UNI QB Reggie Schulte a coach in the making

CEDAR FALLS - He kids that he thinks he's the best play signaller in the country.

Flashing signs from the sideline to teammates Eli Dunne and Aaron Bailey isn't necessarily what Reggie Schulte ever aspired to do when he decided to walk-on as a quarterback for the Northern Iowa football team. Players want to play.

But the junior from Cedar Rapids Xavier wouldn't change his situation for anything. He has yet to get a snap in his career, but he's close to home and learning so much about the game he loves.

'I've thought about it sometimes before, but there's nothing much I can do,” Schulte said. 'I love the school here so much, and I love the guys so much, and the coaches. Ever since that first year, I've loved being a Panther. I just became committed to that kind of thing.”

UNI Coach Mark Farley was asked after his team's lopsided win last Saturday over Missouri State if he heard some chants from the crowd - presumably the student section - late in the game. There was clammoring for Schulte to get in.

Farley's face lit up at the mention.

'I tell you what, Reggie Schulte is going to be a great coach,” he said. 'Reggie Schulte is valuable to this football team, is invaluable to this football team. For what he does day in and day out ... I'd be cheering for Reggie Schulte because of what he does for us and what he does for that room of quarterbacks. He's one of those special people that nobody will ever get to read about. He changes the demeanor in that room just by being in that room.”

Schulte had a scholarship offer from Division II Truman State (Mo.) out of high school and also had a chance to play for D-III St. Thomas (Minn.). But he chose Northern Iowa instead and has never regretted it.

He mentioned how important it has been that he has gotten to watch Xavier play a lot this season. The undefeated Saints are coached by his father, Duane, his brother, Bryce, is their starting QB and his other brother, Quinn, is a wide receiver.

Then there's his future. Schulte believes playing at such a high-caliber FCS program will aid him in what he eventually wants to do.

Coach football.

'I initially was an actuary science major, but I wanted to coach on the side if I did that job,” Schulte said. 'But then I realized the higher up I got in that job, the further away from coaching I'd get. I just wanted to coach too much, so I switched to a math education major. I've thought about being a graduate assistant after college, but, otherwise, I'd like to coach at the high-school level. Obviously with my dad being a coach, I've been around it forever.”

Schulte said he has tried to soak in as much knowledge as he can from his coaches, including those on the other side of the football. He said his father has told him he has to know every position in order to be a good prep head coach someday.

Quarterback play excites him the most, obviously. He tries to be a sounding board for Dunne and Bailey and others, answering questions for them when he can and comparing mental notes.

Dunne was so good last week for UNI, it was difficult to take him out of the game and get Schulte in there. Darn it.

Perhaps someday it'll happen.

'Hopefully I'll get a couple (snaps) if it works out,” Schulte said. 'If that's what's best for the team, it would be cool to get a couple. You don't want to be a problem guy, like ‘Why am I (not playing?)' But it would definitely be cool to get a couple of plays.”

UNI (3-4) lost twice last season to North Dakota State (6-1), but ended the Bison's 33-game win streak the last time the teams played in the UNI-Dome, in 2014. Kickoff is 6 p.m.

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