"Batavia Bros" Ben Fiegel and Charlie Whelpley bring old-school toughness to Saluki linebacker corps

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The "Batavia Bros," Southern Illinois linebackers Ben Fiegel and Charlie Whelpley, were raised on old-school football.

Close friends since they were kids growing up in Batavia, Illinois, their childhood featured backyard tackle football, when they weren’t busy building forts out of scrap wood.

At Batavia High School, Fiegel played linebacker and Whelpley was the team’s running back.

“Batavia’s definitely a football town,” said Fiegel. “We put 10 people in the box and had one receiver out there. Our games were all hard-nosed, old-school football.”

Added Whelpley, “it’s the last suburb of Chicago and has always been a gritty place with hard-working people. I feel like me and Fiegel have carried that here and just love what we do.”

Growing up in Batavia, Illinois, Fiegel and Whelpley have been close friends since childhood.

After they graduated from high school in 2024, the two buddies took separate paths, with Fiegel signing at SIU and Whelpley accepting a preferred walk-on opportunity at Iowa State.

“Ben had a bunch of offers out of high school and Coach Mac (McLeran) got him here to SIU, but I wasn’t highly recruited,” Whelpley said. “I bet on myself and took a chance at Iowa State.”

Fiegel made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2024, carving out a role on Southern’s special teams and making five tackles on defense in the season finale versus Murray State. His game really took off in 2025 when he filled in for injured Andrew Behm in Week 4 and had 12 tackles versus Indiana State. He replicated that performance two weeks later with a dozen tackles versus North Dakota.

“I stepped up when I needed to last year, but I’m going into this season with a lot more confidence,” Fiegel said. “I have another year under Coach Pron’s (Lee Pronschinske) defense, knowing that there's a lot of hard work that's paying off.”

Fiegel had a pair of 12-tackle performances in 2025.

Whelpley, meanwhile, did not play at Iowa State during the 2024 season and was moved to linebacker by the Cyclones after his freshman campaign. He entered the transfer portal shortly after spring ball with an eye on reuniting with Fiegel at Southern.

“Ben always raved about SIU,” Whelpley said. “Once I hit the transfer portal, he was my first text to see what he could do to help get me here.”

In fact, Fiegel went straight to Coach Hill’s office the next morning.

“I was in Coach Hill's office first thing at 8 a.m., telling him, we gotta get this guy,” Fiegel recalled. “He won’t be sitting in the portal for long.”

As a newcomer to the position, Whelpley played in every game on special teams in 2025 and gradually worked his way into defense packages toward the end of the season.

“Chuck's an athlete,” Fiegel said. “You could put him at tight end, running back, linebacker. He'll figure it out.”

“My dad says I was born to be a linebacker,” Whelpley said. “I was solid at offense, but I feel quicker, more explosive and more natural on defense. I’m glad that Iowa State switched me. I think it was a blessing in disguise.”

Whelpley, whose grandfather played at SIU, comes from a football family.

Whelpley’s dad, Charles Whelpley IV, knows a thing or two about football, having spent time in several NFL camps after starring at Northern Michigan in the late ‘80s. In fact, Whelpley comes from a football family that includes both of his grandfathers. Charles Whelpley III played at the University of Miami, while his maternal grandfather, Yale Corcoran, started at guard for SIU in 1963.

Depending on down and distance, Fiegel and Whelpley might find themselves on the field at the same time on Thursday night at West Florida. If that happens, you can expect to see the type of smashmouth football they were raised on.

“Batavia ingrained into our brains how football should be played,” Fiegel smiled.

Whelpley said Fiegel has not only helped him learn the finer points of playing linebacker, but he sets a great example with his work ethic.

“That guy works his butt off and I'm really proud of him,” Whelpley said.

Listed on the roster as Charlie Whelpley, his full name is Charles Whelpley V, but he’s called Chuck, Charlie or Whip, depending on who you’re talking to.

“Last year, they called me Whip,” Whelpley explained. “That was a Coach Mac thing. Chuck has been a new one this year. I usually go by Charlie back home. My mom wants people to call me Charlie, but it's probably not going to happen.”

Not surprisingly, the two close friends are also roommates off the field.

“I’m grateful to be able to take the field with Chuck every day,” Fiegel said. “After playing together for eight years, it feels pretty normal to me now, but I remind myself every day that I am fortunate to do it.”

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More about the Saluki Linebackers

In his first year coaching linebackers at SIU, Tom Rebholz has a pair of team captains in his room in Andrew Behm and Chris Presto, and a host of up-and-coming young talent.

When Andrew Behm (6-2, 230, 5th) was healthy in 2025, he was dominant, as evidenced by his 16-tackle performance at Purdue. He played and started eight games and totaled 61 tackles.

Andrew Behm totaled 61 tackles last season.

“Beemer does a really good job of film study and understanding the opposing offense,” Rebholz said. “He does a nice job of playing downhill with clean angles, and I'm really excited about where that goes in the fall.”

Chris Presto (6-2, 230, Sr.) was also affected by injury last season, but still made 10 appearances and recorded 59 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble.

“Presto is a very talented athlete who gives us a lot of athletic ability,” Rebholz said. “He’s able to play man, you can bring him off the edge, and he continues to improve on playing in the box.”.

As a redshirt freshman a year ago, Ben Fiegel (6-3, 227, Jr.) was a beneficiary of the injuries, gaining valuable reps and totaling 36 tackles.

“Fiegs brings a violent presence at the position, plays downhill,” Rebholz said. “I’m excited about his development since the spring.”

Converted running back Charlie Whelpley (6-2, 232, Jr.) made an impact on special teams and is expected to make a big jump in playing time in 2026.

“Whip has really grown during his time here since he made the transition from playing running back,” Rebholz said. “He looks like he's been playing linebacker for about five years right now. He understands angles.”

As a freshman last year, David Obadein (6-2, 215, So.) had a pick-six in his first college game. He finished the season with 13 tackles.

David Obadein had a pick-six against Thomas More.

“D.O. is another young man who's been very impressive,” Rebholz said. “The sky is the limit with him, and as he continues to grow, he's going to be a major part of our defense.”

Former walk-on Alex Broshears (5-11, 208, So.) was awarded a scholarship in the spring and has been a tackling machine in practice.

“Alex might be the best tackler in our room,” Rebholz declared. “He’s a hard-nosed, talented young man who really understands the game.”

Western New Mexico transfer Cole Lalama (6-1, 225, Sr.) has already totaled more than 200 tackles in his college career.

“Cole brings a violent edge and also has the ability to make tackles in space,” Rebholz said. “He's getting better every day and excited about where he's gonna be by the end of the year.”

Ryan Coby (6-1, 211, So.) was a late-comer to the game of football in high school, but is rapidly gaining ground.

“Coby had tough spring with some injuries he was battling, but he made a lot of improvement this summer,” Rebholz said. “He's an exceptional athlete and is developing that linebacker mentality. His best football is ahead of him.”

The younger brother of running back Lem Wash, Miles Wash (5-11, 228, Sr.) was a key member of the special teams last year.

“Miles just kills it, on and off the field, works really hard,” Rebholz said. “He very rarely makes mistakes, plays downhill and is continually growing as a linebacker.”

Entering his second year in the program, Kaden Clay (6-0, 235, So.) has added nearly 30 pounds during the off-season.

“Kaden is still learning the game, but he has a lot of upside, has the ability to be physical, get downhill, and the skills to be able to play in coverage,” Rebholz said.

Decari Farley (6-0, 182, Fr.) and Max Rhodes (6-2, 222, Fr.) are a pair of freshmen with promising futures.

“Decari has been here for a couple months now, and his skill-set shows that he is gonna be a football player here at SIU,” Rebholz said. “Max knows all the checks, which is normally one of the toughest things to learn. I’m excited to watch him develop over the next couple years.”