Nov. 20--When freshman wide receiver Desmond Cain was preparing for the season at Camp Rantoul with the rest of the Illinois football team, he blocked out the rest of the world. Phone calls, text messages, Facebook -- all forbidden.
Even communication with his mom, Jeanette, whom he typically spoke to daily, was prohibited.
"I can't believe he did it," she said. "This is very unusual. When he finally did speak to me, he said, 'This is like a job, and I need to stay focused on getting the job.' "
Cain appears to have impressed during the interview process.
Despite committing to Illinois with the intention of playing defensive back, Cain is emerging on an offense that desperately needed another playmaker after a rash of injuries broke out among the receiving corps.
Although he had no more than 48 receiving yards in any of the first eight games, Cain ranks second on the Illini with 43 catches for 398 yards. He had six catches for 74 yards with a touchdown in a victory over Purdue on Nov. 7, and he led the Illini with 102 yards on 10 catches in a loss to Ohio State last weekend.
"I've had the hang of it," Cain said. "The older guys were trying to get me over the hump. They helped me with my fundamentals, understanding the game plan and coverages and leverages. It's just believing in the system."
Heading into Saturday's game at Minnesota (4-6, 1-5 Big Ten) -- where Illinois (5-5, 2-4) can achieve bowl eligibility with a victory -- Cain's presence is vital considering how tightly opponents are defending senior Geronimo Allison.
Allison, who leads the team with 57 catches for 794 yards and three touchdowns, had only one 38-yard catch against the Buckeyes.
"He believes in his abilities," interim coach Bill Cubit said of Cain, a three-star recruit whose offers included Rutgers, Syracuse and Virginia. "He makes things happen on his own. He's starting to feel more and more confident every game.
"Mikey (Dudek, out for the season) was the same way last year. (Cain) caught up real quick to what we were doing."
Cain's workmanlike approach to the season is no surprise. His mom and dad, Courtney, are bail bondsmen and own a business in Florida. It's a dangerous job with long hours.
"She's a tough lady," Cain said of his mom.
"You do what you have to do," Jeanette said. "This is why we tell him to focus on his education. This is a hard job."
It was Jeanette who pushed her son to pursue a wide receiver role in college. Cubit said he was happy to appease her wishes to bring Cain aboard, and Cain waffled between which position he preferred before coming to Illinois in the fall.
She said she knew he was destined to play receiver since she watched him as a middle schooler catch with ease the rockets slung by his brother, who was 10 years older and played at a Division II college.
When Cain's grades slipped in middle school, his parents sat him at the kitchen table and asked what was troubling him. Jeanette said Desmond told them he was being bullied at school by a classmate who would try to bait him into fighting.
She said they ultimately found a school, American Heritage in Delray Beach, Fla., where Cain could thrive academically and athletically. But it was 75 minutes from the family's home in Port St. Lucie.
From eighth through 12th grade, Cain would wake at 5 a.m., get to school early enough that his parents could make it to work, then nap in the locker room before school started at 8. After classes and football practice, he often would not return home until 9 or 10 p.m.
Sometimes the family would rent a hotel room near the school. As a senior, Cain stayed longer stretches with his aunt, who lived closer. Often his parents would be working until 2 a.m.
"It was tough," Jeanette said. "I told him, 'The main thing is to get your education.' "
Cain's parents watch his games -- some in person, some on television -- in wonderment.
"His dad was speechless (during the Ohio State game)," Jeanette said. "When he (caught a pass) across the middle, we just looked at each other and had to jump up and say, 'Yes!' "
sryan@tribpub.com
