Homewood-Flossmoor High School football coaches are excited at what Christian Medlock could be this season. By all accounts, the senior offensive tackle has improved considerably from a year ago and is ready to display the fruits of his efforts.
“If I could compare his summer practice film to his junior game film, I won’t say it’s night and day because that would be a slight to him, but it’s amazing the growth that he’s had in the last three months. I’m so excited for him and the kids are excited for him,” coach Terrell Alexander said.
Medlock believes he improved both his body, his technique and his footwork over the summer. He hopes to make it easy to see that he’s more than just a big, strong kid. He’s an athlete capable of down blocking, moving his feet in pass protection and getting to the second level when he needs to.
“I like to show that I’m 300 pounds but I can also move around and run around,” he said.
Medlock and Luke Van Voorhees will bookend the Vikings offensive line. The two seniors are each about six and a half feet tall and around 300 pounds, give or take an inch and about 15 pounds. That’s college size at the high school level and an advantage H-F will likely have over most opponents, even in Class 8A.
“We’re looking really good (on the line). The young’uns are really improving. Me and Luke are the only seniors so we’re trying to help them out as they progress,” Medlock said. “It’s my turn to be a leader so I’m trying to help these kids the same way some of the guys who graduated helped me out.”
Being a leader can mean different things to different people. Medlock isn’t a vocal guy who will get on teammates in any negative way. Instead, he’ll offer constructive criticism and just be available to the younger guards, tackles and centers.
“It’s not just on the field. They can always reach me off the field or get some work in outside of practice, outside of school. I’m just trying to be a bigger role model for them,” he said. “I’m not going to yell at them. That’s not my job. I’m not a coach. That’s not my right to do that.”
Medlock accepted an offer to be a preferred walk-on with the Northern Illinois University football team. Preferred walk-ons are players college coaches want but don’t have the flexibility to offer a scholarship to for at least the first year of school. Medlock hopes to be able to earn a scholarship, at some point, and said Huskies coaches told him that’s a real possibility.
He went on visits to several Mid-American Conference and FCS schools before deciding to head to DeKalb.
“NIU was just different. It had a tradition. It wasn’t a copy and paste like all the other MAC schools,” he said. “They said ‘If you’re willing to bet on yourself and keep doing the same work that you’re doing, we can get you something.’”
Alexander played linebacker at NIU. He said there was no undue influence on his big tackle’s decision, though.
“I love the alma mater, man. I was so happy when he went that direction,” Alexander said. “It’s a great situation for him.”
There’s still some unfinished business for Medlock in Flossmoor, though. He and his senior teammates want to be remembered as a special class.
“I just want to leave a legacy at H-F, knowing that when I graduate other coaches are going to say my name,” Medlock said. “As a team, we want to go to state.”