Former Illini kicker enjoys second chance with NIU
The last time Michael Cklamovski kicked a ball at Memorial Stadium, he wore orange and blue.
When he shows up Saturday, he'll be trying to pin the orange and blue in the end zone for touchbacks.
For every game of Illinois' Rose Bowl season - except for the Rose Bowl itself - Cklamovski handled most of the team's kickoffs.
The Lyons Township graduate remained the Illini's kickoff man during the early stages of the 2008 season, but fell out of favor in late September when he knocked two kicks out of bounds to aid Minnesota's upset at Illinois.
Cklamovski remained at Illinois through last season as he wrapped up degrees in political science and speech communication.
He moved on to Northern Illinois to attend its law school and when fall camp began... suddenly he was out on the practice field winning the Huskies' kicking job.
Though he lost part of his field-goal kicking duties after two misses in the first half of the season opener at Iowa State - Cklamovski remains the man on call for long field-goal tries - he'll definitely handle NIU's kickoffs.
And if you think he's excited to put a foot into his alma mater, well, you'd be wrong.
Heck, Cklamovski roomed with starting strong-side tackle Ryan Palmer and backup lineman Jack Cornell last year and counts many current Illini as friends.
"I only have fond memories of that place and I spent four amazing years there," Cklamovski said. "I'm excited to go back."
Because he didn't play in any of Illinois' games last year, that preserved one final season of eligibility.
The NCAA allows a player to transfer between Football Bowl Subdivision schools without sitting out - provided he has graduated from the previous university. Cklamovski found NIU the perfect fit to do that.
"I wanted to play another year," he said. "I had an opportunity to do longer field goals here and kicking off. And I got into the law program here and the law program is up and coming. I've been working so hard at that. "My days are insane. I go to bed every night at 11:30 and I wake up at 6 in the morning. Sometimes I don't know whether I'm coming or going, but wherever I am is the most important spot at that time. It's a great experience."
Hospitalized NIU head coach Jerry Kill coordinates the special teams, so Cklamovski has gotten to know him well despite his brief time in DeKalb. Clearly he missed Kill's presence at Tuesday's practice.
"Coach Kill has been amazing about (my schedule)," he said. "Couldn't have been better. Not having him out here today... he's the guy who watches film for an hour every day. I've never seen or heard of a coach at a Div. I school doing that.
"This guy, I've only been here since the beginning of August, I can tell Coach Kill is special."