Status of Ithaca state champion QB Alex Niznak undetermined
MT. PLEASANT -- From the returning players, to the newcomers, to former Chippewa stars like Dan LeFevour and Frank Zombo...everyone is confident that Central Michigan will bounce back from an uncharacteristic trying season in 2010.
After finishing a lackluster 3-9 in head coach Dan Enos' first season at the helm, the Chippewas had a hard fall from grace after winning three of the previous four MAC championships. On Friday night, players took the field on a chilly, windy night at Kelly/Shorts Stadium for the annual Spring Game. One of the many players who suited up was former Ithaca quarterback Alex Niznak, who led the Yellowjackets to a Division Six state championship last November to cap off a dominant, undefeated season. But as the youngest of four quarterbacks on the Chips' roster, it begs the question: will the talented, multi-dimensional quarterback be forced to redshirt this season?
"If they came to me and they said 'Alex, we need you to redshirt this year, it's in your best interests,' I'd be totally OK with that," said Niznak. "Because academically, coming in early has been great. If I got a chance to redshirt and continue to work on my grades, in the scope of things it's gonna be the best thing for me, I believe."
"Alex and his parents, when we recruited him, are ready to redshirt if that be the case," added CMU head coach Dan Enos. "But we've also said that if he's in a position where he can help our football team and puts himself in that position, then he may play. But that's totally undetermined at this point."
