Indian Lake football standout Nathan Reichert accomplished something Wednesday that only one other player in school history had achieved.
By signing a letter of intent with Ball State University, Reichert is believed to be just the second Indian Lake football player to receive a scholarship offer out of high school from a Division I school. He joins Tim Norviel, a 1990 ILHS graduate who played football at Ohio University.
“It’s a huge honor,” said Reichert, who will play defensive end at Ball State, which is located in Muncie, Ind. “There have been a lot of great football players to come through here. To have this opportunity is very humbling.”
A three-time all-Ohioan, Reichert was a four-year starter for Indian Lake head coach Dave Coburn.
“We are extremely proud of Nate,” said Coburn. “In my 20-plus years here, he is our first player to sign with a Division I program. It’s very exciting for the program and Nate is very deserving of this opportunity.”
Ball State came into contact with Reichert through his participation in summer camps. The Cardinals first noticed him at an Ohio State camp last summer and then became even more intrigued after his performance at Northwestern’s camp in Chicago.
“They reached out to me through Twitter and eventually offered me a scholarship,” said Reichert.
After taking a visit to the school shortly thereafter, Reichert verbally committed to the Cardinals. He made his decision official by signing and faxing his letter of intent Wednesday during the first day of the early signing period for Division I football players.
“(Playing Division I football) became a goal of mine in junior high,” said Reichert. “Size-wise, I thought I would have a shot, so I told myself I would just keep working hard and see where it would get me.”
An offensive tackle and defensive end, Reichert earned honorable mention all-state honors as a sophomore. He was a second-team all-state pick as a junior.
This season, the 6-4, 250-pound Reichert was the co-defensive player of the year in the Central Buckeye Conference Mad River division and was a third-team Division V all-Ohio pick after recording 73 total tackles, 24 solo tackles, 13 tackles for loss and four sacks.
“The first thing with Nate is he has been blessed with God-given athletic abilities,” said Coburn. “But what separates him from others is his tremendous work ethic and his dedication to making himself a better player.
“Getting an opportunity to get a Division I scholarship comes down to getting in front of the right eyes. He was able to do that this summer and it paid off for him. He was able to show the Ball State coaches that he is capable of playing at that level.”
Reichert is a versatile player who can move around to other positions if need be. He said the Ball State coaches plan for him to start his career at defensive end but there is a possibility he could move inside down the line.
“They run a 3-4 defense and their defensive line coach plans to play me at defensive end,” said Reichert. “But depending on the weight I add, that could be subject to change.”
A member of the Mid-American Conference, Ball State went 5-7 overall and 4-4 in the MAC this season. The Cardinals finished third out of six teams in the MAC West division.