Like most of the Illinois football team, linebacker Matt Sinclair is more than happy to put the nightmarish 2003 season behind him. The Illini managed just one win on the year, a non-conference victory over Division I-AA Illinois State. Needless to say, a 1-11 campaign does not rank among the senior’s career accomplishments.
“You don’t come out to lose games, much less 11 games,” Sinclair said. “It was definitely frustrating.”
While Sinclair does not dwell on the less-then-stellar past, he has not completely erased the memories of a season ago. After all, there is plenty of motivation to be found in a frustrating season like 2003.
“A lot of people try not to look back at last year because it was such a bad year, but I think there’s a small part of you that needs to remember that and remember what it felt like,” Sinclair said. “Last year, you look at it and we were in close games sometimes, but we could just not pull it out. I think this year, those young guys we had on the team last year are now older guys — more mature and more experienced. I think that’s going to end up helping us this year. It’s definitely a big motivational tool for us.”
One of Sinclair’s individual highlights from that season came in Illinois’ 38-20 defeat at the hands of Wisconsin Sept. 27. Sinclair shined in the losing effort, recording 21 tackles, a career high, against Dwayne Smith and the Badgers.
“I’m sure when I’m older, looking back on it, that’s probably a game that I’ll pick out in my mind as far as an individual thing,” Sinclair said. “But, at the same time, they ran all over our defense so it really wasn’t something to be proud of. I think 21 tackles was probably too many to have in a game like that.”
That season began on a rather ominous note for the Illini linebacker. After being bit by a tick, Sinclair contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, a disease that if not treated can be potentially fatal.
“It was the funniest thing,” Sinclair said. “We have a family farm that I’ve been going to since I could walk, so I’ve been pulling ticks off my body my whole life and that was the first time I’d ever had something like that happen.”
Thinking he had the flu, Sinclair went to the hospital to receive IVs prior to Illinois’ fall camp. That’s when he discovered he was suffering from something much worse than the flu.
“My temperature shot up to like 108,” Sinclair said. “I don’t really remember much, I just remember being really hot. I couldn’t breathe, it felt like I was breathing through a coffee straw — one of those little red coffee straws. They had the panels hanging on the side of the bed. They thought my heart might explode because my temperature was so high. They were just talking about how lucky I was, that I didn’t suffer brain damage or blindness or anything like that because my temperature was so high.”
After the preseason scare, Sinclair went on to lead UI in tackles with 129 and earn Honorable Mention All-Big Ten accolades. Now a senior, he has made the transition from middle linebacker to an outside position.
“It’s basically the same thing,” Sinclair said of the position change. “You’ve got to find the guy with the ball and tackle him. Sometimes I think you’re kind of more restricted to one side of the field. Playing at middle linebacker, you’re in the center of everything and you can make plays on both sides. I’m not saying you can’t at outside linebacker; it’s just a little bit harder. I like it, you get to play in space a little more and cover some wide receivers, stuff like that. It’s been pretty fun.”
Through four games, in which the Illini have compiled a 2-2 record, Sinclair is tied for the team lead in tackles, with 38. His three tackles for losses are also tied for tops on the team. In addition to his standout play on the field, Sinclair has assumed a leadership role on the youthful defensive unit.
“I’m just a little bit more vocal,” Sinclair said. “We’ve got a lot of guys that are lead-by-example type of guys by the way they play. I just try to talk to guys a little bit and help them out if they need any help, because there are a lot of young guys playing on the defense. I’ve been around awhile so I understand the game a little more than them.”
With one last season remaining in an Illinois uniform, Sinclair is doing everything he can to avoid a repeat of the 2003 campaign and make his senior season one to remember.
“I’m trying to become more of a student of the game than I have in the past, with more film study and stuff,” Sinclair said. “It used to be when I watched film I’d just go in there and watch it like it was a normal game. Now I’m going in with my coaches and just trying to pick out little things and tendencies. I’m just trying to perfect the craft.”
When the Illini travel to Madison this weekend, Sinclair will get his final dose of the Camp Randall atmosphere, something he is eagerly anticipating.
“I loved it when I went up there two years ago,” Sinclair said. “I think that thing they do between the third and fourth quarters is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in college football, with ‘Jump Around,’ when they play that. Everybody always talks about the atmosphere up there and I didn’t think they disappointed last time.”
