Captain Chronicles | 'I Knew It Would Work Out': Rosiek's Discipline, Patience Pays Off in First Season as Captain

Dylan Rosiek was born to play football, but his first involvement with the sport did not go as planned.

Needing waivers to join his older brother’s tackle football team, Rosiek vividly remembers the first practice of his football career.

“I was on my brother's team, it was our first practice, and he came out and ran me over,” Rosiek said. “I was bawling my eyes out. I didn’t want to go back there. My dad basically made me go back. About two days later – my brother is about three years older than me – I just ran straight through him. That sparked that competitiveness.”

Ever since that day, Rosiek’s life has revolved around the sport. From dreaming of playing football to being voted as a team captain at Illinois in his fourth season in the program, Rosiek has found his stride in Champaign with the Fighting Illini football program.

“I've seen all angles of college football at this point,” Rosiek said. “I think it really hit home walking out for that first coin toss in Week 1. I was like, ‘Alright, I'm ready to represent this team.’ Throughout camp, I’ve had those leadership moments when I needed to step up.”

Sports played a big part in Rosiek’s childhood, and he played “a little bit of everything” growing up. Enjoying pretty much everything – aside from baseball – he took part in, Rosiek knew early on that he wanted to pursue collegiate athletics.

Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Rosiek competed at East Lake High School, located just outside of his hometown in East Lake, Florida. Before even stepping on the football field for the first time, his future head coach, Bob Hudson, could tell Rosiek would be able to make an impact.

“He would hang around on the sidelines with his older brother, so I got to know him and his family years before I even got to coach him,” Hudson said. “You never know how good they're going to be, but you can see how they handle their business. He was always on top of his game, both academically and football-wise. He wouldn't miss a lift. He was always trying to outwork everybody. He did a great job in that aspect throughout his whole career, but it made him stick out early.”

Hudson used the eventual Fighting Illini linebacker in various roles within his team, ranging from defense to running back to punt returner. Rosiek took everything in stride, though, always finding ways to put others first and help the team.

“What an unbelievable young man he is,” Hudson said. “He was always so pleasant to be around. If he could sense I was stressing, I'd get a text or a call. He'd reach out and ask, ‘Coach, are you doing all right?’ I would do the same thing with him. He always made me laugh, always made me smile, and always reached out to me. We’ve always had a really good relationship.”

Putting in countless hours in the weight room, Rosiek knew his elite work ethic would translate well to the collegiate level, a realization he had during his junior year. But, he initially did not get the amount of power-conference interest he thought he deserved.

Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Rosiek worked even harder and earned an offer from Illinois, a school that already featured a former East Lake standout linebacker in Jake Hansen. Wanting to announce his collegiate intentions ahead of his senior season of high school ball, Rosiek chose to join the Fighting Illini, who were his first – and only – Power-5 offer.

Despite a coaching change in Champaign with Bret Bielema taking over as the program’s head coach, Rosiek stayed true to his commitment and arrived on campus in the spring of 2021.

“It's not the way you want to do it, but at that point, I put all my eggs in one basket and it ended up working out,” Rosiek said. “I didn't know how it was going to work out. I got here, and I had to prove myself a little bit. I definitely came in with a chip on my shoulder.

“I talked to Coach B one or two weeks after I signed, so maybe a week after he got the job. I ended up getting a call from him when I was going out to dinner with my family. I remember picking up the call. He told me he was excited to get started. He loved what he saw. It was definitely a quick turnaround, but it has all worked out so far.”

Playing in three games and redshirting his first season in 2021, Rosiek took advantage of an opportunity with the special teams unit and saw action in all 13 contests the following year. Though he wanted to make an impact on defense, he worked hard behind the scenes and knew his time would come.

“Going from not playing at all to playing on special teams was huge because I knew that I'd have some piece in a game. I'd be able to touch the field and say that I contributed something to the game,” Rosiek said. “That was huge. I finally saw the fruits of my labor a little bit, so that was a big step. I was excited to just get on the field at that point.

“Going from a big fish in a small pond to a small fish in a big pond was definitely challenging, and it took some time to realize that not everybody is going to have that first-day, immediate impact.”

Leaning on a saying from one of his previous coaches, “Invest without the guarantees of success,” Rosiek carved out a role on defense in 2023, making eight starts at linebacker while appearing in all 12 games.

Rosiek led the Big Ten with four forced fumbles during the 2023 campaign, a tally that ranked fourth-most in a single season in program history. After amassing a team-high 82 tackles, he was rewarded with a spot on the All-Big Ten honorable mention list following his first year in a big role within the Illini defense.

Now taking on the title and responsibilities of being a team captain in 2024, Rosiek was recognized as a preseason Butkus Award watch list selection, an award that honors the most impactful linebacker in college football.

Dylan Rosiek was born to play football, and his first season at Illinois did not go as planned. Staying disciplined and working hard to earn the trust of his coaches and teammates, Rosiek has reaped the rewards of his commitment and dedication in his fourth season at Illinois.

“I didn't know when my time was going to come,” Rosiek said, “but I attacked every day like I wanted to get better. I tried to get 1% better every day because eventually when my time came, I was already ready to roll.”