Honorary Captain of the Week Spotlight: Illinois State Wide Receiver Eddie Kasper

This week on FCS Nation’s spotlight series in the third ever season of Northwestern Mutual x FCS Nation x Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Challenge, FCS Nation is introducing Illinois State’s wide receiver Eddie Kasper. Kasper is the sixth honorary captain of the week where we highlight the powerful impact that each and every athlete who have chosen to take a stand for a cause against childhood cancer have had on the

movement since its inception just two years ago. Now, around 19 FCS schools have partnered with Northwestern Mutual and Alex’s Lemonade Stand raising up to $23,000 just this year so far. Alex’s Lemonade Stand, founded and sustained by Liz Scott who FCS Nation had a chance to talk to earlier this week, began when Scott’s late daughter Alexandra was diagnosed with neuroblastoma right before turning a year old. At the age of 4, Alex expressed her wish to start a lemonade stand to raise money for other kids like her. Since her passing in 2004, Alex has inspired lemonade stands across the world to raise funds for other children who fight relentlessly every day.

Full Interview: https://www.fcsnationradio.com/podcast/episode/25a9805b/honorary-captain-of-the-week-illinois-state-wide-receiver-eddie-kasper

Kasper, a redshirt junior for the Redbirds, saw action in three games right off the bat starting his career at Illinois. Since then, he’s started every single one of the 11 games between Illinois as wide receiver and ranked third on the team for the past two years. In 2024 he recorded a season high with 11 catches for 73 yards and a touchdown in the FCS playoffs at UC Davis. This season, Illinois State is standing at 3-2. When we spoke to Kasper, he explained how the team is gearing up to play Murray State this weekend.

Where the Missouri Valley is the SEC of the FCS, as our host put it, Kasper said he would call it the big 10 of the FCS.

Hailing from Burlington, Wisconsin, Kasper was surrounded by athletes his entire life. His uncle was a former NFL player and college athlete at Iowa, his cousin plays at Oregon and his brother, Brett, is also a receiver for the Redbirds. He is an academic all- state selection and honor roll member, so his commitment to his goals not only extends to the football field, but also to his own career goals.

In a conversation with FCS Nation, Kasper, alongside Ryan Kramer, managing director of the Kramer Network Office out of Chicagoland, spoke on the decision to bring on Kasper out of every player coming back this season and what makes him stand out as an honorary captain. Kramer explained that it’s not about choosing the guy that is the quarterback or star player but more about who is one of the best off the field. That guy

is Eddie. “When I got a chance to talk to Eddie live, it was a natural fit,” Kramer said.

“It means a lot that a local office for a company of that caliber chose to recognize me and to be the face of it, and the face of football on this project,” Kasper said.

While this is the Kramer Network Office’s third season participating in the Alex’s Lemonade Stand x Northwestern Mutual cause, it is Kasper’s first being an honorary caption. He goes on to explain some of his tactics to get his fanbase moving in on this opportunity to donate. “Getting out, talking to fans, talking to the community, I’m very active on social media, our fanbase in Northern Illinois is amazing so just spreading the

word on social media and even just going up to tailgates trying to get the word out there goes far,” Kasper said.

Kramer, a former athlete himself, said getting to know the Redbirds on a deeper level has been rewarding for what he does, and said his loyalty runs deeper than your average alumni for programs like Illinois. Both Kramer and Kasper touched on the Northwestern Mutual internship and the opportunities it presents for students like

Kasper. “it’s a different way for you to figure out where you want to be for the rest of your life, where your passions are,” Kasper said. His passion, he said, lies in coaching. He is currently interning with his coaches at Illinois State and getting hands on experiencing doing what he loves and plans to do after college. Opportunities like that are available to students who want to dip their foot into the water doing what they love, figuring what their passions are whatever that may be, this program makes it possible.

To donate on behalf of Kasper, all it takes is visiting Alexslemonadestand.org and finding Eddie’s name attached to the Kramer Network Office where you can leave a donation as well as a message. Kasper also pledged to donate $5 for every touchdown scored this season by Illinois State. You can click on the link in his Instagram bio @eddie.kasper1 which will also direct you to the website where you can donate any dollar amount.