ROCHELLE — Rochelle senior lineman Colton Czekala will be changing positions when he takes the field for the Monmouth College football program next year. Czekala, who announced his commitment to continue his academics and his football career at Monmouth College on his Instagram late last month, said he’s eager to take on a new role as a tight end with the Scots.

“The campus is really nice and it’s also a smaller school, which is what I was looking for during the recruitment process,” Czekala said. “I wanted to have smaller classes where I can have a relationship with everybody and it’s easier to go to school and stay on top of things. Football wise, it was all about the coaches… Coach [Chad] Braun seems like a really good coach and I got to see him a lot. Coach [Jack] Healy made everything really easy and I enjoyed talking to him. I feel confident that they can improve me as a person on and off the field while I’m there.”

Despite playing with a herniated disk in his back, Czekala enjoyed a stellar senior season, starting all 12 games at center while recording 13 tackles and two sacks at defensive tackle. Czekala, who earned Academic All-Interstate 8 honors and was the Hub football team’s Ellis Trophy winner as a senior, was one of two RTHS players selected to participate in the 2025 Illinois High School Shrine Game at Illinois Wesleyan University’s Tucci Stadium this summer.

“I’m just happy that I have the opportunity to play,” Czekala said. “It’s great that I have the option to play because there were points where I thought I would be done after this year… I don’t know what to expect since I’ll be playing a completely different position, but I’m excited and I think it’ll work out for me since I won’t be putting a lot of weight on my frame, so my back will do better.”

Czekala became a starter during his junior season, when he took over as Rochelle’s center and chipped in seven tackles on defense. Czekala, who underwent surgery on his back earlier this year and is nearly fully recovered, helped lead the Hubs to a 10-2 record and a trip to the IHSA 5A State Quarterfinals in 2024. Czekala played four years of football at RTHS and became a varsity contributor during his sophomore year, when the Hubs made the IHSA 4A Quarterfinals.

“The coaches here improved my qualities on and off the field,” Czekala said. “They made sure we were doing good in school and coach [Kyle] Kissack preaches respect, which helps a lot when I’m making a big decision like this… One of the biggest things for me is leadership and I really wanted to accept that role when I went from my junior year to my senior year. I wanted to be one of the guys who everyone looked to for advice and support and that’s who I want to be at Monmouth. I want to set myself apart from everyone else and I want to establish leadership.”

Czekala, who spent one year with the wrestling team and two years with the track and field team at RTHS, said he wants to study exercise science at Monmouth in hopes of pursuing a career as either a physical therapist or a strength and conditioning coach. Rochelle’s 2024 Male Weightlifter of the Year, Czekala will be reuniting with a former Hub teammate in David Gerber, who currently plays at Monmouth and was a senior at RTHS when Czekala was a sophomore.

“No matter what your position is, your mindset should always be about getting stronger, getting faster and watching film,” said Czekala, who will be attending a spring practice at Monmouth later this month. “I’m right on the verge of being fully recovered, so I’m going to start hitting the weights and running routes so I can be in the best possible shape when I get there.”

"Colton is a kid who maximized his abilities and his experience through our football program," RTHS head coach Kyle Kissack said. "He’s someone I would point to as an example of what can be accomplished with the right mindset and resilience through growth moments to experience a great career and create an opportunity to compete collegiately. Along the way, his work ethic and leadership lifted the tide in our program - if we can continually get kids like Colton in our program, we’ll all be better for it."