Sept 17 – The Sojourn’s Athlete of the Week, presented by Amplify Media, is Kyle Antoine, an Indiana Wesleyan Football team sophomore.
Antoine, IWU’s quarterback, is from Indianapolis, IN, and a graduate of Heritage Christian HS.
IWU Football’s quarterback coach, Travis Palmer, said, “Kyle has improved tremendously in his ability to respond to adversity. He understands that in a football game, there is going to be a lot of adversity, and the most important thing is controlling how we respond to that adversity. I think he also understands how that same principle applies to everyday life.”
Antoine threw for a program-record five touchdowns against Madonna at the end of August.
“It’s a lot of competition. All of us are able to play,” Antoine said. “Austin [Myers], Arjun [Lothe], and I can all play, and we are all good quarterbacks. I like competing and trying to work my hardest.”
Antoine has had Head Coach Andrew Rode and Palmer as his offensive coordinators and has experienced growth and intentional relationships with both during his two seasons as a Wildcat.
“Kyle leads by holding himself and the others around him to an exceptionally high standard. He treats every play in practice like it’s the most important play. He strives to get the best out of himself and the others around him, and I think that influences the guys around him to try and do the same thing,” Palmer said.
Antoine is 59-of-89 for 823 yards and nine touchdowns in just three games. He averages 274 yards per game.
“I got to watch a lot of really good games with really good players last year,” Antoine said. “I knew there was a lot of potential for growth, and with another year in [Coach] Rode’s offense and [Coach] Palmer’s offensive coordination, I knew that we could do some really big things. That’s why I was really excited and motivated to work my tail off and get to play.”
Antoine is in his first year as quarterback for the Wildcats, after learning from 3-time MSFA 1st Team selection Xander Stokes last year.
“I didn’t get a lot of reps, but I had a lot of guys to look up to, especially Xander Stokes,” Antoine said. “I learned how to manage my emotions during the game. I thought Xander was phenomenal at that. I’ve never seen someone more even throughout the entire game. He never got too high or too low.”
IWU Football graduate student Neil Campbell sees Antoine as the competitive spark of the offense.
“I like Kyle’s competitive nature. He wants to win,” Campbell said. “He wants to win every snap, and that leadership carries over to the offense.”
The Wildcats have been a successful new program and currently sit at No.6 nationally in the NAIA GoRout Top 25 Ratings. The coaches and athletes attribute the success to what goes on off the field.
“Kyle has a contagious energy that has a major impact on the team on and off the field. He really enjoys playing football, and he is not afraid to show it in how he plays and prepares during the week.”
Antoine has stepped into the starting quarterback role as a sophomore and has led the Wildcats to a 3-1 record so far.
“He didn’t play last year, but I saw him stay locked in and stay focused,” Campbell said. “Which is why he’s taken off this year.”
The Wildcats look to continue their success as they have seven matchups left, which include the next three being Top 25 contests.
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