The Eastern Michigan University football team gathered in the middle of Maxx Crosby Field and all took a knee. The team had just finished an exciting spring game that saw many players show their skills on the field. Off the field, though, players don’t just see this program as a team.
“It really felt like a family atmosphere on my visit, and that’s what made me commit,” Noah Knigga, a linebacker entering his sophomore year, said. “There’s 105 dudes on our team, and I’ve just built a close relationship with all of them.”
Another young player who values family for the Eagles is Mark Debiak, a defensive lineman who played community college football last year, but recently joined the program. “[I committed because of] the family aspect,” Debiak said. “It’s a family. You’re not just a player here. I am looking forward to playing against Michigan State. That’s a big-time school. Show them what we can do.”
A returning star for Eastern Michigan is Barry Manning, a graduate student who led the defense with 73 total tackles during the 2025 football season. Manning, a defensive back, believes that the Eagles have a strong season ahead of them. “I want to win all of [our games], all 12,” Manning said. “Into the playoffs. We can get there. That’s the goal.” His mentality is to go into all games with confidence, thinking you’re going to win. “In football, you can’t really go into no game fearing anybody. Honestly, that’s just a losing mentality.”
Another player who envisions a successful season for the Eagles is Adam Samaha. Samaha, a kicker, attended Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which is near Eastern Michigan, located in Ypsilanti. He attended the University of Michigan before transferring to the University of North Carolina. After that, he spent one season with Akron University before coming to Eastern Michigan.
“I’m glad to be back in Michigan,” Samaha said. “Honestly, [Eastern Michigan is] the closest school to home. I’m most looking forward to playing at Akron this year, because that was my old school.”
Similarly to Samaha, Noah Kim transferred to Eastern Michigan after spending time at Michigan State and Coastal Carolina. Kim originally committed to Virginia Tech but decided to choose Michigan State because of the specific offensive fit and an impressive visit. He decided to switch to Coastal Carolina in 2023 for a fresh start with new players and coaches. After not seeing much game action there, Kim ended up at Eastern Michigan, where in 2025, as the starting quarterback for Eastern Michigan, he recorded 24 total touchdowns.
This season, he looks to improve as he plays his former team, Michigan State. “[Between Michigan State and Eastern Michigan], I feel like it’s just two completely different teams, two completely different coaches, and staffs, and I wouldn’t say anything is worse than the other,” Kim said. “I think what we do here is just something that I’m able to enjoy on a day-to-day basis, just me being older now and stuff like that.”
Chris Creighton, the head coach of the Eastern Michigan football team, has held that position since 2014, with a 61-83 record since then. He took over a team that went 2-10 in 2013 and got them to a bowl game by 2016. In his best season, in 2022, the Eagles won 9 games, including a win in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Since then, though, Eastern Michigan has struggled a bit. The Eagles went 4-8 in 2025, regressing from 2024 when they went 5-7. Eastern Michigan hasn’t beaten Western Michigan, their rival, since 2022. 2026 looks to be a year where Eastern Michigan can bounce back and potentially make a run at winning the Mid-American Conference Championship.
Through hard work and dedication, the Eastern Michigan football team has a bright future ahead. For Knigga, Debiak, Manning, Samaha, Kim, and others, the Eastern Michigan football program has been more than just a team; it’s been a supportive and connected family. A family that continues to thrive as the season nears in the fall.
