Unique responsibility comes with the title of Saluki Football team captain

CARBONDALE, Ill. — SIU head coach Nick Hill calls the locker room a “sacred place” for the players, so it’s no surprise that’s where the authority resides to select the team’s four captains each year.

Every player, whether on scholarship or a walk-on, receives an equal and confidential vote, listing their top three choices for captain. The vote totals are relayed to Hill, and he informed the team of the voting after practice on Sunday.

Hill said many players received votes for captain and that there is already a 20-player Leadership Council in place that meets every Monday to discuss team issues, but captains have a unique responsibility.

Some of the duties are ceremonial, such as being the first ones out of the locker room before a game so they can represent the team at the coin toss. More importantly, they help set the standard for the how the team handles its business. Adversity is inevitable during a 12-game schedule, and these four individuals have a unique responsibility to help the team navigate the ups and downs of a season.

All four of SIU’s captains dealt with major injuries last year and have battled back to be in a position to excel and to lead. Here are SIU’s four captains.

Andrew Behm

Linebacker (#46) Andrew Behm is in his sixth season of college football, starting out at Ellsworth Community College in 2020, and then playing three seasons at Akron, where he was a starter and played against the likes of Auburn, Ohio State, Michigan State, Tennessee and Indiana. He was recovering from injury last season, but was called upon to play the final three games of the season when SIU’s depth at linebacker ran low. He had an outstanding fall camp and appears on track for a big season.

Behm on being selected captain: “I look up to a lot of the guys on the team, and I learn a lot from everyone on this team. So for them to put their vote on my name and put me out there, it motivates me even more. I'm going to give them everything I have, coming out here with the same attitude every day, with that excitement, that joy. I'm going to do what I say I'm going to do. I'm not going to tell people to do anything that I won't do myself, and I want to be the guy that brings people along with me.”

Colin Bohanek

Linebacker (#16) Colin Bohanek is another sixth-year senior, who spent three seasons at Eastern Illinois, where he earned All-Conference honors in 2022. He started every game for SIU in 2023 and made the league’s All-Newcomer team. In 2024, he opened the season with 12 tackles at BYU, but then suffered a torn bicep in Game 2 at Austin Peay, missing the rest of the season. He was recently recognized as a preseason All-American.

Bohanek on being selected captain: “Being recognized as a team captain by my peers is the highest honor. I have all the respect for all my teammates, and I love them as brothers, so I'm just glad they think of me the same way. I really just love building these connections within the team, getting to know every single person. Once you get to know everybody and build that trust, you can get on them a little bit, and they won't take it personally. I'm trying to find all the little ways that I can motivate people.”

Derek Harden Jr.

Guard (#68) Derek Harden Jr. is also a sixth-year senior and has spent his entire career at SIU. After making 17 starts during the 2022 and 2023 season, a knee injury limited him to two games in 2024. He’s playing his best football and is an inspirational leader for how he conducts himself in the face of adversity.

Harden Jr. on being selected captain: “I didn't really play last year and a lot of these guys don't know me, but they're the ones that voted for me and look at me as a leader. So I'm thankful, I'm grateful. I thank God. I thank my mom, my dad, the people that made me the person I am so that I can be in this position. I'm not much of a vocal leader, but every day, I'm coming ready to work, I'm excited, I'm detailed with everything I'm doing.”

DJ Williams

Quarterback (#1) DJ Williams is a fifth-year junior who spent his first three seasons at Murray State. He lost most of two seasons due to injury, including a broken throwing hand suffered versus Incarnate Word in Game 3 last season. He was electric for SIU in the two-and-a-half games he played last year, accounting for eight touchdowns. Williams is an elite talent and leader on-and-off the field.

Williams on being selected a team captain: “It’s a blessing, honestly, that my teammates look at me as a leader and somebody that they can trust in and believe in. Somebody that they feel like can go out there and lead them in all type of ways, not just on the field but off the field. Having the respect of those guys, the people who are in-house, that's the biggest thing for me, not what outsiders think. The people I want the respect from are the guys I step on the field with every day.”