Just Do It. Those three words, printed in big, blue block letters, were the only things on Nathan Scheelhaase’s T-shirt as he met with the media Tuesday. Fittingly, those three words seem to sum up perfectly the only thing left for the redshirt freshman, who has yet to take a snap in a game

“I’m just excited about that opportunity to get out there. Obviously there’s going to be nerves and butterflies, and that’s natural, but football is gonna be football after that,” Nathan Scheelhaase said. “It really is a dream come true, and the best thing is, it’s football, so I’m looking forward to (the first play) and just getting on to the rest of the game.”

Despite his calm demeanor, Scheelhaase has made it no secret that he’s excited to finally get out on the field in an Illini uniform.

“I think he’s definitely eager and ready to get out there and put it all on the line,” said quarterbacks coach Jeff Brohm. “He’s put in the time, the hard work, and the dedication … and now I think he’s just gotta relax and go out there and play come game-time.”

While Scheelhaase knows the nerves are likely to come eventually, they haven’t hit him just yet.

“Everybody has that little butterfly feeling in their chest, but I haven’t had it yet,” Scheelhaase said. “I’d always get that during the weeks of high school games whenever we’d have big games or first games, but I really haven’t had that (feeling) yet.”

That ability to handle the pressure has impressed many people already, including Illini head coach Ron Zook.

“Nathan is human. Even though he sometimes comes across like he’s 25-years-old and he’s got 10 years of experience, he’s going to have the same nervousness, butterflies that any first-year starter would have,” Zook said. “The one thing about Nathan is he’s a very, very intelligent guy and he’s going to control it. That’s the difference between some guys — being able to control it and not being able to control it. He’s got a deep confidence in himself… He’s very calm.”

Scheelhaase hasn’t been alone though, saying the veterans on the team have had a big influence on him leading up to his first collegiate game.

“(Eddie McGee) has definitely talked to me about (his first game), and Juice did the same thing with me last year. They were all saying that it was a time they look back on,” Scheelhaase said. “AJ (Jenkins) has probably the funniest story. In his first play against Mizzou, he said he stood in his stance looking at the ball and didn’t move the whole entire play, just stood in his stance. So hopefully I won’t freeze up like that.”

However, McGee downplayed his role in making sure Scheelhaase is prepared, saying he hasn’t really seen the need.

“I haven’t given Nathan any advice,” McGee said. “There’s not much (to say) really, be prepared. (The coaching staff) is preparing him well, and he’s preparing himself well. He doesn’t really need that much advice.”

“He doesn’t let (pressure) get to him, he doesn’t think about it. He just goes out there and thinks about executing his assignments, and that’s it. So from that standpoint, he’s going to be fine.”

And even when Scheelhaase does start to get nervous, there should be plenty of familiarity around to make him feel right at home. Scheelhaase will have plenty of support in the stands for Saturday’s season opener, including his high school coach, Tony Severino.

“I know there’s gotta be between 15 and 20 (people) coming from Iowa (from my mom’s family), and I think my dad has about ten of his friends coming from different areas, and I have some friends coming in from Kansas City, so there will definitely be a lot of people in the stands supporting me. I don’t have to worry about that at all,” Scheelhaase said.

The quarterback is certainly no stranger to the Edward Jones Dome, having already won arguably the biggest game of his football career in that very stadium. As a junior, Scheelhaase led his high school team, Rockhurst, to a Missouri Class 6A state title, capping off a 13-0 season with a 28-9 victory in the same dome that will host the Arch Rivalry game.

However, Scheelhaase is still aware that at the end of the day, the burden will fall squarely on his shoulders if the Illini are going to succeed.

“We’ve been working that way this whole camp,” Scheelhaase said. “Just talking about making the play when it’s there, and now it’s paycheck time on the field.”