I never flinched and I gave everything I had. I have no regrets about my football career in high school or college and I gave the game everything I had.”

James Hart

Former Rochelle student-athlete James Hart has reached the highest level in NCAA Division III college football, helping the North Central College Cardinals to three national championship appearances as well as two national championship victories, including a 28-21 win over Mount Union to claim the 2022 championship, during his first three seasons with the program.

But Hart was forced to miss the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic that sidelined collegiate programs across the state. Because the season was canceled, Hart received an extra year of athletic eligibility from the NCAA. With that eligibility in his pocket, Hart had a decision to make last spring: Whether or not he would run it back with the Cardinals one more time.

“After we won the national championship, I thought that would be it and I wasn’t sure if there was anything else I wanted to do,” Hart said. “I took a few months off and I learned pretty quickly that being a student-athlete is something special. After thinking about that and as I started to miss that time with my teammates, I thought why not come back and play the game I love for another year, especially with how successful we’ve been and the chance to go back to back.”

The decision proved to be a career-altering one for Hart, who stayed on campus last summer and worked as hard as he could to get into playing shape for the 2023 season. Although Hart arrived for fall camp as a second-stringer on the defensive line, the former Hub football standout worked his way into the starting lineup and earned arguably the biggest role of his career. Hart started all 15 games at the defensive tackle position, recording a career-high 41 total tackles.

“It was always my goal to be a starter in college,” Hart said. “I knew I had work to do after sitting out for a few months, but I worked really hard over the summer and I was able to use our gym and our football field to get into really good shape. I wasn’t surprised to start on the second string, which wasn’t a surprise because I didn’t do spring practices, but I was able to work hard and be consistent and show that I can be a contributor at the highest level. I earned a starting spot in camp pretty quickly and I was able to keep my play up and really grow as a leader.”

Hart’s fifth season was a career best in several statistical categories. The Rochelle Township High School alum recorded a career-high 22 solo tackles along with 2.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and three passes defensed, all of which were career bests. The 6-foot, 288-pounder totaled a season-best six tackles during North Central College’s 59-6 win over Elmhurst College on Sept. 23 as well as the team’s 49-3 win against Washington University- St. Louis on Oct. 21.

“We had a lot of guys leave last year and a few other guys, including myself, were able to start for the first time and really take charge,” Hart said. “I was in the best shape of my life and I was able to play full football games and get through full practices without having to be rotated a lot. My ability to get through tough games was important because this was the most playing time I ever had. I really grew mentally, particularly from playing in fourth quarters and finding ways to get the job done. Having that role for the first time was an adjustment, so my biggest step forward was being able to step up and perform in an elevated role that I hadn't had before.”

The Cardinals dominated the CCIW Conference once again, winning the conference title for the third consecutive season. North Central cruised through the postseason as well, eliminating three top-5 ranked programs including Trinity University, Wisconsin-La Crosse and Wartburg College. The Cardinals carried a 14-0 record into the 2023 NCAA Division III National Championship in Salem, Virginia, where they fell just short in a 38-37 loss against Cortland.

“This was definitely the most fun I ever had,” Hart said. “I’ll always remember going 14-1, winning the CCIW again and playing against Wheaton College, our rival. I had never played in that game before to that magnitude and it was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. That game was a war from start to finish and I had to dig pretty deep to get through that game, but the feeling was unmatched when we won. We played three top teams in a row before we got to the national championship. This season showed that North Central can still compete, even though we lost a lot of guys to graduation, and we can continue to prove doubters wrong.”

Hart concludes his five-year playing career at North Central with 54 total tackles in 37 games played. The RTHS alum, who earned Academic All-CCIW honors after both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, completed his bachelor’s degree in sport management last spring and is currently studying for his master’s degree in business administration. Hart said he hopes to pursue a career in professional sports after completing his two-year master’s degree program.

“Five years is a long time and I feel like a different person from who I was as a freshman on the scout team,” Hart said. “It’s hard to take all of that in during the moment, but it’s surreal looking back and knowing that I was a part of four national appearances in a row and three conference championships. I witnessed North Central get to the top of Division III and I feel like these last five years gave me the opportunity to grow as a person… I’m blessed to have earned my degree and to have been a part of such a successful program where I met my best friends.”

The Cardinals lost only three games in Hart’s five seasons with the team. His impact on and off the field can be traced back to his days as a starting offensive and defensive lineman at RTHS, where he earned All-Conference honors and helped lead the Hubs to the playoffs as a senior.

“Playing football is about working hard and when I came into Rochelle as a freshman, I had to work really hard to earn a starting role as a junior and contribute both ways as a senior,” Hart said. “I never felt that I was extremely athletic or extremely talented and I had to work really hard to gain my success. That prepared me for college because I had to work really hard and it took me five years to become a starter. I never flinched and I gave everything I had. I have no regrets about my football career in high school or college and I gave the game everything I had.”