'As soon as you're away from it, you miss it'

SANDPOINT — Imagine the Twilight Zone theme music, with the distinctive voice of Rod Serling saying “you’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension of sight and sound …”

In 2010, a young running back named Cody Hecker played on an Eastern Washington football team that beat Montana, Idaho State, Northern Arizona and Weber State, suffered its only Big Sky conference defeat to Montana State, before capturing the school’s first ever national championship.

Exactly 30 years earlier, in 1980, a young linebacker named Curt Hecker played on a Boise State football team that beat Montana, Idaho State, Northern Arizona and Weber State, suffered its only Big Sky Conference defeat to Montana State, before capturing the school’s first ever national championship.

That’s the sign post up ahead, your next stop … OK, you get the idea.

One thing the son has on the dad, other than playing on an FCS (formerly Division 1-AA) national champion, is the chance to play in the first college football game of the season before a national television audience.  

When No. 1 ranked Eastern Washington University kicks off the 2014 college football season on Saturday against Sam Houston, former Sandpoint running back Cody Hecker will either be sprinting down the field as a gunner, or helping set up a kick return, depending on whether EWU wins the pre-game coin toss. Either way, he’ll be one of the lucky 22 players christening the college football season with the popping of pads on ESPN.

Hecker, a 6-0, 210 pound back up running back is a starter on every special team except PAT, and will be eager to help lead the top ranked Eagles on their quest to add another championship banner to the one earned in 2010, Hecker’s freshman year.  

The fiery red turf won’t be the only unusual sight, as prior to the kickoff the “Great White Buffalo” will do a back flip behind the bench to help get the home crowd excited.  

The “Great White Buffalo,” as his fellow running backs affectionately call Hecker, has been doing flips his whole life, including running on the court and performing high flying flips with the cheerleaders while in high school at Sandpoint.

To understand the funny nickname is to understand how rare white running backs are in college or professional football, and Hecker doesn’t seem to mind the moniker.

“I’m the only white running back, the only one in the past 15 years on scholarship,” said Hecker, who does a back flip before home games to get the crowd excited. “I do a back flip off the table before kickoffs. There’s a pretty big scream after that.”

It’s been a great ride for Hecker at EWU, with the usual assortment of highs and lows experience by high level college athletes.

Some of the highs include a 26-yard run against North Dakota where he hurdled a would-be tackler, a rare move he performed a handful of times in high school, winning a national title, beating No. 25-ranked Oregon State last season, and playing alongside NFL running backs Taiwan Jones (Raiders) and Demitrius Bronson (Seahawks).

Most of the lows revolve around being banged up with injuries and missing parts of a couple of seasons.

“Every day is a grind. You wake up at 5 a.m., lift weights at six. You think you’re sick of it, but as soon as you’re away from it, you miss it,” described Hecker, the third string/short yardage back who had 39 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles’ final scrimmage. “Going through that day to day grind with all the other guys on the team. Being an athlete, you’re getting pounded by the guys, you think you can’t get it done. It’s a great feeling to know there are 98 other guys going through the same thing.”

While playing in the opener on ESPN is a big highlight, traveling to face a ranked University of Washington team in front of 70,000-plus fans in week three will be another big time experience. Lest you think this a mismatch, consider the Eagles have beaten Oregon State, only the third FCS school to ever beat a ranked Division 1 program, beaten Idaho 20-3, lost by only four points to Washington State and just three points to Washington in the past few years.

Curt Hecker will be at Husky Stadium, as he and wife Barb have tried to make every game, including last year’s epic upset of the Beavers in Corvallis.

“It was fantastic, a little bit of David and Goliath. Not only hold their own with them, but beat them,” said Hecker, enjoying his second run through the college football ranks. “It’s been a great experience, reliving it through your kid again after all these years. The team that he’s been on was very much like the team that I was on at BSU.”

Cody has been lucky to play for head coach Beau Baldwin, who will no doubt draw interest from bigger schools as the wins keep piling up. Hecker said from starting quarterback Vernon Adams down to the back up kicker, guys really want to fight and play for Baldwin — one of the reasons they’re ranked No. 1 to start the season.

Hecker is hoping to make an impact when he’s on the field, and has set lofty goals for his senior season.

“I’m trying to shoot for the Special Teams Player of the Year Award, and to get a touchdown,” said Hecker, calling the win over OSU unreal and casting an eye toward the showdown with Pac 12 foe Washington, and former BSU coach Chris Peterson. “They’ve lost a lot of guys and have a lot more younger guys. We only lost two guys, our team is close. It could be a really good game.”

And don’t be surprised if the “Great White Buffalo” does one of his patented flips before kickoff.

“He was excited one game as a freshman, and he’s been doing it ever since. The crowd goes crazy,” said Hecker, who has enjoyed watching his son grow as a player and man. “Cody is a real leader on the team, and a motivator. A lot of players look to him for motivation. The highlight is watching him learn and grow and get the experience of college football. It will help him down the road.”