“Him, our freshman, he’s going to be our number two guy.”

That’s what I heard from Eastern head coach Bob Spoo as he attempted to introduce his backup quarterback. One problem: he couldn’t remember freshman Kyle Kniss’ name.

If we’ve learned anything from “Cheers,” it’s that one needs to be where everybody knows your name.

Not that I blame Spoo because when you have a 90-man roster it’s gotta be hard to recall every player without a jersey number to spark the memory. I have used the phrase “hey you” around this newsroom around 20 times this week.

For the record, Mike Donato is the starter, and Kniss will back him up with senior Michael Keeling completing the depth chat. The reason Spoo might be a little confounded with these names is because you’ve thrown the same amount of collegiate passes as the three of them combined.

After contemplation, I have come to the conclusion that not knowing everybody on his two-deep roster in August might be a good thing, especially the guys under center.

As a freshman, Mike Donato was a scout team quarterback that wasn’t even sure if he’d be on the traveling team heading into the season.

“He has gotten so much better over the preseason, and his confidence is growing everyday,” Spoo said.

Nearly nine months ago, Kyle Kniss was the star quarterback on his high school team as he led the Eastland-Pearl City (Co-op) to a quarterfinal appearance in the IHSA Class 2A Football Playoffs. It would be a safe bet to say that everybody in the small town of Lanark, Ill. could recognize the 12-time letterman.

Going back in time a little further, Eastern’s all-time leader in nearly every passing category came to this very campus not as an all-world quarterback. Many in the circles around Burlington, Wis. came away with the idea that a kid named Tony Romo (you might remember him now) would go to a large Division I school to play golf, and maybe one day try to do that professionally. Everybody knows how that story ended, but the NFL backup may be the best player in Wisconsin golf history to never tee it up in college. Maybe, when Romo arrived in Charleston not knowing a sole, Spoo even said to a media member, “Yeah, that dark haired kid… he’s our backup.”

Maybe Kyle Kniss will turn into Tony Romo; it’s just as easy right now for him to be the next Ben King, but none of that matters. Not knowing his name right now gives this incoming freshman no expectations, and that is the best gift you can give somebody who is attending his first classes at Eastern. Just imagine when Spoo and everyone else on campus recognize the face with the name and how to pronounce it. For now, just remember, one k before the n and a pair of s’s at the end.

Matt Stevens is a senior journalism major. If you want to tell him your name or find out about his real name you can do so at Danville [email protected].