University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Eli Dunne: Stepping Into New Roles
3/31/2017 5:33:00 PM | Football
By Emma Widner
UNI Athletic Communications Intern
In 2017, UNI football fans will be seeing a new player step up to the plate to lead the offense. His expectations for the upcoming season are high – and he has big shoes to fill.
Junior Eli Dunne knows that this new leadership role will take a lot of work. That work has already begun with spring training.
"The one word to describe our next few months is definitely sacrifice," Dunne said. "You have to sacrifice a lot and give up a lot to put in work here. You spend a lot of hours training, watching film throughout the summer, and just doing a lot of things to prepare."
Dunne is looking forward to the upcoming season, and sees quite a bit of potential in some of the younger players.
"We've got a lot of talent on our team right now," he said. "Obviously, last season was disappointing, but there's a lot of high expectations for this year. We want to take a step forward, and our guys have been working really hard to get things done."
The improvements Dunne hopes the team can make in the upcoming months won't come easily, and he knows there are barriers he will have to go through to make it happen. He says he isn't used to being in a leadership role and telling others what to do, but that he is looking forward to the test.
"Being more of a vocal leader is a challenge for me," said Dunne. "Telling guys what to do and showing them the ropes will be new."
In order to have a successful season, Dunne hopes to not only become a more vocal leader, but to also start focusing on tightening up their play.
"We need to work on the details more and focus on the little things," he said. "We will be making a lot of sacrifices, putting in more work, and getting grittier with what we're doing. After all of that, it should take care of itself."
Dunne might have big shoes to fill this upcoming season, but he says he's living the dream. Overall, he looks forward to working with his teammates to leave a legacy.
"I love football," said Dunne. "Getting the opportunity to play football at a school like this is just a blessing, and my teammates really make it fun for me."
UNI Athletic Communications Intern
In 2017, UNI football fans will be seeing a new player step up to the plate to lead the offense. His expectations for the upcoming season are high – and he has big shoes to fill.
Junior Eli Dunne knows that this new leadership role will take a lot of work. That work has already begun with spring training.
"The one word to describe our next few months is definitely sacrifice," Dunne said. "You have to sacrifice a lot and give up a lot to put in work here. You spend a lot of hours training, watching film throughout the summer, and just doing a lot of things to prepare."
Dunne is looking forward to the upcoming season, and sees quite a bit of potential in some of the younger players.
"We've got a lot of talent on our team right now," he said. "Obviously, last season was disappointing, but there's a lot of high expectations for this year. We want to take a step forward, and our guys have been working really hard to get things done."
The improvements Dunne hopes the team can make in the upcoming months won't come easily, and he knows there are barriers he will have to go through to make it happen. He says he isn't used to being in a leadership role and telling others what to do, but that he is looking forward to the test.
"Being more of a vocal leader is a challenge for me," said Dunne. "Telling guys what to do and showing them the ropes will be new."
In order to have a successful season, Dunne hopes to not only become a more vocal leader, but to also start focusing on tightening up their play.
"We need to work on the details more and focus on the little things," he said. "We will be making a lot of sacrifices, putting in more work, and getting grittier with what we're doing. After all of that, it should take care of itself."
Dunne might have big shoes to fill this upcoming season, but he says he's living the dream. Overall, he looks forward to working with his teammates to leave a legacy.
"I love football," said Dunne. "Getting the opportunity to play football at a school like this is just a blessing, and my teammates really make it fun for me."
UNI Panther Football: The Best Pod of your Day (Episode 13)
Wednesday, November 12
Todd Stepsis Press Conference - Nov. 10, 2025.
Tuesday, November 11
UNI Football Postgame Interview vs. Murray State - Nov. 8, 2025
Saturday, November 08
PST: Todd Stepsis - Nov. 7, 2025 (Part 1 of 3)
Friday, November 07