Football | November 25, 2019

KALAMAZOO, Mich. - As Western Michigan University's football seniors prepare for their final regular season game, none can believe their time as a Bronco student-athlete is about to come to an end.

''It hasn't hit me yet, but soon, after I stop practicing, it will hit me,'' senior running back Davon Tucker said. ''When I don't have to go to winter conditioning it will really hit me.''

Western Michigan's final regular season game is a hugely important one, too. The Broncos (7-4 overall, co-leaders in the Mid-American Conference West Division at 5-2) can wrap up a trip to the MAC Championship game with a victory at Northern Illinois on Tuesday.

Each senior will have memories about what it was like to be on the team for any number of years, but there is one thing all of them will have in common.

''We just grew as a unit and had togetherness in the locker room,'' Tucker said. ''It's always preaching family, of being always all in, whatever the coaches needed to get done. As a senior class, we all bonded together.''

The 22 seniors on the team are, in alphabetical order, Michael Arenberg, kicker;  Antonio Balabani, defensive end; LeVante Bellamy, running back; Stefan Claiborne, safety; Najee Clayton, linebacker; Timothy Collins, defensive end; Anton Curtis, cornerback; D'Wayne Eskridge, wide receiver/cornerback; Alex Grace, linebacker; Luke Juriga, center; Alex Keys, center; Joseph Miller, linebacker; Keith Mixon Jr., wide receiver; Alex Mussat, wide receiver; Giovanni Ricci, tight end; Drake Spears, linebacker;  Jonathan Todd, offensive guard; Justin Tranquill, safety; Andrew Trost, safety; Tucker, running back; Jon Wassink, quarterback; and Jamal Williams, defensive tackle.

It was in January of 2017 when the seniors of that season helped new head coach Tim Lester start to build his first WMU team. He has brought in each senior class to help him continue to traditions.

''We sat down when we got here and said, 'Let's build a culture and what do you want it to be,' '' Lester said. ''They were the ones who came up with all of it. They had to be part of it. It's fun to watch each one of them have success. It's fun to watch them all have great senior years. It's what you want every senior year to be.''

There is Wassink, who has been named as a finalist for the Campbell Trophy, for achievements on the field as well as in the classroom and community. Or Juriga, who is one of the top centers in the nation. Or Bellamy, who has surpassed 1,000 yards rushing.

''As a senior class, we preached unity,'' Tucker said. ''I think we have one of the strongest bonds in the country.''

No matter if they start or serve as a backup, this class will have a legacy at WMU of having 33 victories, the third most in program history. With the potential of three games remaining, this group can reach 36 victories and set the record for the most of any senior class in Bronco history.

One of the loses will also always be remembered. It came on the big stage of the 2017 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, where the then-unbeaten Broncos were edged by Wisconsin, 24-16.

Tucker played on special teams in that game and Tranquill had three tackles.

''That was a great experience in the Dallas stadium,'' Tucker said. ''It was a special moment for me, especially because my redshirt season the year before was my toughest year for me.''

Mixon Jr. and several others are unique seniors in that they transferred into Western Michigan after graduating from a previous school, but still having one year of eligibility remaining. The wide receiver had played at, and graduated from, Mississippi State before coming to Kalamazoo.

''I actually didn't do a visit for Western,'' Mixon Jr., who is from Alabama, said. ''I had told coach Lester and coach Gaither (Keith Gaither, wide receivers coach) sometime in May when I graduated from Mississippi State I was still trying to figure out where to go. I took visits to other schools, but I felt I wanted to get outside my comfort zone. I had never been to Michigan before.''

He didn't have much time for offseason bonding, though, as he arrived on Western Michigan's campus the day before camp started in August.

''Just walking in, I didn't know anyone, but it wasn't a problem because I knew I would get to know these guys,'' Mixon Jr. said. ''As camp went on, I was able to build relationships and it started to feel more comfortable for me.''

As most every senior will say, though, the time zooms by quickly.

''It's an eye opener how fast life goes by,'' he said. ''I just try to make the best of my opportunities.''

Players talk about the seniors being like a family. Miller can take that one step further. His father, Doug, was a center on the 1988 Western Michigan MAC championship team and Miller was on the 2016 MAC championship team.

''It's neat that both of us have championship rings,'' he said. ''I grew up going to Western games and when they asked me to play here, it was a no brainer. It's great to have a championship ring like him and it's great to have him come back to the games. This senior group has shared a lot. We shared a lot of successes and a lot of failures, which have all brought us closer together. It's a true family and I have guys on this team who will be my friends for the rest of my life.''

With at least two more games remaining (a regular season and a bowl game), this group still has more opportunities to build those lifetime memories.

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