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Cole Latimer said he realizes he’s giving up his social life. When he starts at NIU in the fall, he figures his life will be a loop of football, baseball and schoolwork. The DeKalb senior announced on Monday his commitment to play both football and baseball with the Huskies. “I know having a social life is pretty much out the window,” Latimer said. “That doesn’t really bother me at all. I know how I need to accomplish what I want to accomplish. ... I know that it’s going to be football, baseball, school, repeat.” Latimer was a three-year starter at quarterback for the Barbs. This spring will be his fourth year as a starter for the DeKalb baseball team. He had a breakout baseball season last spring, blasting nine home runs, hitting .433 and finishing with a 1.351 OPS. As a senior with the DeKalb football team, he completed 58% of his passes for 1,665 yards playing in eight games. He threw 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. Latimer said he’s dreamed of playing both football and baseball at the NCAA Division I level. While he said smaller schools gave him the opportunity, NIU was the only D-I program that offered him both. “I really wanted to bet on myself, taking the Division I route,” Latimer said. “This was my only opportunity to play at the Division I level, so I’m really betting on myself.” Latimer said the football coaching staff reached out to Ryan Copeland and the NIU baseball program about Latimer pulling double duty. “Playing D-I ball is a lifelong dream of mine,” Latimer said. “The next text I got, they said they were going to talk to football and see what they had to say about it. After talking with baseball, Copeland and those guys, they were on board. It really came about from football. They got baseball to come along on board. They offered me the opportunity to compete for a spot for both baseball and football. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do.” Latimer said it wasn’t just the chance to play both sports that drew him to NIU. He’s spent a lot of time around the program. He said he was best friends with Otto Eidsness when Otto’s father, Eric Eidsness, was the NIU offensive coordinator. He’s also been teammates with Travis Moore Jr., whose father has been the defensive line coach since current head coach Thomas Hammock arrived in 2019. “I’ve always been around the players and the coaches,” Latimer said. “I really love the culture that they have there. Coach Hammock, he’s built a great one there. “I really want to be a part of that.”
