Indiana University Athletics
“Old Man” Paige Excited For Fifth Season
3/9/2016 3:24:00 PM | Football
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Mitchell Paige was reminded of why he returned to Indiana football for a fifth-year senior season in one of the most unassuming places—Applebee's.
Paige was out to dinner with his mother when conversation from a few tables away caught his attention. He couldn't help but eavesdrop after figuring out what the strangers were saying.
They were talking about him.
"In years past—what is this, March 8th? No one would be talking about IU Football," Paige said yesterday. "There was about three tables I walked by talking about IU football. There's just an excitement about it."
The excitement surrounding a program coming off its first bowl appearance since 2007 was a major factor prompting Paige to put himself through offseason workouts and join the Hoosiers for spring practice this week. The 5-foot-7 walk-on receiver said the opportunity to continue to help Indiana build was reason enough to put the pads back on for another year.
"I come in here and that was the most fun I've had at practice," Paige said. "I'm an old man now. I'm about to be 23 running around with these 18-year-old guys. My knees are getting old. I feel great, but I can tell. Most guys would be like, 'Man, I don't want to go out to practice,' but going out there is easy."
Seeing Paige practice, it's not hard to see why. Sometimes it's easier just to listen.
Paige, who didn't earn a Division I scholarship out of high school, doesn't stay quiet for long. When he's not on the field, he's on the sideline yelling out a mix of encouragement and half-serious trash talk about a teammate being too big, too fast or too hard to guard.
It's that part of football, the relationships, that was too much to leave behind.
"Man, that kid just puts a smile on my face every day," offensive coordinator Kevin Johns said. "He just has so much fun out here playing, just like a little kid playing a game. He doesn't have any worries. He's playing fast. He's playing with confidence. It's fun."
It's work, too. Paige returns to an Indiana team only beginning to sort out a starting quarterback to take over for graduated senior Nate Sudfeld, who helped Paige to 57 catches for 684 yards and six touchdowns in his first significant playing time last season.
Though he hasn't had specific conversations with the coaches yet, Paige said he expects to have a similar role in Indiana's offense in the upcoming season. He's primarily a slot receiver but continues to practice near both boundaries so he can have more opportunities to see the field.
That mentality of being able to do whatever it takes to get on the field has treated Paige well as he climbed the ladder from rarely used walk-on to special teams contributor to starting receiver a year ago. He's trying to teach other players, particularly younger guys, to do the same.
Early this week he was even having a conversation with redshirt sophomore running back Ricky Brookins about learning how to play in the slot to get more repetitions in spring practice. He told Brookins he'd be thankful he did.
"The way I got to travel was just knowing every position, just know as much as you can," Paige said. "You just add as much value as you can. I just started holding, catching punts, just do as much as you can to make sure your value stays high. When you have as much talent as we do now, it's important."
It has all the makings for a competitive spring, particularly at receiver where Indiana returns its three leading pass catchers, including Paige.
With that many guys around him to push for playing time, Paige said it's hard not to enjoy spring practice, even if he is the "old man" he said he's become.
"It's just a lot of fun to be around," Paige said. "I've been a part of winning my whole life growing up with basketball, football. It's just fun to be around a culture that wins and a city that's buying into it. It's just definitely a huge role in how exciting it is to come here every day."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Mitchell Paige was reminded of why he returned to Indiana football for a fifth-year senior season in one of the most unassuming places—Applebee's.
Paige was out to dinner with his mother when conversation from a few tables away caught his attention. He couldn't help but eavesdrop after figuring out what the strangers were saying.
They were talking about him.
"In years past—what is this, March 8th? No one would be talking about IU Football," Paige said yesterday. "There was about three tables I walked by talking about IU football. There's just an excitement about it."
The excitement surrounding a program coming off its first bowl appearance since 2007 was a major factor prompting Paige to put himself through offseason workouts and join the Hoosiers for spring practice this week. The 5-foot-7 walk-on receiver said the opportunity to continue to help Indiana build was reason enough to put the pads back on for another year.
"I come in here and that was the most fun I've had at practice," Paige said. "I'm an old man now. I'm about to be 23 running around with these 18-year-old guys. My knees are getting old. I feel great, but I can tell. Most guys would be like, 'Man, I don't want to go out to practice,' but going out there is easy."
Seeing Paige practice, it's not hard to see why. Sometimes it's easier just to listen.
Paige, who didn't earn a Division I scholarship out of high school, doesn't stay quiet for long. When he's not on the field, he's on the sideline yelling out a mix of encouragement and half-serious trash talk about a teammate being too big, too fast or too hard to guard.
It's that part of football, the relationships, that was too much to leave behind.
"Man, that kid just puts a smile on my face every day," offensive coordinator Kevin Johns said. "He just has so much fun out here playing, just like a little kid playing a game. He doesn't have any worries. He's playing fast. He's playing with confidence. It's fun."
It's work, too. Paige returns to an Indiana team only beginning to sort out a starting quarterback to take over for graduated senior Nate Sudfeld, who helped Paige to 57 catches for 684 yards and six touchdowns in his first significant playing time last season.
Though he hasn't had specific conversations with the coaches yet, Paige said he expects to have a similar role in Indiana's offense in the upcoming season. He's primarily a slot receiver but continues to practice near both boundaries so he can have more opportunities to see the field.
That mentality of being able to do whatever it takes to get on the field has treated Paige well as he climbed the ladder from rarely used walk-on to special teams contributor to starting receiver a year ago. He's trying to teach other players, particularly younger guys, to do the same.
Early this week he was even having a conversation with redshirt sophomore running back Ricky Brookins about learning how to play in the slot to get more repetitions in spring practice. He told Brookins he'd be thankful he did.
"The way I got to travel was just knowing every position, just know as much as you can," Paige said. "You just add as much value as you can. I just started holding, catching punts, just do as much as you can to make sure your value stays high. When you have as much talent as we do now, it's important."
It has all the makings for a competitive spring, particularly at receiver where Indiana returns its three leading pass catchers, including Paige.
With that many guys around him to push for playing time, Paige said it's hard not to enjoy spring practice, even if he is the "old man" he said he's become.
"It's just a lot of fun to be around," Paige said. "I've been a part of winning my whole life growing up with basketball, football. It's just fun to be around a culture that wins and a city that's buying into it. It's just definitely a huge role in how exciting it is to come here every day."
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