Though Wildcat wide receiver Eric Peterman wasn’t one of the 256 players chosen in this weekend’s NFL draft, he will get to play pro football “close to my home.”
“I’d love to stay in Chicago,” Peterman said going into the weekend. He got his wish this weekend, when he signed a free agent contract with the Chicago Bears.
North by Northwestern caught up with Peterman before the draft to talk about his Northwestern career, his hopes for the NFL and the future of the Wildcat football program.
You’ve obviously proven yourself as a wide receiver, a team player and a leader. How do you feel you can best contribute to an NFL team at the next level?
My role on special teams is going to be huge. When I came here as a freshman, I did all four special teams [units], and a little wide receiver, just being a football player. But I think special teams is going to be huge and my skills at wide receiver will be helpful.
There were quite a few teams around at Northwestern’s Pro Day, and there’s no question that you’ve achieved so much success beyond the gridiron. How do you think that reflects to them, that they know they’re seeing an outstanding character when evaluating you?
I hope they take into consideration. They look at football skills first, of course, but if they know you’re a guy they can trust, and you do a lot of community service activities, then maybe they’ll look at you and say, ‘He’s trustworthy, has good time management skills, he cares about the community and giving back,’ and hopefully they see that that translates onto the football field: showing up to team meetings and practices on time, doing the right things to help our football be the best it can be.
Anybody specifically that you would be excited to play with?
I’ve talked to the Bears and I got to go see the coaches, talked to Lovie Smith and their wide receiver and special teams coaches. I’d love to stay in Chicago; I’ve been here for a while and it’s close to my home. I think they’d be a great fit: they really put an emphasis on special teams and they don’t have the greatest receivers this year, but I think it’s a good open door. I’ve also talked to the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots, who also have a big emphasis on special teams and they spread the ball a lot and use a lot of receivers. I just have to see all the combinations and see where I fit best.
Is there anybody that you’re excited to compete against?
You know, I think it’s all gonna be fun. I was at the Bears practice the other day, just catching passes with Jay Cutler and Devin Hester, and just seeing how fast he really is; trying to beat what they call “lockdown corners.” I think it’s going to be such a challenge and a great opportunity to play in that atmosphere.
Your Northwestern journey has taken you through both winning and losing
seasons, bowl games, dealing with the passing of Coach [Randy] Walker and participating as a quarterback, wide receiver, even cornerback. How has Northwestern shaped your mindset going into this weekend, and for life after college?
Northwestern does so many great things that they really don’t get credit for, and that’s something that started with Coach Walker. He walked into my home and sat down with my family and told me that he’s always going to tell me the truth. And a lot of coaches tell you that, but there was something in his voice that was just really sincere and throughout his actions during the recruiting process. Everything he told me turned out to be true; everything he said, you could stick by his words. And that’s something that I think has passed down to Coach [Pat] Fitz[gerald]. The one thing that they do that no other team did was that they cared about you as a person. They didn’t just look at you based on how you performed on the football field, they sincerely cared about my family, about what I value in my life and the morals that I take into consideration every day of my life. And, if those morals match what Northwestern’s morals and values are, then you were gonna be on a path to great success. Coach Fitzgerald presses that every day; it’s not just who you are as a player, but who you are as a person.
[If the NFL doesn't work out], what other post-college options have you considered?
I’m fortunate enough to have a job from American Airlines, and went down to Dallas last week, visiting the headquarters and showing me around the city and the job. They give me a little leniency in letting them know what happens, and I told them, “let’s see what happens this weekend,” and if the NFL doesn’t work out, then I’ll be probably be down in Dallas working for American Airlines.
Finally, what are your thoughts on next year’s team? There’s a lot of questions at the skill positions on offense, so what can you tell us about the practices thus far that might shed a little light on that mystery?
I’ve been to every Saturday practice, and I think they’re gonna be pretty good next year — and I am not just saying that. Just seeing how they’ve been performing on the field, I think they’re going to be good. The skill positions, even though they don’t have a lot of experience, they have a lot of talent, and sometimes that can make up for it. They’ll have to grow early in the year, but Mike Kafka has done a great job running the offense and being a leader, and Andrew Brewer is going to have those guys ready to go. There’s a job open at running back, and there’s been some pretty good competition with guys like Stephen Simmons and Alex Daniel. Offensive line will be really good, just like this past year, and the defense is a solid unit behind Brendan Smith. I think, although we lost 23 seniors last year, there’s not gonna be a lot of experience, but there’s a lot of talent, and I don’t see them having a down year at all.
Do you see another Rose Bowl appearance in the horizon?
I sure hope so. I think they definitely have the capability but it’s a long ways away. It depends on how they mesh at the end of spring and how they carry that over to the summer and over to pre-season camp. It’s a long road and a long journey and I hope to see the purple back in Pasadena.