JCA's backfield in motion

JOLIET -- Fullback Owen Schmitt was a rookie with the Seattle Seahawks in the recently completed NFL season.

He was selected in the fifth round of the 2008 draft out of West Virginia.

What's that have to do with Calvin Smith? Plenty.

Smith, who played his senior year of high school at Joliet Catholic Academy after three years at Providence Catholic, has accepted an invitation to attend the University of Michigan as a preferred walk-on.

Michigan's coach, Rich Rodriguez, was at West Virginia through the 2007 season. He brought Schmitt on board as a walkon. Schmitt, now a rugged 6-foot-2, 247 pounder, earned a scholarship and, eventually, the opportunity to hear his name called on draft day.

So why not the 6-2, 235 Smith?

"You know, most of the Michigan staff was at West Virginia," JCA coach Dan Sharp pointed out. "The Schmitt kid came into West Virgina the way Calvin is going into Michigan.

"All Cal wants is an opportunity to show what he can do."

Smith and his outstanding complement in the Hilltoppers backfield, wingback Tyler Hudetz, discussed their college choices Monday. Hudetz signed with NCAA Division III North Central in Naperville.

Rodriguez runs a spread offense, which can diminish the need for a fullback. But Smith said that is not necessarily the case.

"There's only true fullback at Michigan now," Smith said. "Coach Rodriguez said all his fullbacks start out as walkons. But he has had 30 walkons total in five years who eventually were on scholarship.

"It might not look like it, but the fullback gets about 40 plays a game, with the goal line situations, in the red zone, when you need an extra blocker, that sort of thing."

Blocking is something Smith did exceptionally well at JCA.

"He was like another lineman for me," Hudetz said. "He gave me lots of good kickout blocks."

"Tyler made me look good," Smith said, returning the compliment.

While Hudetz rushed for 1,760 yards as a senior to become the second all-time leading career rusher in JCA history, Smith chipped in with 537 yards and averaged 5.5 per carry. They helped the Hilltoppers to an East Suburban Catholic Conference title and an 8-3 season, which ended in a 24-21 overtime loss to Providence in the second round of the Class 6A playoffs.

Smith said he sent films to colleges on virtually all levels, "and a lot of them got back to me. Butler and St. Ambrose were in the picture at one time, but then Michigan said they were looking for a well-rounded fullback and thought I could be it."

"Cal did a tremendous job blocking inside the tackles and on the edge," Sharp said. "When we asked him to carry the ball and catch it, he did a tremendous job there, too."

Now, Smith is planning to enroll in at least one class this summer so that he can participate in Michigan's summer workouts.

"I'd like to get on special teams next season and maybe get a chance to play in goal line situations," he said.

He is staying in shape these days as a member of the JCA basketball team.

"If I wasn't playing basketball I'd probably be sitting around a lot," he said. "Between that and working out a little at Rudy's Gym, I'm staying in shape.

"I wasn't going to play basketball here originally, but I met with Coach (Mike) O'Toole and wound up playing."

Hudetz's search for a college covered all the bases.

"I definitely looked at every level," the two-time, first-team all-area selection said. "There was Army, Navy, the I-AA schools, Drake and Colgate. Then Northern Illinois offered a preferred walkon.

"I looked at NAIA, Division II and III schools, too, and narrowed it down. I wanted to get the best I could academically, and someplace that was remotely close to home. I thought about North Central, Illinois Wesleyan and St. Ambrose and finally settled on North Central."

North Central was ranked among the best Division III teams in the nation last fall. In fact, the Cardinals were ranked No. 2 before losing in the postseason playoffs.

"You know who my roomate is going to be?" Hudetz said with a smile. "Spencer Stanek. He's excited about going there, too."

Stanek, of course, is a first-team all-area quarterback from Lincoln-Way East. Hudetz said he knew much about Stanek from reading about him in the newspaper, but the two actually met online.

Hudetz is 5-9, 196 pounds. For those who wonder why he did not receive more offers from Division I programs, his lack of size is the reason.

North Central landed a gem.

"If Tyler was a little taller, he could have played anywhere," Sharp said. "He's the second-leading rusher in our school history (behind J.R. Zwierzynski), and that says a lot.

"He'll have an opportunity to play all four years at North Central. It would not surprise me if he becomes one of the top Division III players in the country. Coach (John) Thorne got a tremendous personality and a tremendous athlete. There are a lot of schools out there very disappointed they did not get him."

Hudetz said he has been told he is likely to play as a freshman, rotating into the running back slot manned by Dominic Sulo, a Mount Carmel graduate who will be a senior in the fall.

"Dominic was in the same situation a few years ago that I was in," Hudetz said of the 5-10, 200-pound Sulo.

Hudetz noted the caliber of ball in Division III is better than some may think.

"I see a lot of Division I guys trickle down to that level," he said. "The level of play is definitely faster than high school. That's something I will have to get used to."

He plans to major in accounting.

"Our offensive coordinator's wife is a CPA, and that's what I would like to be some day, maybe in Chicago with one of the big CPA firms," Hudetz said. "Being in Naperville should help me with that, too."

JCA linebacker Josh Mander, who has signed with University of St. Francis, had planned to be involved in Monday's discussion as well but went home from school sick.

Sharp said, "It's great for Mike (Uremovich, the USF coach) to get someone local of Josh's caliber. He looked at Saint Xavier, Illinois Wesleyan -- the process was very similar to what Tyler (Hudetz) did. He just wanted to find the school that was the best suited to him."

Mander was named the defensive player of the year in the ESCC last fall.

"Josh did a tremendous job at outside linebacker as a junior, then to move inside as a senior and be named conference defensive player of the year, that's quite an accomplishment," Sharp said.

"He's a tremendous athlete and could compete early for playing time at St. Francis. He's a great leader and a winner."