The (secret) life of Riley

Oswego senior Tim Riley has battled a hamstring injury all season, but despite frustrations it hasn't halted his stellar senior campaign.
Corey Minkanic/Special to the beacon news

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ROMEOVILLE -- Under the lights of Romeoville High School's varsity field, the Oswego Panthers worked out on the artificial surface, getting a feel for what playing conditions will be like on Saturday in Oswego's Class 6A second-round game at Rock Island.

Looking out over his 8-2 team, coach Dave Keely chuckled a little bit.

At one point during the season, media outlets from Chicago called and asked, "Who is Tim Riley?"

"I said, 'I don't know. He was all-state last year,'" Keely said, laughing. "Out here in Oswego, we're not out striving for (public recognition). It is what it is and we fly underneath the radar. That's exactly what we do."

As a junior who split time in the Panthers backfield in 2007, Riley was fifth in the area in rushing (951 yards) while totaling 1,416 yards of offense. He was a threat running and catching the ball while playing defensive back.

That versatility caught the eye of the Northwestern University coaching staff, and the Wildcats secured a verbal commitment with the intent of playing him at linebacker.

This season, Keely expected to use him in much the same way, especially when the 6-foot-3-inch senior checked in at nearly 230 pounds after a summer of work. But a hamstring injury in Week 1 and its lingering tenderness changed those plans.

Now Riley is a specialty player on defense, moving from the defensive backfield to linebacker based on the situation. He does split wide as a receiver, but not as often. In a great senior season, the injury is only the source of frustration for Riley.

"I wish I could get some defensive reps," he said. "Offensively I've kind of been limited, but at the same time we've been able to do what we want to do. But there's been (frustrating) times because it's a nagging injury and it's hard to get over."

Where the Panthers have needed him most has been at running back, and Riley has responded. He has averaged more than 6 yards per carry while rushing for 1,574 yards and 23 touchdowns in 10 games.

"He doesn't try to play outside of what he's capable of doing or what the line is doing," Keely said. "Tim is such a smart player; he just takes what is given to him. You don't see him trying to get the extra yard and maybe losing the football. But he's got another speed, too, that I don't think people realize, and he's been able to run away (from defenders), too."

But if the Panthers continue to pile up playoff victories, which will have everything to do with how well Riley is running, it will be hard for him to continue to run away from attention.

"We're not ones to really talk about ourselves," Riley said. "We just let our play talk for us. If we're going to get the media (attention), that's fine, but that's not what we play for. We play to win and we play as a team."