‘We don’t need Superman:” quarterback Rocky Lombardi adjusting after first week of spring practice with NIU

On a senior-laden Michigan State team in 2020, Rocky Lombardi wasn’t depended on as a leader for the Spartans.

Now still a junior at NIU, the quarterback is in a much different situation on a Huskies team loaded with freshmen.

“I wasn’t necessarily the young guy on the team last year at MSU, but I wasn’t the oldest guy on the team,” Lombardi said. “There were older guys that were good leaders and good contributors. This atmosphere, everybody is a lot more open to learning. I feel like young people are very motivated to learn and it definitely helped me step into a leadership role quicker.”

Lombardi transferred in the offseason after starting nine games in his career with the Spartans Overall he appeared in 22 games and was a three-year letterwinner with the team.

With the 2020 season not counting toward eligibility, Lombardi is embarking on another junior season with the Huskies, surrounded by some true freshmen who also have game experience.

“From the first day I got in here ... there’s been tons of improvement,” Lombardi said. “The team is super young, so they’re improving crazy quick, crazy fast. They say the best year of improvement is Year 1 to Year 2. You can clearly see that in the first couple of practices so far.”

NIU coach Thomas Hammock said the Huskies were looking for a leader when they recruited Lombardi.

Aside from senior Tyrice Richie and junior Cole Tucker, the wide receiver group is all freshmen. And the running back room is made of junior Erin Collins, who transferred from Hutchison Community College (Kansas), transfer Clint Ratkovich and three true freshmen.

“The biggest thing we tell him is we don’t need Superman,” Hammock said. “We need a leader. We need someone to take ownership and throw the ball in spots where receivers can make plays. He needs to be the point guard, out there putting the ball in spots for guys to make plays.”

Lombardi said he had a list of what he wanted in a program after he announced his entrance to the NCAA transfer portal. Included on that list were somewhere he could win, somewhere that allows him to use and show off his strengths in the offense, and a place where people want to work.

The recruitment barely lasted two weeks, after which he was a Huskie.

He said the recruiting process had some similarities to when he was recruited out of high school, just on a much accelerated timeline.

“My whole life I wanted to play college football,” Lombardi said. “It took awhile, but once you hit freshman, sophomore, junior year, things really start to pick up. I sent out a transfer portal tweet, within five minutes I had 15 schools reaching out to me.”

Lombardi’s father, Tony, is a long-time high school and college coach. His career includes stops at Eastern Michigan – where he was interim head coach for a game – and Hinsdale Central High School.

“It all comes down to faith,” Hammock said. “You have to have faith. He understood he struggled last year and thought he could make a difference. He’s everything we expected and more.”

Lombardi said it was a hard choice to leave Michigan State, where he led the Spartans to a win over Michigan in 2020. The Huskies play at Michigan on Sept. 18.

“It wasn’t really my time there, I don’t think,” Lombardi said. “There were a lot of other factors that went into the decision, and it was really tough for me. I loved MSU. That’s how I grew up and how I grew. At the end of the day, it was time for a change and I landed here.”

Hammock has said the quarterbacks are in a competition for the starting job, with Rodney Thompson and Dustin Fletcher both seeing game action last year in the first of their two true freshman seasons.

Lombardi said he’s not focused on the competition, just doing his best.

“For me, it’s just about showing up to work every day,” Lombardi said. “I’m just trying to make everyone around me as good as they can be and maximize everybody’s potential. For me, it’s just about waking up every day and giving it my best effort. Everything will take care of itself.”