UNI football’s Spencer Cuvelier embraces life as a 6th-year student-athlete

CEDAR FALLS — Life as a sixth-year student-athlete isn’t so bad.

Just ask Northern Iowa linebacker Spencer Cuvelier.

The Panthers preseason All-American is putting the finishing touches on a double major of finance and real estate, working 15 to 25 hours a week at a fulfilling internship and is about to embark on a fifth season of college football.

“You know, as funny as it might sound, it makes me not want to leave,” Cuvelier said of entering his sixth year in school. “I don’t know if I’m quite ready for graduation yet, but it’s coming down the pipeline.

“I’ll tell you what, this last fall camp, that’s probably the fastest fall camp I’ve ever been a part of. It went by at the snap of a finger. Just trying to enjoy every moment as it lasts. One last go around strapping it up for the purple and gold, man, it actually just gave me chills saying that.”

The extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic in 2020 has given Cuvelier and many of his teammates the chance to polish their academic and athletic skills to a level higher than they would’ve been able to otherwise.

His internship largely involves making real estate evaluations and the ability to do the job remotely with hours that work around his academic and athletic schedule. It has proved to be ideal.

“It’s been going really well,” Cuvelier said. “They’re very flexible with their hours, so I did it throughout the summer, then clocking hours throughout the fall just working 15, 20, 25 hours per week depending on how the schedule lays out for that week.”

The former Crestwood prep said he wouldn’t rule out pursuing an NFL training camp invite or opportunity in the USFL or CFL, but acknowledged that given his circumstances it’s hard right now to look past the present.

Most present is the Panthers’ season opener this Saturday at Air Force. Kickoff is set for noon in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The Falcons are coming off a 10-3 season in 2021 that included leading the country in rushing yards with an average of 328.2 — nearly 50 yards better than second-place Army, its service academy peer.

Cuvelier detailed the unique challenge of facing Air Force’s formidable flexbone offense.

“Strap it up tight. See ball, get ball,” Cuvelier said. “It’s going to be a little bit of a different offense. It’s not traditional by any means. They’ve got a lot of different motions and different things going on, (so) being very disciplined, everybody playing assignment football (and) everybody doing their job. It’s going to take all 11 guys to come out on top.”

As the proverbial quarterback of the defense, Cuvelier will be counted upon to make pre-snap adjustments. But if a something slips past him, the experience around him offers a safety blanket.

“There are some specific calls that I’m going to have to make,” Cuvelier said. “The beautiful part about it for me is we’ve got a lot of smart guys on defense. If I have a brain fart or something out there, Bryce Flater is sitting next to (me on) my right and he can easily tell someone what their responsibility is if they don’t know what’s going on.”