The New Windy City Flyer

The thought of Chicago Bears superstar receiver Devin Hester suiting up in purple every Sunday strikes fear into the hearts of Bears fans. To those of you up in Minnesota, don’t get too excited, this is a different shade of purple.

Take the El Train a few stops north from Hester’s stomping grounds and you might confuse a certain purple-jersey-wearing receiver very similar to Hester in every aspect of football. This player actually prefers the classic pairing of purple and black, while choosing to do his damage on Saturdays. 

Both Hester and his comparison leave professional scouts drooling over their big-play potential and elusiveness. Like Hester, this player is known to turn heads when being clocked in the 40-yard dash, even running a 4.37 at Northwestern’s scouting combine last year. 

Coming into his freshman year in high school, Jeremy Ebert had never thrown a pass in his life. Yet, he quickly discovered being under center provided him the best opportunity to get that highly-desired college scholarship. Once he was named the starting quarterback at Hillard Darby High in Ohio, Ebert rapidly became one of the top players in the state.

In 2006, Ebert passed for 1,182 yards and seven touchdowns during his junior year. He also finished with over 1,000 yards on the ground while plunging into the end zone seven more times. Displaying his best Hester impression as a multiple-position athlete, Ebert logged time at running back and at linebacker during his middle-school days. The 6'0", 180-pound Hillard native has switched positions almost every year since first putting on a helmet.

With his game-breaking, Hester-like publicity spreading nationally before his 18th birthday, Northwestern invited him to their summer scouting combine after his junior season. While quickly proving to scouts his blazing speed was for real, Ebert accepted the proposed offer from Wildcats Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald with the understanding he would become fully “Hester-ized” as a wide receiver and potential kick returner.

“That's what's most impressive about his play is that he is changing positions as a true freshman,” Fitzgerald said.  “He was a high school quarterback and has come here to play wide receiver and in the kicking game for us. He's handled those expectations very well.”

“Changing positions was not a big deal to me,” Ebert said.  "I've rolled with the changes my whole life. This won't be anything new."

Would it bother Ebert that he would have to give up playing quarterback, a position he dominated so effortlessly during his entire high school career?

"[I realized] I'd be better suited using my speed to...catch the ball and run," Ebert said.  “I just faced the fact that there aren't many six-foot quarterbacks around.”

Hester’s former quarterback, Rex Grossman, might argue that point, but we’ll save it for a different story.

Lining up next to fellow receiver Eric Peterman, Ebert continues to be used as both a decoy and a deep-threat. Peterman was surprised at how easy the receiver position came to the speedy freshman. “[Jeremy] has been doing real unlike freshman things,” Peterman told the Kane County Chronicle. “Making big plays at key situations, doing two-minute drills, scoring touchdowns, third-down conversions, just all the things you look for in a wide receiver.”

Ebert has been quick to credit his teammates for his fast development as pass-catcher.  “Eric and Andrew Brewer have been teaching me a lot about how to play the wide receiver position at Northwestern," he said.  “They’ve been a big help and without them I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

In his first game wearing the purple and black, Ebert, at the ripe age of 19, quickly let the Evanston faithful know he would be a special player for the next four years. With just under four minutes to play in the first half, and Northwestern down by six, quarterback C.J. Bacher fired a 16-yard pass to his new teammate, who registered his first career reception and touchdown on the same play. 

“I love catching touchdown passes,” Ebert said.  “If they keep throwing them to me, that doesn’t bother me a bit.”

Game after game, Ebert has become a more of a presence on the field. In Week 10, against Minnesota, Ebert found the end zone again, this time hooking up with backup quarterback Mike Kafka on a 36-yard bomb. Kafka, like Ebert, will be one of the stars of the 2009 Wildcats next season.

“The coaches are very high on Ebert, giving him a start as a true freshman in a very experienced receiving corps,” said ESPN.com Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg. “Ebert reminds me of several other Northwestern recruits: overlooked prep standouts from Ohio that don’t have the size to end up at Ohio State.

“The Wildcats have had trouble with big plays on offense, and Ebert could be looked upon to stretch the field.”

He may only have 13 receptions for 157 yards through his first 10 games, but just like Hester, Ebert will always be a threat to take it to the house on any given play.