After overcoming doubts as a rookie, UND corner C.J. Siegel has become a defensive playmaker
Oct. 6—GRAND FORKS — In a 41-14 blowout of Montana at the Alerus Center in 2018, UND cornerback C.J. Siegel received his first taste of Division I college football.
The first time Siegel was challenged, Montana wide receiver Samuel Akem went over top of him for a highlight-reel catch and raced into the end zone for a 68-yard touchdown.
"It was bad," UND cornerbacks coach Travis Stepps said. "He wanted to quit playing defensive back. He wasn't sold on playing defense early on."
Because finding cornerbacks in the Upper Midwest can be difficult, UND hit the recruiting trail in 2017 looking for wide receivers they could coach up and flip to play defense.
That's where former UND assistant coach Luke Knauf found Siegel, a dynamic offensive player at Logan High School in Lacrosse, Wis., who was also a talented basketball player.
The transition to defense was more difficult than Siegel expected.
"I was pretty good on offense in high school," Siegel said. "It was different going against Travis Toivonen and Noah Wanzek right off the rip. I had to build my confidence. I got beat a lot but going against guys like that makes you better.
"It was tough right away. The first three plays, (Montana) throws my way and they score right away. You always have that doubt for a second. That next offseason I really focused on myself and how I could help the team. I really worked hard, paid attention to detail and through that I made improvements and it showed the next season."
The shaky start is a distant memory for Fighting Hawks fans now. Siegel, a preseason second-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference pick, already has a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown and leads the league in kick returning.
Siegel is now a four-year starter and played in 36 career games with four career interceptions and five career sacks.
Opponents have mostly avoided Siegel's side of the field this season but Missouri State went Siegel's direction a few times to little success last Saturday.
With two pass breakups against Missouri State, Siegel is No. 8 on UND's Division I list for career breakups with 20.
Siegel's 30.4 yards per kick return is No. 1 in the MVFC and seventh nationally.
"He has a natural feel," Stepps said. "A lot of things are instinct to him now. Now, he's thinking of making game-changing plays. He accepts the challenge of — this is who I go against this week. He wants to test himself against the best."
Stepps said Siegel's strengths are in ball skills, hip movement and strength.
"All the really good ones I've coached have had fluid hips and ball skills," he said. "Without thinking, he can flip and change (his hips) from 180 degrees (one way) to 180 the other way, which is not normal. For how thin he is, he's wiry strong which helps him, too."
When UND wide receiver Jack Wright was a freshman, he often found himself matched up against Siegel at practice.
"He takes each practice like a true great player does," Wright said. "Every rep is an opportunity to get better. There's no plays off for him.
Defensive backs often have a reputation for trash-talking, but Siegel rarely shows a boisterous attitude.
"He's confident in his game," Wright said. "Defensive backs are the guys talking, but he goes out and locks down people and his play shows everybody. He doesn't have to do a lot of talking, he can just go out and execute and everyone knows he's out there."
UND coach Bubba Schweigert thought his senior captain had his best game of the season last Saturday in UND's dominant win over then-No. 7 Missouri State.
"He's a veteran guy and understands how to study opponents," Schweigert said. "He has a lot of talent but it's not talent alone. He has a desire to be great."
