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The Indiana Daily Student

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Dan Feeney's leadership key in his return for the Hoosiers

Senior lineman Dan Feeney greets his teammates as he joins warmups on Saturday before IU's game against Northwestern at Ryan Field.

Dave Wierzal said he hadn’t seen Dan Feeney play in about three years before he watched the IU offensive lineman take the field against Northwestern.

The senior right guard Wierzal, who coached Feeney in high school at Carl Sandburg in Orland Park, Illinois, saw before him had certainly bulked up since his high school days. He was more mature too.

Feeney’s infectious personality, however, had 
endured.

“He’s the kind of person that makes you feel like things are going to be okay and things are good and we can do this,” Wierzal said. “It’s just in his presence. It’s not in a pep talk — it’s in the way I think he carries 
himself.”

That personality was evident after the 24-14 loss to Northwestern, and it’s what IU Coach Kevin Wilson and the Hoosiers had missed the most during Feeney’s 
absence.

Feeney suffered a concussion in IU’s week-two matchup against Ball State, and while he worked his way back onto the field the Hoosier offensive line, which is also without senior right tackle Dimitric Camiel, struggled to provide junior quarterback Richard Lagow and the running backs the support it initially had.

However, whenever IU Coach Kevin Wilson spoke of his absence, Wilson said the team missed his leadership more than his talent. Even after Feeney made his return, albeit with a fair amount of rust that still needs to be knocked off, that sentiment remained the same.

“Him being back is really, really good, probably more for practice and the locker room than game day, because he has a great presence on our team,” 
Wilson said.

Offensive line coach Greg Frey described Feeney’s presence as calming and credited it with the decrease in missed assignments and increase in leadership against Northwestern.

Sophomore wide receiver Nick Westbrook called it a huge turning point and significant from a leadership standpoint.

“Really just having him on the sideline, just, whether it’s cheering on the guys, just seeing him in the huddle with you, just knowing you have him there,” Westbrook said. “It’s an All-American player, just really it spreads out through the whole offense. It’s a huge turning point.”

That effect traces back to his high school career.

Feeney played both ways for Wierzal, and while he played every snap on 
offense, Wierzal would have to pick and choose when to give him a breather on defense. During critical moments of important games, Feeney’s leadership and presence made it even harder to select that moment.

“He brings confidence to everyone else, instead of panicking or focusing on things that aren’t going to help you,” Wierzal said. “He kind of helps ground a team.”

Now that he’s back, Feeney said his focus is on the little things.

“Those are kind of the things that wins ball games,” Feeney said. “Football’s a game of inches. It always will be. So it’s just consistently doing the little things right. I think that’s kind of that mindset that will get us above and beyond.”

It’s the little things Frey said he believes will help the line improve to the place it needs to be to help the Hoosiers win ball games.

In the end, Frey said that’s the stat he cares about most. The team can worry about passing and rushing yards when it wins, but while it’s on a losing streak, the focus is on getting over the hump. To get there will take a group effort.

“We’re as good as our five, we’re as good as our 11 on offense, we’re as good as our 33 on the team,” Frey said. “We’re as good as 
our 85.”

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