By Bobby Narang
Aurora Christian High School recent graduate Ethan Hampton is making a name for himself in college football.
And he’s yet to officially throw a pass.
Hampton made a difficult decision to enroll early at Northern Illinois University (NIU) in January rather than finish his senior season at Aurora Christian.
At the time, the prospect of high school football was in limbo due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, the high school football season is in full swing, with each team playing six games. So, rather than preparing for a big clash against undefeated St. Francis April 3, Hampton was gearing up for a Spring practice for Northern Illinois.
Hampton said it was a difficult decision for him to leave school early. Instead of Hampton under center, the Eagles had Tyler Brueckner opening the season at quarterback.
“Obviously, I made a commitment to my high school as well, but I talked to my teammates and talked to my coaches and they understood the circumstances I was in and how fortunate I was to go to NIU,” Hampton said in an NIU press release. “They were backing me 100% and that made my decision easier. I would’ve loved to stay at Aurora Christian and play with them, but an opportunity comes and sometimes you have to make hard decisions, but I’m confident I made the right one.”
Hampton is making a strong impression in Spring practices with his live arm and strong work ethic. He’s among the backups behind Michigan State University transfer, Rocky Lombardi.
Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock, a former star running back for the Huskies, said Hampton has shown he belongs on the collegiate level.
“He’s was one I kind of felt conflicted about,” Hammock said. “Aurora Christian plays in the Spring (this year), but he wanted to come early and give himself a jump start on college. He certainly has done that, so he’ll be in the mix.”
Hampton said it was a natural progression of steps that led to his early enrollment at Northern Illinois. The 6-3 and 190-pound Hampton passed for 2,130 yards and 28 touchdowns in his junior season at Aurora Christian in 2019. As a sophomore, Hampton threw for 2,457 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2018.
“I originally planned to graduate early, back in February of 2020, before COVID was a thing really,” Hampton said. “Then COVID hit, and it became a big thing. Were we going to have a season, were we not going to have a season? I was still practicing with the team. We got word in July, I think it was, that we were not going to have a season and I just decided it was probably best to move on from high school and honor that commitment I made to NIU.”
Hammock, a former assistant for the Baltimore Ravens, said Hampton is a player to watch in the coming years.
“He’s really going to be the future,” Hammock said. “He runs better than you would think. He’s been unbelievable.”