Lakes grad Sullivan has been at heart of North Central’s defensive destruction
There aren't many examples of the pandemic having a positive influence on anything, but North Central defensive lineman John Sullivan might be an exception.
Sullivan was a junior at Lakes High School in Lake Villa when COVID sent everyone home. He decided to find a hobby and started Olympic weightlifting.
“We were out of school, so we didn't see the kids for months,” former Lakes coach Jordan Eder said. “I remember when we finally got back into school leading up to the shortened spring season, John walked into the weight room and all of the coaches and myself were blown away at the transformation that we saw. He was a completely different person when he came back.”
That was the beginning of Sullivan's rise as a dominant defensive lineman. He was named co-defensive player of the year in the CCIW this season and ranks second on the team in total tackles, a rarity at his position. He leads the Cardinals in tackles for loss and sacks.
North Central's defense was impressive in last week's 27-3 win over Springfield, which hadn't scored less than 30 points all season. The Cardinals (13-0) will host Susquehanna (Pa.) on Saturday at 2:30 in the Division III semifinals, with a chance to reach their fifth-straight NCAA title game.
“He's destructive. He's a problem for interior offensive lines,” North Central coach Brad Spencer said. “When you have a defensive lineman that is having that much success, it's really tough on an offense and offensive coordinator because he's at the heart of everything every play.”
When normal life came to a stop in 2020, Sullivan was able to find a gym in Grayslake that was still open, and he worked with trainer Casey Knuth.
“There was nothing else to do besides sitting around the house and do online homework,” Sullivan said. “I had to do something with my time and I just fell in love with lifting. (Knuth) taught me so much about lifting and football. It was up to me to translate it and I think it worked out for the best.”
Sullivan's mother, Trisha McElvain, played college basketball at Northern Arizona, but he grew up with a love of football and wrestled throughout high school. His Lakes team went 0-6 during the 2021 spring season, then came back a few months later and qualified for the playoffs in the fall.
“He was a crucial piece to that quick turnaround and was one of the best O- and D-linemen in the area,” Eder said.
Lakes had already provided North Central with two of the best players in school history. Running back Ethan Greenfield won the Gagliardi Trophy in 2022 and receiver DeAngelo Hardy was an All-American in 2023. Sullivan talked to those guys about the program, decided to head to Naperville for college and the success continued. North Central has been ranked No. 1 all season, and has gone 42-1 since Sullivan arrived.
“I would say a winning culture, especially here, is trusting the guy next to you and playing for something bigger than yourself,” he said. “Obviously, North Central has been on a really hot streak right now and it just comes down to coaching and the discipline aspect and trusting the guys around you.”