Eastern Washington senior trio have gone through peaks and valleys with football program

DaJean Wells remembers the eerie absence of others.

Trevor Thurman recalls the indoor workouts spread six feet from each teammate.

Nolan Ulm won’t soon forget the extra days he had to isolate after returning from his home in Kelowna, British Columbia.

Five years later, that trio’s first fall of football – set amid pandemic restrictions – is one that remains in the memories of Wells, Thurman and Ulm, the last trio of Eastern Washington players who remain from the high school class of 2020.

They – along with another 18 of their teammates – will be celebrated Saturday before the Eagles’ final home game of the season, against the visiting Northern Colorado Bears (3-7, 1-5 Big Sky) at Roos Field in Cheney. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

“It definitely gave me an appreciation for seeing other humans on campus,” Ulm said this week as he reflected on his first year in Cheney. “That was definitely a weird intro.”

Many other members of their high school graduation class finished up their eligibility last season and were celebrated about this time a year ago. But another commonality in the stories of Wells, Thurman and Ulm is how injuries have characterized their time with the Eagles, prolonging careers that might otherwise be done.

“Just the journey all three of those guys have gone through, injuries have laced all three,” EWU head coach Aaron Best said. “They all started in the same fall and they all ended in the same fall, with probably a ton of memories.”

Ulm has played the most games of the three – 55 in all so far, five shy of the program’s all-time record that belongs to Tristen Taylor. In 2021 it was Taylor, an offensive lineman, who took advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted to all players who were around for the 2020-21 season.

Should Ulm play these final two games, he would tie defensive end Debore’ae McClain for fourth on the program’s all-time games played list. Defensive ends Mitchell Johnson and Brock Harrison, both of whom played during the COVID year, are tied for second with 58.

Aside from last year, when an ankle injury limited Ulm to four games – which allowed him to receive a medical redshirt – Ulm has been relatively healthy.

Wells has been less so, limited by injury to 42 games, including the six he played in the spring of 2021 and the four games he has played of the Eagles’ 10 this season.

“Being a captain and leader on the team, I had to look and see how I can help the team in ways that are not on the field,” Wells said. “Just setting an example of doing everything right and trying to set the standard for all these young guys.”

Thurman’s career has been impacted by injuries and also a position change, from linebacker to defensive end. He has played 43 games but only twice as many as nine in a season. With two more this year, he would set a new career-high by appearing in 12 games.

Like Wells, Thurman was struck by just how soon the end came, even if his time has spanned six football seasons.

“The days are long and the years go by quick,” he said. “It feels like I’ve been here a long time, but it also feels like, dang, I was just getting here.”

All three have seen the highs and lows of the program, from a 10-3 season in 2021 when the Eagles last reached the playoffs, to the seasons from 2022 to 2024 when the team won 11 games total.

This year the Eagles (4-6, 3-3) have improved defensively, and while their offense hasn’t been nearly as prolific as it was being an all-senior offensive line last year, it found a passing game again last week when redshirt freshman Jake Schakel took over at quarterback. Schakel is expected to start again against Northern Colorado.

That turning of the tide would become tangible, though, if the Eagles were able to get back to .500 this season. A victory this week and then another at Cal Poly (3-7, 1-5) in the season finale would get them there.

“I know this team has it,” Wells said. “Finishing out with these two wins would be a great setup for the next season. Everyone sees that we can win, and in their minds, winning is the standard. It’s time for next year, when we take that next step for a Big Sky championship.”