Businesslike approach suits BG's Damisch

A year ago Marc Damisch wasn't thinking very big.

Now the Buffalo Grove senior and one of the biggest football players in the Mid-Suburban League is thinking Big Ten.

And the 6-foot-6, 280-pound offensive tackle was also thinking right when he made his verbal commitment just before the Fourth of July to play at Indiana.

"It was pretty perfect as far as the level of play in the Big Ten, and Indiana seems to be a program that could be up and coming," Damisch said. "It has a great business school and that's what I plan on going into.

"It's a great campus and it's close to home. That pretty much wrapped it up."

What could have unwrapped it for many recruits was the uncertainty with its coaching staff. Just two weeks before Damisch made his commitment, head coach Terry Hoeppner died from a brain tumor.

Damisch had primarily dealt with Bill Lynch, who was named the interim head coach, and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson.

And Damisch understands the reality and instability in big-time college football. He could have a different coach by the time he gets to the Bloomington campus.

"When you're at a school for four or five years, those coaching staffs change so quickly, you can't assume they'll be there by the fifth year if you redshirt," Damisch said. "You have to look more at the football program and the conference and if it's a good fit for you academically."

Damisch was originally thinking he would fit in at a Division I-AA school such as Southern Illinois or Illinois State. Then the May evaluation period arrived and he started getting scholarship offers from Army and Mid-American Conference schools.

That made Damisch think bigger. Beyond the MAC and to the Big Ten.

Damisch, who has a 4.2 grade-point average on a 5.0 scale and scored 27 on the ACT, was offered a scholarship to Indiana during a visit to its camp in mid-June.

But he also went to camps at Illinois and Wisconsin. Minnesota, Purdue and Michigan State were also interested.

"He asked me, 'What do you think I should do,'æ" said retiring BG coach Rich Roberts. "I said do it, get it over and done with.

"I've known coach Lynch for a number of years at Ball State (as head coach) and I believe he's going to do a good job there. I'm happy for Marc."

Damisch was happy to have Roberts' support.

"Coach Roberts has a lot of connections and he knows coaches," Damisch said. "If you work hard and he thinks you're a good enough player for that level, he'll endorse you."

And Damisch is glad to be finished with the recruiting process. Now he can focus on helping the Bison try to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

"I had kind of planned I'd commit before my senior season started," Damisch said, "if I had the right offer or offers."

It turned out he did.