One of the first memories of playing football for Western Michigan University junior safety Justin Tranquill came when he was 5 years old, playing on the defensive line in a tackle game. The opposing quarterback snapped the ball, while Tranquill shot a gap in the offensive line. He proceeded to take the opposing team’s handoff and score a touchdown.
“At 5 years old, for a kid to do that and return it for a touchdown and know what he was doing, my parents knew that football was for me," Tranquill said.
In his time at WMU, Tranquill has taken that toughness and determination with him to the field every week.