Andrew Clair, 'the ultimate teammate', named a 2022 captain

In the hectic world of fall camp, Andrew Clair almost missed his meeting with Pat Fitzgerald.

And this was no ordinary meeting. The head coach was going to tell the sixth-year senior that he was a Northwestern captain for the 2022 season.

"It was a crazy process," Clair said. "We had a team meeting at [2 p.m.] and Coach Fitz told me to come meet with him. I was able to get up there around 1:30, but he was already in a meeting."

Thirty minutes waiting outside of Fitz's office later, Clair was scrambling to get to the full team meeting to catch up with the head coach.

"I'm still outside his office and they told me he went to the team meeting, so I said, 'I guess we're going to the team meeting,'" Clair said. "I sat in the back and we made [eye contact] and then we walked out back."

Once they got to the same place at the same time, Fitzgerald delivered the good news.

"It was a surreal moment," Clair said. "It was just the feeling and the rush that went through me. I couldn't stop smiling.

"It was hard to keep it a secret for another 30 minutes, especially when I was sitting in front. And I knew the last one to be revealed was going to be me, I loved every minute of it. I just love this team."

Seeing Clair named captain might have surprised some fans and people outside the program. After all, Clair will be playing a backup role this season, and this is just his second year in the Northwestern program after four years at Bowling Green. How many transfers are ever named a captain?

But the news shocked no one inside Ryan Fieldhouse. Running backs coach Lou Ayeni, the proud position coach of two Northwestern captains this year (Clair and Evan Hull), raved about Clair's work ethic, leadership and personality.

"He's a special human, he's special," Ayeni said. "He's a great person to be around. He's got that personality that makes you gravitate towards [him] and want to be around him."

Ayeni said that Clair brought that mentality the day he grad-transferred from Bowling Green and started summer camp last season.

"He came right through camp and all he's done is be the ultimate teammate, the ultimate competitor, the ultimate person in our program," Ayeni said.

Clair's path to the captaincy has been long and winding, and his role on the field this year is still up in the air. Last year, he was second in carries and catches behind Hull in the running backs room. Clair will likely have to adjust his role again with the return of Cam Porter to the backfield this season after a year off due to an ACL tear.

But regardless of how much he plays, Clair has embraced the elder statesman role this season. The excitement around this deep and talented Northwestern running backs room is palpable.

"One of the biggest things is being able to pass knowledge to one another," Clair said. "Evan and Cam have crazy knowledge and experience, just like I have crazy knowledge and experience.

"Now we can speak the details, and know how to speak assignments, which is one of the biggest things that comes in this game."

This is Clair's sixth fall camp as a collegian, and his second at Northwestern. He says he's had to change his approach a bit as a veteran. He pointed out with a chuckle that he has to do a lot more recovery than he did during his freshman year.

But his fire, skill and mentality are all better than ever.

"Just finding a way to be there mentally, physically and emotionally each day, and not getting tired of it," Clair said. "Because you can't. Because there are a lot of people who don't get a chance to do this."

It was clear that Clair is valuing his chance to play this season, whatever his role turns out to be. And he's also valuing the opportunity to do it as one of the team's five captains, along with Hull, Peter Skoronski, Adetomiwa Adebawore and Bryce Gallagher.

"It's big [for me] to know the respect that the team has for me," Clair said. "Just knowing the impact that you gave people, being that light in people's lives, being that motivator.

"Just knowing that you are that person for so many people is...I can't even find the word for it because it's so heartwarming. It just brings joy to my life."