Carifio: NIU coach Thomas Hammock’s viral moment hits hard

When it came to his thoughts on the transfer portal, Thomas Hammock didn’t hold back.

As NIU’s fall media day concluded on Wednesday, the seventh-year football coach was asked about the transfer portal.

Not even a week ago, the Huskies lost Dane Pardridge to Rutgers as fall camp was beginning. And earlier in the media day, athletic director Sean Frazier talked about some changes he’d like to see.

Hammock was asked if there was some sort of change he would like to see to make things more fair.

Hammock’s answer started straightforward enough. He said he loves the challenge and it doesn’t bother him one bit.

Of course, straightforward answers don’t go viral. Hammock kept going, spending the next two minutes growing more and more impassioned.

It’s hard to summarize as it was a complex, passionate and honest assessment of the current state of college football. It was picked up by multiple national outlets.

“I told our team the other day, we lost all these guys, let’s see who plays,” Hammock said. “It’s all good when people put on Twitter ‘All glory to God, I’m going into the transfer portal.’ Let’s see if they play. How many of those guys are going to play or travel or get snaps?”

Hammock said it’s the long-term that matters. Getting a degree, learning lessons. That’s the purpose. College is a transitional period between childhood and adulthood.

The lessons he learned as a college player at NIU at the turn of the century, he said, shaped him into the person he is today.

“If you’re going to college to get a couple dollars, you might as well go get a job,” Hammock said. “This is too hard to go get a couple dollars. Learn the lessons you need to learn to be successful in life for the next 40 to 50 years of your life. I would do it again for free. For free.”

A lot of what he’s said has also seemed to be misconstrued. Nowhere in the comments does he say players shouldn’t be paid, or be allowed to transfer, or anything along those lines. He just wants to make sure money isn’t the primary factor. Is the school you’re going to a good fit for you? Are you going to play as much as you would have had you stayed? Does leaving help long-term goals or is it a short-term paycheck you’re going after?

Now, in full disclosure, I was the one who asked the question. The press conference had ended, and if you know how media day works, it was the end of a long session. Each NIU fall coach speaks and answers questions, as does Frazier. Hammock wraps things up.

I was really interested in what Frazier had said about the transfer fees. I was formulating a column in my head about it and figured I’d ask Hammock his thoughts on the subject.

I know, given the Pardridge situation specifically and the losses through the portal in general, it would potentially be a touchy subject. I waited until the end to ask. In fact, they were ending things as I raised my hand, and Hammock made a little joke and allowed me to ask my question.

His detailed answer shows what makes Hammock effective - a willingness to confront a complex situation in a straightforward way.

Although NIU has had more losing seasons than winning ones since Hammock came on board, things are trending upward. The Huskies have posted back-to-back winning seasons. They’ve won bowl games in back-to-back years for the first time since 2010-2011.

If they do make it three in a row in either category, it will be with a roster that will look totally different from last year, let alone two years ago. The era of players staying in a program for four or five years is over - if it ever truly existed in the first place.

And that’s Hammock’s strength. The combination of seeing the state of the game for what it is and putting his program and his players in the best position to succeed.

Telly Johnson had a big year at running back last year in a handful of games filling in for an injured Antario Brown (Brown one of the rare modern exceptions to the four years in one program rule). Now a sophomore, Johnson is poised to be the lead back.

If NIU is going to have a big year, it will probably mean Johnson will have a big year. That probably means the portal will come calling for him.

Whatever he decides, the Huskies appear ready. Lazaro Rogers, in the one open practice this fall, had an impressive showing. He’s just one of seven freshman or sophomore running backs on the roster, most of whom Hammock has spoken of very highly publicly.

Same thing at quarterback. If projected starter Josh Holst has a big year and decides to move on, freshman Brady Davidson was a fairly highly sought after recruit in a room with five total QBs, none of whom is a senior.

Hammock’s answer was basically a brief distillation of his philosophy as a coach in the modern landscape. And his roster management, as it were, shows why he’s telling the truth.

I asked the question to get some insight on an idea Hammock’s boss had. What I got was so much more. Coaches, including Hammock at times, can be so guarded.

Hammock let that guard down and showed how powerful one man’s truth can be.