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From today's USA Today. Hooah!

Northern Illinois defensive end Jake Coffman spent two tours of duty in Iraq while a member of the Marines where he was an engineer, setting up equipment for combat units to use.

Northern Illinois DE, Iraq veteran Coffman plays for 'the fallen'

By Jack Carey, USA TODAY
When Jake Coffman got the itch to get serious about football again after four years away from the game, he brought a unique perspective back to the field.
War can do that.

The Northern Illinois junior defensive end walked on in 2006 as a 22-year-old freshman after two tours of duty with the Marines in Iraq. A guy who knows what winning and losing is really about, Coffman understands shedding blocks beats evading mortar fire because he's done both.

"I was 18 years old and going into a war. That experience opened my eyes and made me appreciate a lot of things," says Coffman, now 25. "And to be in the situation I'm in now is really a blessing."

Coffman says facing a tough test in the classroom followed by a long, hard afternoon on the practice field is nothing compared to what he experienced in Iraq and what many of his friends and colleagues are still going through. His old unit was recently redeployed to Afghanistan.

"I still have friends there I think about all the time. I stay in contact with a lot of them, and they're on my mind every day," he says.

And so are friends and acquaintances who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Coffman has dedicated his career to them and writes, "For the fallen," on his wristbands before games. He then leads the Huskies onto the field while carrying the U.S. flag. "That's really a rush," he says. "To really know what it stands for means a lot."

Coffman was a linebacker and defensive end at Forreston (Ill.) High but says he was "pretty small" (about 180 pounds) coming out of high school and didn't receive offers to play in college.

"I needed something to pay for school because I didn't want to put a strain on my parents, and I thought the military would be a good way to pay for it," the now 255-pounder says.

"I thought the Marines would be the right fit for me; they're the toughest."

Showing an aptitude for electronics, Coffman became an engineer, setting up equipment for combat units to use when they arrived.

"It was electronic equipment repair, setting up generators, air conditioners, power grids, whatever was needed," he says.

His tours in Iraq lasted eight and seven months, and Coffman earned the rank of corporal while active, although he's now a sergeant on inactive duty. His term is to officially end in January.

It was while playing intramurals at Camp Pendleton in California after returning from Iraq that he began to get the urge to return to the sport. "I had made a promise to my father (Timothy) that I'd at least look into football and go to school when I was done," he says. "I had a lot of fun (in the intramural league) and realized I could still play."

In 2006, Coffman got in contact with then-NIU assistant coach Greg Bower, who had previously coached Coffman's brother-in-law. Joe Novak, then the Huskies' head coach, agreed to bring Coffman in as a walk-on.

He redshirted in 2006 while playing with the practice squad but then almost had his career derailed early in the 2007 season when he suffered a broken foot.

"I began to feel like maybe I was too old, maybe I can't take it. But at the same time, I had already played a little bit, and I got the itch to get healthy," he says.

Coffman returned last season, playing in 11 games, including the Independence Bowl, and finished with 22 tackles, three for loss, two sacks and two fumble recoveries.

On Oct. 3 of this year against Western Michigan, Coffman got his first career touchdown when he tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage, caught the ball and ran 79 yards for the score. He also stopped another Broncos drive when he recovered a fumble.

The exploits earned him Mid-American Conference West Division defensive player of the week honors.

"I guess I had some oil in my joints," Coffman says with a laugh when thinking about the long return. "People didn't think I had enough speed or juice."

NIU coach Jerry Kill called Coffman's interception "about the best thing I've ever seen as a coach. With what he's been through, it was just great to see."

Kill, whose team visits Miami (Ohio) on Saturday, says he notices a "unique relationship" between Coffman and younger teammates. It's one of respect for what he's been through, the coach says, "but at the same time, he's one of them."

"People seem to forget about the sacrifices that are being made (by military personnel)," Kill continues. "But what he brings to us means a lot. "

Coffman hopes to graduate in the spring, and if he does, he's undecided about returning for his redshirt senior season next year. He'd like a career in government service and might want to get on with it.

"I'm not sure yet," he says. "I'm having fun. Hopefully at the end of the year, I'll know."