CHAMPAIGN — Caleb Griffin’s changed the lock screen on his phone after the 2019 Illinois football season to simply display “25.”
It was the number of games the Illini had played since he arrived on campus in 2018. The number of games in which Griffin didn’t make an impact because he wasn’t on the field. The Danville native redshirted in 2018 behind future pro Chase McLaughlin and then lost a training camp battle in 2019 to James McCourt.
News last Thursday that McCourt would miss the Purdue game because of contact tracing related to roommate and Illinois starting quarterback Brandon Peters’ positive COVID-19 test thrust Griffin into the role as the Illini’s starting kicker.
It also got Griffin thinking about how long it had been since he last competed in a game. He had to go back to his senior baseball season with the Vikings — an 8-4 Class 4A regional semifinal loss to Moline on May 22, 2018.
“It had been 893 days since I played in any game,” Griffin said Wednesday. “For those that remember me in high school, that’s ridiculous for me. Snapchat just reminded me three years ago (Wednesday) was my last football game my senior year. All that time off — all the time not being in games, just watching games — it was a big change for me coming from playing three games a week in high school.”
Griffin was a four-sport standout at Danville. He played soccer and kicked for the Vikings’ football team in the fall, shifted to basketball in the winter and finished up with baseball in the spring. Then nothing. For 893 days.
Griffin made all three of his extra point attempts and drilled a 28-yard field goal in last Saturday’s 31-24 loss to Purdue. He was as steady in his new role as Illini coach Lovie Smith expected.
“There’s a reason why we put him on scholarship,” Smith said. “He’s waited patiently for his opportunity. My confidence level is high with whatever we would ask him to do. We need him to step up now and kick until James is ready to go. I thought he did a good job Saturday with his first action, and he’ll be ready if we call upon him this week.
“He has been waiting patiently while he’s been competing daily. It’s not like it was a big shock and, ‘Oh, I’ve got to kick now.’ He prepares that way. If you’ve ever been to one of our practices, he is definitely involved and locked in and in tune to everything that is going on. The confidence level with him is really high.”
Griffin’s confidence level in himself is pretty high, too. Even kicking in a mostly empty Memorial Stadium last Saturday. That wasn’t a new experience.
“I probably have more kicks on this field with no fans than anyone — ever,” Griffin said. “I’ve been coming here kicking in the summer since my sophomore year of high school. Every time we’re on a break, I can come 30 minutes and kick in the stadium with my dad and my friends.
“I’m used to kicking in the stadium with no fans. I was excited for my first opportunity to be with some fans, but then I probably would have been a little bit more nervous. I got out there and was like, ‘Dang, this is just like kicking with my dad.’ It felt good.”
Griffin’s dad was in the Memorial Stadium stands last Saturday. So were his sister and his uncle. Mom, too, even if it wasn’t originally the plan.
Only family of the Illinois players, coaches and staff are allowed in Memorial Stadium on gameday per Big Ten rules this season relating to the ongoing pandemic.
“My mom wasn’t scheduled to come to the game,” Griffin said. “She had other plans. I called her Thursday night and was like, ‘Mom, I don’t want to ruin your Saturday plans, but I’m starting on Saturday. If you want to come to the game, I’ve got a ticket for you.’ She jumped right on it because she had to be there for that moment.”
It was a moment Griffin had to wait for the last two years. He thought he was going to be “the guy” last fall before McCourt won out in training camp. Griffin still embraced his role on the team — willing to help McCourt or punter Blake Hayes or special teams coach Bob Ligashesky with whatever was asked of him.
“I said to people I was like an intern for the last two years,” Griffin said.
That experience could give Griffin a leg up on his future career. He wants to be a coach and has spent the last two seasons doing some of that. Everything he takes in during special teams meetings, he uses to help his teammates on punt and kick coverage, kickoffs or the field goal unit if they have any questions.
“It’s not easy when you only have one special teams coach and an analyst,” Griffin said. “You need the guys in the room to step up.”
Now that he’s gotten on the field, though, Griffin feels like he can be an even better leader.
“I’ve always considered myself a leader, but it’s hard to lead when you’re the backup kicker for three years,” he said. “You can only do so much. I think getting out there and being able to prove myself, that I’m ready, helped me from a leadership standpoint.”
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