Die-hard fan, good worker, loved man
Casey Cheney
Issue date: 3/11/10 Section: Sports
Muddy Waters Stadium is jam-packed for another Hillsdale College football game, the crowd eagerly waiting for their beloved Chargers to emerge from the tunnel and take the field. Soon, it would be game time.
In the tunnel, the players lightly hop, twist at the waist and pull their knees up into their stomach, mentally psyching themselves up - anything to get ready for the game.
A familiar and friendly voice travels down the line, encouraging and hopeful.
"Let's go, Nathan English Muffin!" the voice calls enthusiastically, each syllable cut off a little early, followed by the hulking man to whom the voice belongs. It's not a coach, but most players would agree he's as much a part of the team.
It is the unrelenting, bleeding-Charger-blue voice of J.J. McMillan.
He approaches senior Mark Yassay and asks, as he does before every game, "Where's Drew Berube at?"
Per usual, this question is followed by, "Where's Nate English?"
"He loves promoting local boys," Yassay said. "I think he'll always know me by asking where Drew's at."
It's hard to miss J.J.-especially in a town like Hillsdale - he tends to stand out: a very large man retrieving balls and holding down markers on the opponent's sideline at football games (the guardian of that sideline, as Yassay put it) and holding the sweeper on the front row of bleachers at basketball games.
"He's there more religiously than the parents," Yassay said. "I've never seen him not holding a down marker or something... If you don't see J.J. at a game, things would feel off."
J.J. is always invited to attend the meals after the high school football games, which English said is a great privilege, as it's usually reserved for parents-and he's first in line. Yassay also mentioned that he always attends the parent tailgates before Charger football games, "just mowing away, having a good old time."
Director of Security Mike Wertz has known J.J. for about 15 years and has determined, "He's as harmless as the day is long…There's not a mean bone in the boy's body."
In the tunnel, the players lightly hop, twist at the waist and pull their knees up into their stomach, mentally psyching themselves up - anything to get ready for the game.
A familiar and friendly voice travels down the line, encouraging and hopeful.
"Let's go, Nathan English Muffin!" the voice calls enthusiastically, each syllable cut off a little early, followed by the hulking man to whom the voice belongs. It's not a coach, but most players would agree he's as much a part of the team.
It is the unrelenting, bleeding-Charger-blue voice of J.J. McMillan.
He approaches senior Mark Yassay and asks, as he does before every game, "Where's Drew Berube at?"
Per usual, this question is followed by, "Where's Nate English?"
"He loves promoting local boys," Yassay said. "I think he'll always know me by asking where Drew's at."
It's hard to miss J.J.-especially in a town like Hillsdale - he tends to stand out: a very large man retrieving balls and holding down markers on the opponent's sideline at football games (the guardian of that sideline, as Yassay put it) and holding the sweeper on the front row of bleachers at basketball games.
"He's there more religiously than the parents," Yassay said. "I've never seen him not holding a down marker or something... If you don't see J.J. at a game, things would feel off."
J.J. is always invited to attend the meals after the high school football games, which English said is a great privilege, as it's usually reserved for parents-and he's first in line. Yassay also mentioned that he always attends the parent tailgates before Charger football games, "just mowing away, having a good old time."
Director of Security Mike Wertz has known J.J. for about 15 years and has determined, "He's as harmless as the day is long…There's not a mean bone in the boy's body."
Be the first to comment on this story