The athletic transformation of Seth Lendzion started with pain and misfortune.
Last December, Lendzion was playing at a club soccer tournament in Indiana. He had an awkward collision with his own goalkeeper.
“My knee bent the wrong way,” he said. “I never had an injury before, not even anything that has kept me out of games.”
The result was a torn left ACL. After surgery in January, Lendzion decided to change directions entirely and pursue a lifelong dream.
“I always knew I wanted to play football,” he said. “There’s something about the environment, the school spirit, all of that, I wanted to be a part of.”
As a freshman and sophomore, Lendzion was a central defender for Naperville Central in soccer. The sport was synonymous with his life.
“I started playing when I was 3 years old,” he said. “My dad always liked to tell me that one of the first words I ever spoke was ball.”
His rehabilitation and recovery pointed him in a new direction.
“The ACL injury was just a launching point,” he said. “To switch sports to do something I have always dreamed of.”
Lendzion has made a remarkable impact for the football team in a short time. In just his second game, he converted a 30-yard field goal as time expired to clinch a 20-17 victory over Lincoln-Way East.
In a DuPage Valley Conference opener, his field goal Friday against Waubonsie Valley proved to be the difference for Naperville Central in a 17-14 victory.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Lendzion combines ideal size with range and accuracy, attributes he developed from his classic soccer technique.
Naperville Central soccer coach Troy Adams is not surprised by Lendzion’s success.
“Seth has that mindset,” Adams said. “He has a lot of confidence, and he believes in himself. He is exactly what you want a senior leader to be. It would not matter what sport he is playing.”
Lendzion put in the requisite time to develop his new craft. Former standout kicker Aidan Ellison, a Naperville Central product, also provided insights.
“I saw him make a big field goal against Maine South in the spring,” Lendzion said. “I talked with him in person, and he motivated me and he got me into it when I had questions whether or not I could do this.”
Lendzion’s success is the logical outgrowth of practice time and training.
“I definitely never thought in my second game ever it would come down to a game-winning field goal,” he said. “I know the work I’ve put in.”
Coming off a serious knee injury, playing a new sport and having to cope with high-pressure moments, Lendzion faced many hurdles, both physically and psychologically.
Soccer was an ideal reference point. He had played at the highest levels of club and high school. He knows instinctively what it’s like to be watched.
“The soccer games don’t get quite the same attention as football,” he said. “When we played North a couple of times in soccer, the stadium was packed.
“I was definitely used to the pressure, especially being a little younger than my teammates at the time.”
When Lendzion lined up for the winning kick, Lincoln-Way East’s coaches called consecutive timeouts to freeze him.
The moment did not faze him.
“I knew that being in that situation of a make or miss would help me get comfortable for the future,” Lendzion said.
Lendzion is not just a kicking specialist. He also has received playing time as a tight end. The pieces have connected, and now he envisions a strong future.
“It would be a dream of mine to play college football,” he said. “But right now, I am just focused on the season.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
