Patriots Linebacker Ninkovich Makes 'Super' Impression in His Old Neighborhood

In Kirsten Frankovich’s third-grade class at Spencer Pointe Elementary School, he already is recognized as a Super hero.

And Rob Ninkovich has yet to play in his first Super Bowl.

Ninkovich, a former resident of New Lenox and graduate of Lincoln-Way Central High School, connected with the children in Frankovich’s class through his nephew, Cameron Thornton, an 8-year-old fan of the New England Patriots.

Thornton’s uncle Rob is an outside linebacker who has climbed from the NFL’s scrap heap into the limelight. In Boston, he is revered by folks in much the same fashion as Bears fans worship Brian Urlacher for his playmaking abilities on defense.

But that’s nothing compared to the reaction Ninkovich gets when he walks into a classroom filled with wide-eyed youngsters in his old neighborhood. He has visited Spencer Pointe twice in the last three years.

Today, the boys and girls know him as the man who flattens running backs and takes care of Flat Stanley.

Who?

Flat Stanley. The character in Jeff Brown’s classic children’s tale that dates to the 1920s, the one flattened when a bulletin board falls from the wall during the night. Stanley Lambchop. The good sport who visits friends by mail because he is flat and fits inside an envelope.

Cameron Thornton mailed Flat Stanley to Ninkovich earlier this school year.

“The lesson for the kids is to learn about different people and different areas of the country,” said Laura Ninkovich, Cameron’s mother and Rob’s older sister.

Ninkovich took Flat Stanley on a tour of Gillette Stadium, home of the Patriots. He coaxed Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to pose for photographs with Flat Stanley.

Ninkovich also sent back autographs he collected from some of his Patriot teammates.

“It was really cool,” Laura said. “The children loved it.”

Getting a Chance to Play Patriot Games

Ninkovich (6-2, 255) has been loving life since he signed as a free agent with the Patriots in August of 2009. Up to that point, his pro football career was going nowhere. After earning All-America honors at Joliet Junior College and All-Big Ten recognition at Purdue, he was picked by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft.

Initially, injuries set him back. He went from the Saints to the Miami Dolphins and back to the Saints. He was waived four times before hooking on with the Patriots and catching coach Bill Belichick’s eye.

“When he first got there, the Patriots were going to put him up against a third-stringer,” said Mike Ninkovich, Rob’s father. “He said, ‘No, no, I want to go against the best. I want to go against Matt Light.’ Well, he got by him. So, they lined up and did it again. And he got by him again.

“Belichick walked over and said, ‘Who is this kid?’ He recognized almost immediately Rob’s ability. With some teams, you just don’t get an opportunity. With the Patriots, Rob was given an opportunity, and he seized it.”

Ninkovich ranks as the Patriots’ fifth-leading tackler (74). He also has 6.5 sacks, two interceptions and one fumble recovery on his short list of accomplishments. He picked off two passes and returned one for a touchdown in the Patriots’ 37-16 victory over the New York Jets on Nov. 13.

For Ninkovich, the Sunday Night TV spotlight and breakout performance vs. the Jets served as a coming out party. His next giant step vs. the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI  on Sunday will signal the culmination of a life-long journey.

“Every little boy wants to grow up and be in the NFL—or at least mine did,” said Debbie Ninkovich, Rob’s mother. “It’s exciting to see that he’s achieved his goals. And, now, this—I’m so happy for him, I can’t even stand it. How many guys play in the NFL and never get a chance to play in the Super Bowl?”

Debbie said former Lincoln-Way Central coach Rob Glielmi started her son Rob on the right path. She will make the trek to Indianapolis to watch the big game along with her husband, Mike, their daughter, Laura, grandson, Cameron, and Rob’s fiancée, Paige Popich. Until kickoff, they’ll all be in pinch-me mode.

“It doesn’t seem real,” Mike said.

He is a 58-year-old Local #1 Chicago ironworker who impressed upon Rob the importance getting an education by setting him up with a summer job hanging girders on a bridge construction site near Blue Island.

“I told my cousin, ‘Don’t get him killed,’ ” Mike said. “If I had any part in this, it was just in instilling the hard work ethic—his mother, too.”

Debbie teaches fourth-graders at Parkview Elementary School in Steger. Her colleagues and students decorated her classroom after the Patriots edged the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game.

“Rob did come to my class last year,” Debbie said. “He sat and talked to the kids about working hard and setting goals for themselves. They enjoyed having him here.”

To this day, many would describe the experience as Super.