughout the 2023 season, helping the Panthers record an 8-3 record, the best record since 2013.  

DiSanto said the amount of footwork he did while playing hockey helped him tremendously on the football field.  

“Especially at the tackle position, being 6’5, 320, playing hockey and moving around very fast,” DiSanto said. “Having to go on the football field, going left and right and up and down, it transitions pretty well.”  

Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Panayiotis Mihalopoulous said DiSanto is very competitive on the field and plays fearlessly, no matter who is opponent is.  

“It doesn’t matter who he’s going against,” Mihalopoulous said. “His mentality is he’s better than him, and he’s going to put him in the ground.”  

Before the season even began, DiSanto told Johnson that he wanted to be an All-American. After the 2023 season, during winter break, DiSanto was named a Fourth Team All-American for his contributions throughout the season.  

“It was during Christmas break, and I’m driving to my cousin’s house, and Brock Kukman, our team chaplain, texted me and said, ‘Congrats on All-American.’,” DiSanto said. “I called him and was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ I was in disbelief.”  

When he found out he was an All-American after his first year of playing college football, DiSanto told his parents, and they were extremely excited and proud of their son.  

“He told us, and I was like, ‘Holy crap Nic, that’s phenomenal.’,” Liz DiSanto said.  

When Johnson heard the news of DiSanto being named an All-American, he was very happy for DiSanto, but he wasn’t surprised about the accomplishment because of DiSanto’s determination.  

“On my end, as a trainer, when you’re training a kid, his dreams kind of become your dreams, like you guys are connected,” Johnson said. “So, I know the story where nobody knows your name and the work that nobody sees. I was definitely happy and ecstatic, but I knew it was coming.”  

DiSanto said his biggest strength on the field is his love and drive for the game. DiSanto also gave himself credit for keeping everyone in the football huddle calm and ready to move onto the next play.  

“Me playing through the whistle every play and making sure everyone isn’t turning on each other and keeping everyone calm, cool and collected during the huddle,” DiSanto said. “Having a next play mentality because if you mess up, you mess up. It’s a part of life, and you just have to be able to bounce back.”  

With multiple players graduating and transferring out after the 2024 season, including players on the offensive line in Drew Wilder and Sebastian Pares, DiSanto holds a veteran status within the position room.  

“A lot of the older guys left, and Nic [DiSanto]’s a veteran,” Pares said. “His ability to learn quickly, he’s pretty strong and he’s a student of the game.”  

Multiple players within Eastern’s program think DiSanto shows a lot of leadership, on and off the field throughout his two years at Eastern.  

“It’s great to have a guy like him protecting you on the O-line,” redshirt sophomore quarterback Blainey Dowling said. “He’s tough. He’ll have my back if I get hit late or anything, and he truly is the leader of the team. He’s a great leader, has been a great leader and we go as far as he goes.”  

Although Dowling and DiSanto met in fall camp, Mihalopoulous met DiSanto when Mihalopoulous arrived for fall camp in 2023. Both DiSanto and Mihalopoulous had similarities that sparked their friendship off the field, and after being on the same team for one season, their bond grew stronger.  

During 2024’s fall camp, DiSanto got a concussion, two weeks before the team’s season opener against the University of Illinois’ Fighting Illini. Mihalopoulous helped DiSanto get through his concussion, having him do brain puzzles so he can get cleared to play in the season opener.  

“I’ve never seen a concussion like that,” Mihalopoulous said. “He’s had one that we’ve seen before that, but this one was really bad to the point where he was nonverbal. We started doing puzzles and sudoku and word crosses to bring him back.”  

After he was cleared from concussion protocol, DiSanto went on to start every game of the 2024 season until the last two games of the season, an elbow injury sidelining him.  

Both Mihalopoulous and redshirt sophomore kicker Ruben Popoca said DiSanto was a natural-born leader on the field and always was throughout the 2024 season.  

“He displays it all on the field,” Popoca said. “He’s a leader for sure. During the offseason, he took a bigger leadership role than I feel like he did last year. He’s a general overall.”  

DiSanto also believes he’s a natural born leader as he’s been a leader throughout his life.  

“I’ve been the captain of my hockey teams, other football teams,” DiSanto said. “Being more vocal and getting closer with the guys, hearing what other people have to say and not really pushing them off and welcoming the new people in, it’s a big role.”  

Pares said DiSanto is the type of teammate that wants everyone to stay together.   

“I think teammate wise, Nic [DiSanto] is the glue,” Pares said. “He kind of brings everyone together, no matter the position group. I’d call him the Glue Man.”  

Current offensive linemen coach Cole Hoover said with DiSanto’s playing time under his belt, newer guys within the offensive line room gravitate towards him.  

“It kind of goes along with the position that we’re protectors and we look out for others. I think with playing time, that carries weight a little bit. Nic DiSanto, playing the past two years, I think guys can rally with him. He’s a guy that wants to pull everyone with him.”  

Off the field, multiple players said DiSanto is always doing something and stays productive as much as he can.  

“Nic’s a fun guy to be around,” Popoca said. “He’s always doing something productive. He’s never just sitting there or laying down. We’re always going out, running errands and stuff. He’s an awesome guy to be on and off the field with, and he also cares about his leadership role off the field too.”  

Both Mihalopoulous and Pares said DiSanto is a very welcoming and genuine guy off the field. Mihalopoulous said DiSanto can always find the good in any situation, and Pares said DiSanto is a very thoughtful person that puts others before himself at times.  

“Honestly, he’s someone you want in your friend group,” Pares said.  

Dowling and DiSanto came into the program the same year. The day they stepped foot on campus, they immediately connected. Dowling and DiSanto have taken trips together, going to football games and going to their respective hometowns in Chicago and Detroit.  

“It’s cool to come to a college in Charleston and see all these places you’ve never expected to see from a kid you met,” Dowling said. “It’s a blessing to be friends with Nic [DiSanto]. He’s one of my best friends, and he always will be for sure. If I get ever married, he’ll be standing at my wedding, no doubt.”  

Describing DiSanto in three words, Popoca said DiSanto is definitely a leader, on and off the field.  

“I’d say a leader, compassionate and a dawg,” Popoca said. “He’s a dawg.”  

Johnson is still DiSanto’s trainer, and Johnson knows DiSanto has the potential and the determination to go far and play at the highest level.  

“He’s going to play on Sundays,” Johnson said. “You’re talking about somebody who had to earn every single thing, that’s Nic [DiSanto].” 

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