NIU freshman RB Jay Ducker ready to make statement after missing 2020 season

DeKALB – With more freshmen starting for the NIU football team last year than pretty much any other FCS team, Jay Ducker was denied his chance to contribute.

He came in from Bellevue, Nebraska, having won a top state-wide Player of the Year award, but a leg injury in the preseason sidelined him for the entire season. Ducker could only watch as freshman Harrison Waylee led the Huskies in rushing.

As the 2021 opener approaches Sept. 4 at Georgia Tech, Ducker is healthy and confident heading into the season.

“At first, I was bummed out,” Ducker said. “But then you just watch your teammates, cheer them on. It’s the only thing you can do. It’s also just knowing, those expectations are final and all, but you still just want to play football. So you’ve got more time to study. Now I know the playbook like the back of my hand.”

The Huskies went 0-6 last year, but running back is setting up to be a strength for the team this year. Waylee returns and has improved dramatically, coach Thomas Hammock said, after rushing for less than 500 yards last fall. Erin Collins transferred last year and also returns. Clint Ratkovich transferred in January from Western Illinois and has his eyes set on getting drafted next year.

[ Ratkovich brings versatility to NIU’s offense ]

And there is Ducker, who Hammock called the best natural running back on the team. Ducker said he enjoys how deep the group of backs is.

“I like it cause it’s more competition,” Ducker said. “I’ve never veered from competition. Maybe you learn stuff. Harrison is fast, and I can learn. He’s a track star, so we go do some track workouts. Or [Collins] is a power, he’s older, so he has more maturity. Everyone kind of brings different things to the room, which makes it more unique, and we can all learn off each other.”

Running backs coach Nic McKissic-Luke said obviously Ducker was down last year after missing the season, but this season has been a complete turnaround.

“I know that was tough on him, especially having the decorated career he had in high school,” McKissic-Luke said. “He came in here with high expectations, then to struggle with the injuries he had, I know that was tough on him. But right now, he’s happy. Every day, he comes into the building with a smile on his face. You can see he’s delighted to have his health and be able to play football again.”

Like Hammock, McKissic-Luke said Ducker is the most skilled natural back in the room. He combines vision and the ability to make players miss to make himself a weapon the Huskies hope to be able to utilize this year.

Combine that with a speed back like Waylee, and experienced runners in Collins and Ratkovich, who has been used more like a hybrid fullback/wide receiver-type so far in practices, and there may not appear to be enough touches to go around.

[ Photos: NIU football practices as season nears ]

But Hammock, with stops with Wisconsin and the Baltimore Ravens on his resume, said he has experience in juggling multiple weapons at running back.

“If you have two guys you feel good about, I’ve been in places where we’ve had two 1,600-yard backs,” Hammock said. “It’s about getting guys in rhythm, making sure they feel comfortable early in the game, and seeing who is the hot guy. Every week is a new week. Someone may get hot, you ride the hot hand, and at the end of the season it will all even itself out in my experience.”

McKissic-Luke said keeping Ducker healthy is a top priority. And for as much as Ducker said he wants to go as hard as he can all the time, he added the staff has done a good job balancing the two things.

“They want to keep me healthy, but I haven’t played in a year, so I want to get back in it,” Ducker said. “But they’re really good at knowing when to throw me in and all that. And their treatments are good, after every practice there’s treatment, making sure my hamstring, my foot is still good.”

Ducker said, while he feels like he can be an all-MAC selection this fall, he also feels any goals and expectations he has this year are more team-oriented.

“You think about personal goals, but you don’t really think [about them too much],” Ducker said. “This team, we all mesh with each other so well. We just think about being MAC champions, winning the MAC West, winning the big – we call them ‘Dog Bone’ games - Georgia Tech and Michigan [games]. We think we can beat them. I think we can beat them. Everyone thinks we can beat them. That’s kind of our goal right now.”