When senior tight end Zane Fakes runs out of the tunnel of Scheumann Stadium for the final time of his Ball State career this Friday, he won’t be thinking of the game he’s about to play.
“[I’ll be thinking of] everything since I’ve been here,” Fakes said. “Everything since I’ve started playing football. This is potentially one of the last two games I’ll play in my career. … It’s going to be everything I’ve went through in my career since I’ve started playing football when I was 8 years old.”
Fakes is in the midst of a season in which he has 34 receptions for 361 yards and two touchdowns. His numbers are the lowest since his sophomore year in 2011, possibly because of the emergence of sophomore wide receiver Jordan Williams.
In Fakes’ true freshman season, the team went 2-10, a far cry from the possibility of going 10-2 this season.
“When I started college, the team wasn’t very good,” Fakes said. “Now, we’re winning a lot of games. Hopefully it won’t be too emotional, because we still have a game to play. But there definitely will be some emotion when my name is called and I walk out there with my parents.”
Ball State’s final game of the regular season is against Miami this Friday. The RedHawks are the only team in the Mid-American Conference still winless on the season at 0-11.
Fakes said his favorite memory of playing at Scheumann Stadium was the Homecoming game against Toledo during his freshman year. Ball State had a one-point lead with under a minute left before Toledo came back with one play.
“We ran a two-point play to go ahead,” Fakes said. “We were really excited about that. It was the most high moment I think I’ve ever had. When they threw it over our heads it was
probably the most low moment I’ve ever had.”
Fakes also remembers his sophomore year, when the team was down by 17 to Central Michigan in the third quarter. Three [Keith] Wenning touchdown passes and a Jahwan Edwards run gave Ball State a lead it would hold in the 31-27 win.
After graduating, Fakes plans on coming back often to visit the team.
“I like when older guys come back who I played with when I was a freshman or sophomore,” Fakes said. “It’s neat to see.”
Safety Brian Jones could be enjoying his senior day with Fakes, quarterback Wenning and others, but he was redshirted his freshman year, so he’ll have an extra year of eligibility next season.
“I’m fortunate enough to have an extra year,” Jones said. “I’m just going to be playing for the seniors this season.”
Jones sees himself trying to fill into the roles the seniors will leave behind.
“I’m just picturing myself in that position next season,” he said.
Jones said he already sees himself as a senior, and players advance to a new class throughout the year.
“If there’s a freshman that’s playing and he starts from the season, we’re going to be like ‘well, he’s a sophomore now. He can step up and play,’” he said.
With the game on Black Friday, Fakes doesn’t see himself eating a big meal on Thanksgiving the day before.
“Thanksgiving will be like any day before a game,” Fakes said. “It’s going to be business.”
Fakes will make it back home Friday after the game or early Saturday.
“Hopefully my mom will have a plate waiting on me,” Fakes said.
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