CHAMPAIGN, ILL. • Playing on the offensive line as an oversized second-grader, Nathan Scheelhaase never was enticed to watch the game videos taken by his mother.

But a year later, when he moved from center to running back, those tapes became the centerpiece of a weekly father-son ritual.

Scheelhaase and his father, Nate Creer, would watch video after every game, not as a requirement but as a way to spend time together.

"Some fathers and sons go hunting or fishing. Watching film was our thing," Creer said. "We'd look at it and start rewinding it, basically to watch Nathan. It was a fun thing."

Watching himself snap the ball was not particularly interesting. As a ball carrier, the experience improved dramatically.

"It was super fun in third grade when you're making three 80-yard gains a game," Scheelhaase said.

Although for entertainment purposes only, those early sessions provided insight into the value of breaking down film. It's an obsession Scheelhaase has maintained and relied upon heavily to prepare for his first season as the starting quarterback for Illinois.

The redshirt freshman will take his first collegiate snap Saturday for the Illini against Missouri, a moment he has been preparing for since January. Or you might say since third grade.

He was viewed by some as a future defensive back or receiver during his days as a quarterback at Rockhurst High in Kansas City. But Scheelhaase insisted to recruiters that he would be a college quarterback. He made good on that vow by exceeding other players every step of the way.

"What separates him from all of the kids is preparation," Rockhurst coach Tony Severino said. "It's not necessarily his athletic ability but being as smart as he is and determined and motivated. From his freshman year, he never missed a weight workout. He'd grab kids and make sure not only was he ready, but they were ready."

Learning the system

At 6 feet 3, 195 pounds, Scheelhaase is considerably smaller than his predecessor, Juice Williams, but might prove to be more dangerous on his feet than the school's all-time quarterback rushing leader. And while his arm strength pales in comparison, Severino vouches for his accuracy.

Scheelhaase said he is comfortable in first-year offensive coordinator Paul Petrino's pro-style system because it is similar to what he ran at Rockhurst. But his first reaction was far from comforting.

Petrino provided his quarterback with masses of video of the offenses he coached at Arkansas and Louisville. The initial viewings blew Scheelhaase's mind.

"The first day I watched, it seemed like so much stuff," he said. "It was all these different calls, different names, different people getting the ball, different drop backs. At that time my head was spinning. I was thinking, 'How am I ever going to get this?' "

Petrino molded some of the offense around what Scheelhaase does best, and the playbook became a constant companion, whether it was in class or the car during drives to Kansas City with his parents.

In any class in which students gave speeches, Scheelhaase made sure to give his presentation first so that he could study the remainder of class. A theater class was another spot where he favored playbook cramming.

One day after going straight to the stadium from class, Scheelhaase realized he forgot his playbook. He persuaded a stranger to let him borrow a bike to retrieve it.

And he immersed himself in video, just as his father, who was a three-year starter at Iowa, taught. It's a habit that bugs his mom to this day because her son doesn't watch a game without constantly backtracking and analyzing.

"People wonder how I remember games so well," Scheelhaase said. "My mom says, 'He played in it once and watched it three times.' It did become a habit, and eventually the older I got it started giving me that edge."

Not long after 2010 spring drills ended, coach Ron Zook made an uncharacteristic move and announced Scheelhaase would be the No. 1 quarterback entering camp.

Serious yet silly

Scheelhaase spent time on the Rockhurst varsity and junior varsity as a freshman, playing receiver and quarterback. It wasn't until his junior year that he started at quarterback, leading the team to an undefeated season and Missouri state championship.

Severino glimpsed Scheelhaase's dedication after his first start at QB. The Hawklets had played on Friday night in Oklahoma and players were asked to show up at 9 the next morning. Severino arrived at 8 and found Scheelhaase running sprints with his father.

His mother, LouAnn Scheelhaase, saw that maturity in her son from a young age. But she also enjoys the lighter side, which he displayed after deciding to leave the Rockhurst basketball team as a senior. He quit, she said, in order to 'stand with the guys in the crowd, act silly and wear silly things."

Away from sports, he has worked with disabled children and has long been involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, attending group retreats in high school. Put it all together and his mother describes a 19-year-old whom any college girl would want to take home to mom.

"He's a very good decision maker," she said. "He's comfortable in his own skin. He doesn't make decisions based on popularity or what's politically correct. He has a great moral compass."

But while Scheelhaase sounds like a marketing dream come true, Illinois fans simply want to know if he's good enough to get the program out of its rut. Illini faithful were told for years that Williams was improved each season, living the quarterback lifestyle and ready to take the team to the next level.

Scheelhaase doesn't come without questions. Some suspect he is more of a runner than a thrower. Severino rejects that notion, saying he completed more than 60 percent of his throws in high school with ability to stretch the field.

While Petrino is pleased with Scheelhaase's progress, he knows not to get too excited until he watches him execute under pressure.

"Right now he mentally understands the system well," Petrino said. "So, probably his limitations are experience. I wouldn't say it's physical or mental but just being in the heat of battle and having things happening and reacting to them right away."

Choosing a school

Living in Kansas City, Scheelhaase felt the pull from fans on all sides, including Missouri and Iowa. He also had offers from Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas, among others.

There was a fear that some schools would try to move him to a position other than quarterback. Illinois, however, seemed committed to giving him a legitimate shot. In the end, he said, Missouri wasn't in the picture.

"This was just a better fit," he said. "For some reason, (Missouri) never felt right for me. There was something missing. When I came here it always felt right."

He redshirted as a freshman without much chance to play behind Williams and Eddie McGee. Without football pressure, he excelled elsewhere, earning a faculty award for exemplary leadership in the community, classroom and on the field.

Now Illinois fans want to find out if he can make a difference in the team's record.

"He doesn't want to let anyone down," Nate Creer said. "He knows what this program has been through and is going through if we don't win. It's no secret around here. It's pressure right away."