Before North Central College’s NCAA Division III national quarterfinal game last week, senior defensive lineman John Sullivan racked up more honors. For the second straight season, the Lakes graduate was named the region defensive player of the year by D3football.com and an All-American by the Ame rican Football Coaches Association. In typical Sullivan fashion, he was quick to deflect praise. “I texted our group chat, and I said, ‘It’s not a me award, it’s a we award,’” Sullivan said. “I don’t really view it as an individual award. No individual is higher than our standard at North Central. It’s a testament to our program.” But Sullivan could be excused for taking a little time to bask in the spotlight. After a breakout junior season, Sullivan has been even more dominant for the top-ranked Cardinals (13-0), who will play No. 9 John Carroll (12-1) in the national semifinals at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium in Naperville at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Sullivan has 64 tackles, including 20 for loss and seven sacks. He also has 16 quarterback hits and seven pass deflections. North Central College’s John Sullivan (92) tackles Bethel University’s Taye Manns (4) during an NCAA Division III national quarterfinal game in Naperville on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (Troy Stolt / Naperville Sun) “You truly have to game plan around JP,” NCC defensive coordinator Shane Dierking said. “That’s one of the things you see. The rest of our defense reaps the benefits of having him on the field. “As a defensive coordinator, you can’t let their best offensive players beat you. They have to do that with him too.” During defending national champion NCC’s 35-21 win over No. 3 Bethel on Saturday, Sullivan didn’t put up huge numbers, but he kept the linebackers clean. That allowed sophomore linebacker Matt Janiak, a Plainfield South graduate, to make 16 tackles, for example. Sullivan did make two key plays, however. He combined with sophomore defensive lineman Maverick Ohle, a Naperville Central graduate, for a sack to force a three-and-out in the third quarter. Sullivan later batted down a pass on fourth-and-4 to give the ball back to the Cardinals. “We moved him around inside so they didn’t know where he was,” Dierking said. “He still had a productive day. “He’s extremely twitchy, really good feet, then an unbreakable mindset. He’s gone through it all. He’s had injuries, and he keeps coming back better than ever.” That’s exactly what Sullivan intended to do. “My goal coming into this season was to keep building from what I did last year, and I didn’t want to take any dip in what I did,” he said. “I just wanted to keep growing. All my teammates deserve that.” North Central College’s John Sullivan (92) runs off the field with teammate Jahmar Daniel (3) after forcing a punt against Bethel University during an NCAA Division III national quarterfinal game in Naperville on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (Troy Stolt / Naperville Sun) One teammate who knows that well is junior offensive lineman Cortez Jones, a T.F. South graduate who played on the defensive line with Sullivan before this season. Jones is picking up accolades, too, and facing Sullivan in practice every day is one of the reasons. “He’s just a phenomenal player, phenomenal athlete,” Jones said. “He just pushes us every day to get better as an offense. “He’s the best defensive player in the country. Being able to go against him in practice is a phenomenal experience. I just get better every day.” That’s part of the leadership that Sullivan has shown, according to Dierking. “He’s a guy that really sets the standard by how he works,” Dierking said. “He’s really developed as a leader this year. He’s not going to be the guy that’s speaking up in front of the whole team, but he’s helped the defensive line room grow and be impactful.” That’s all that matters to the selfless Sullivan. “Coming into this year, we knew we had the opportunity to be one of the best defenses in North Central history,” he said. “That’s what we strive for every week. It takes a whole group to do it. We want to set a new standard for what our defense should look for in the coming years.” Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter. ...read more read less