Introduce Yourself

[Tmelker]

I am Todd Elkerton father to Freshman Elijah Elkerton. I am a Local Union President for the St. Paul, MN American Postal Workers. My bride of 24 years this month is Diane Elkerton who was a Special Education Director until March of 2017 when her Stage IV Cancer disabled her from working. She is facing this relentless disease with I do what I have to attitude. She has scans later this month and if she gets good news she will not be in active chemo therapy this fall and we should be able to make a few games this fall in Macomb.

We have enjoyed getting to know some of the freshman’s parents and are impressed with the quality of students and their players who me have met. We are rooting for all them to do great things.

Our son fell in love with WIU from the moment Coach Howle and Coach Stockton met him in the lobby of Hampton Inn at 4 am on a Saturday. He also is a lunch pail kid who shows up and works as hard as he can. He felt the lunch pail mentality in his visit. Went we drove away from Campus on Sunday he said this is where he wants to be and called Coach Elliot and gave him his first commitment as Head Coach.

Elijah spent his last two years on Campus at Northwestern University- St. Paul as a full-time college student and earned dual credits towards his High School diploma. He earned 52 College credits and WIU has accepted all of them. Leaving him with just two general education classes to complete. He is enrolled in the newest major on campus Business Analytics. Needless to say, he needed a College with a Graduate program which would allow him to play Football for five years. WIU has what he was seeking.

We look forward to building relationships with the WIU community over the next five years.



Thomas Hoccleve biography

[Western_101]

So very nice to see all these posts from new members to the Leatherneck family.

My name is Henry Welsch '97 aka Western_101 from the "old board". I miss some of the posters from the old board. where are you "Footballfan" and "Pit Prognosticator"?

I lived in Lincoln Hall mostly, I actually loved the food. I didn't realize that fully until I moved off campus. I loved getting up on Saturdays blurry eyed with a mandate to report to the fraternity and start "pregame". To this day I will not drink Keystone. Then off to the game in a hoard. I remember rowdy students standing all in a line on the rail on the old East side grandstand making as much noise as possible. Seemed like we would get around 10K crowds back then. Aaron Stecker was a joy to watch.

Hated, Western Kentucky. Kinda disliked UNI (probably jealous) Western was in the top part of the league, Illinois State and Southern were bad and Indiana State was pretty good. Ahhh the memories......

I live in Peoria Metro. There is no football here so I stay true to the Purple and Gold. Follow Illini a little, B1G a bit, but mostly I love all things MVFC. A lot of people don't get that the Valley is virtually G5 level. Well, then there is NDSU that is P5.

Before, all the games were available on ESPN I had to sit out in my driveway and listen to the game on radio in an old Lincoln Towncar that I bought from my father in law. It was the only radio sensitive/strong enough to pick up the broadcast. Neighbors knew it was football season when they heard me blasting the game drinking cold ones, yelling at the dashboard (no the radio didn't pick it up in the garage so yes, this spectacle went on in the driveway). Good times, I miss that old car.

[HoosierNeck13]

My name is Adam. I grew up in tiny Avon and now live in Columbus, IN. I come from a family of Leathernecks (mom, father, brothers, sister-in-law).

I went to my first FB game in '94 and my first basketball game in '97. I've seen some great football, basketball and soccer games durung my time at Western.

I got my BA in Communication and Broadcasting in '06 and my Master's in RPTA in '13. I've been to one homecoming game and the U of I game in '15( I'll be back this year). I usually try to catch a basketball game when the 'Necks come to Indiana (IUPUI and Butler).

I enjoy reading all the posts and getting to know everyone a little more.

[GV Dad]

So very nice to see all these posts from new members to the Leatherneck family.

My name is Henry Welsch '97 aka Western_101 from the "old board". I miss some of the posters from the old board. where are you "Footballfan" and "Pit Prognosticator"?

I lived in Lincoln Hall mostly, I actually loved the food. I didn't realize that fully until I moved off campus. I loved getting up on Saturdays blurry eyed with a mandate to report to the fraternity and start "pregame". To this day I will not drink Keystone. Then off to the game in a hoard. I remember rowdy students standing all in a line on the rail on the old East side grandstand making as much noise as possible. Seemed like we would get around 10K crowds back then. Aaron Stecker was a joy to watch.

Hated, Western Kentucky. Kinda disliked UNI (probably jealous) Western was in the top part of the league, Illinois State and Southern were bad and Indiana State was pretty good. Ahhh the memories......

I live in Peoria Metro. There is no football here so I stay true to the Purple and Gold. Follow Illini a little, B1G a bit, but mostly I love all things MVFC. A lot of people don't get that the Valley is virtually G5 level. Well, then there is NDSU that is P5.

Before, all the games were available on ESPN I had to sit out in my driveway and listen to the game on radio in an old Lincoln Towncar that I bought from my father in law. It was the only radio sensitive/strong enough to pick up the broadcast. Neighbors knew it was football season when they heard me blasting the game drinking cold ones, yelling at the dashboard (no the radio didn't pick it up in the garage so yes, this spectacle went on in the driveway). Good times, I miss that old car.

Just wanted to say RedNeck, I enjoy your posts and positivitity! Look forward to meeting you at some games!

[GV Dad]

My name is Adam. I grew up in tiny Avon and now live in Columbus, IN. I come from a family of Leathernecks (mom, father, brothers, sister-in-law).

I went to my first FB game in '94 and my first basketball game in '97. I've seen some great football, basketball and soccer games durung my time at Western.

I got my BA in Communication and Broadcasting in '06 and my Master's in RPTA in '13. I've been to one homecoming game and the U of I game in '15( I'll be back this year). I usually try to catch a basketball game when the 'Necks come to Indiana (IUPUI and Butler).

I enjoy reading all the posts and getting to know everyone a little more.

Hi Adam! Hopefully I'll get to see you at some games, maybe Western at Indiana St?

[letsgonecks]

I was at WIU from 2000 to 2005. Grew up a die hard sports fan, but never locked down a favorite college team. Follow and root for Big Ten teams and would say my closest tie would be Wisconsin and would love it if the Illini could put out a decent and consistent product. Well anyways, since 2000 I've been a die hard Leatherneck fan.

I follow or at least check-in on all the teams, but Leatherneck football is what I live for. Watch every game possible and even had the Northwestern game playing on my phone at my younger sisters wedding....that I was in. Catch a game every year live and will be at the UNI game.

Used to yell at the TV during Packers and Mets games, but have calmed the last few years. Not the case for WIU as I still wake-up every game day like it's Christmas, on edge during games with plenty of pacing and yelling.....my wife doesn't love it!!!!! No time with life and kids to play video games, but still manually load the roster on NCAA 14 each year and play the team we have the night before or game day mornings.

Can't wait for the season to start.

[tjk1985]

I was at WIU from 2000 to 2005. Grew up a die hard sports fan, but never locked down a favorite college team. Follow and root for Big Ten teams and would say my closest tie would be Wisconsin and would love it if the Illini could put out a decent and consistent product. Well anyways, since 2000 I've been a die hard Leatherneck fan.

I follow or at least check-in on all the teams, but Leatherneck football is what I live for. Watch every game possible and even had the Northwestern game playing on my phone at my younger sisters wedding....that I was in. Catch a game every year live and will be at the UNI game.

Used to yell at the TV during Packers and Mets games, but have calmed the last few years. Not the case for WIU as I still wake-up every game day like it's Christmas, on edge during games with plenty of pacing and yelling.....my wife doesn't love it!!!!! No time with life and kids to play video games, but still manually load the roster on NCAA 14 each year and play the team we have the night before or game day mornings.

Can't wait for the season to start.

Sounds familiar!! Love it!

[dustinthorn93]

Hey y'all!

My name is Dustin Thornton. I grew up in Macomb and graduated from MHS in 2011. I played football all 4 years and then played 1 year of college ball at Rockford College (now University) as a Tight End and Punter. I moved back from college after my first year.

My dad and I would try to go to at least 1 WIU game every year when I was younger. One of my favorite memories was when WIU played Youngstown State in 2002. WIU won 19-0. Anyways, best part for me was when Mike Scifres came on to punt. The snap was from YSU's like 45. It went about 10 yards over his head and Scifres ran back, grabbed the ball, juked a defender and launched a punt from the WIU 35. WIU downed the ball at the YSU 4. It was amazing.

I got married in June 2012, our daughter was born in July of 2013, our son was born in August of 2014 and we moved to Galesburg, Illinois in August of 2015. I still try to get to at least 1 game a year (last season was the Missouri State game because my brother in law goes to MSU and it happened to be their fall break so he was in Macomb). I attend a lot of Knox College games because they are free and about 5 blocks from our house, but I always have the WIU game on my phone in the stands!

[ST_Lawson]

One of my favorite memories was when WIU played Youngstown State in 2002. WIU won 19-0. Anyways, best part for me was when Mike Scifres came on to punt. The snap was from YSU's like 45. It went about 10 yards over his head and Scifres ran back, grabbed the ball, juked a defender and launched a punt from the WIU 35. WIU downed the ball at the YSU 4. It was amazing.

I remember seeing that play...one of two Scifres plays that I vividly remember. The other was one time he punted, the returner got past most of the defenders with "just the kicker" left to go. Scifres just charges right at the guy and practically clotheslines him (upper-body tackle) and the guy's feet go up in the air and slams into the ground. I don't think he tried returning much the rest of the game, but I also think that Coach Patterson probably had a few words with Mike after that. I can't imagine he was real happy with his NFL-bound punter getting into some seriously heavy-duty tackling situations.

[letsgonecks]

One of my favorite memories was when WIU played Youngstown State in 2002. WIU won 19-0. Anyways, best part for me was when Mike Scifres came on to punt. The snap was from YSU's like 45. It went about 10 yards over his head and Scifres ran back, grabbed the ball, juked a defender and launched a punt from the WIU 35. WIU downed the ball at the YSU 4. It was amazing.

I remember seeing that play...one of two Scifres plays that I vividly remember. The other was one time he punted, the returner got past most of the defenders with "just the kicker" left to go. Scifres just charges right at the guy and practically clotheslines him (upper-body tackle) and the guy's feet go up in the air and slams into the ground. I don't think he tried returning much the rest of the game, but I also think that Coach Patterson probably had a few words with Mike after that. I can't imagine he was real happy with his NFL-bound punter getting into some seriously heavy-duty tackling situations.

Both awesome plays and you know he was special when we're still talking about what a punter did 16/17 years ago. The Tackle was my favorite. He was a decent sized dude (didn't look like a TE/DE like our current punter), but not used to hitting and his shoulder was hurting by the time he got to the sideline. Today's game would have gotten him a taunting penalty for standing over the returner, if you had the nerve to flag a kicker/punter after laying out a returner and enjoying the moment.