Just because a player is listed as a wide receiver does not mean they cannot participate in other roles.

Seniors LaSteven McKinney and Tay Willis make their biggest impact on the team through special teams, which is not their primary position.

McKinney is the team’s punt returner and is averaging 17.2 yards on 12 returns this year. Last year he averaged 4.6 yards on 14 returns.

He said the increased success is attributed to the blockers doing what they need to do to open up holes for him.

“They are out there making all their blocks that they need to,” he said. “Then it’s up to me to make guys miss and get big returns. I’ve been happy with my returns so far this year but I want to return one for a touchdown this year.”

Kick returns are left up to Willis.

Special teams coach Keith Murphy said Willis is a successful kick returner because of his vision, acceleration and ability to run through the holes.

“It takes time to understand a system, and he has caught on to parts of that early,” he said. “I think the reason why he hasn’t had a touchdown yet is because he doesn’t trust the system yet. I think once he understands the system and has a better feel for the system he’ll be much better than he already is.”

Willis is averaging 26.1 yards on 28 returns, which improves on his 23.1 yards per return average last season. Willis was able to return a kick for a touchdown last season and is still looking for his first score this season.

He said he thinks about it all the time and is disappointed in himself for not having a touchdown yet. But it does not affect him; it just makes him want it more.

McKinney and Willis are wide receivers on a primarily run-heavy offense. They are second and third in receptions this year with 34 and 31 respectively. MyCole Pruitt is the team leader with 61.

McKinney also has 359 yards and 2 touchdowns this season while Willis has 415 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Wide receivers coach Ashton Aikens said the two receivers are equal in talent.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard our coaching staff call out a No. 1 player in a position,” he said. “We just try to get them all on the field on the same time and give our quarterbacks the most options as possible.”

Aikens said although McKinney and Willis are both smaller in stature and people might think they play the game the same, they bring different skills to the wide receiver position.

McKinney is a polished and experienced receiver with a great understanding of the position.

“He is our wily veteran that we rely on to make the big plays when we need it,” he said. “That’s what veteran leaders are expected to do.”

McKinney carved his name into the record books against Indiana State. He is now third in school history for career receptions. He passed Joe Allaria who played at SIU from 2007-10 with his 139^th career reception. By the end of the game, McKinney had his 144^th career reception.

McKinney said he wasn’t aware of his achievement.

“I had no idea about it until a couple weeks ago,” he said. “It’s nice to see that and in 10 or 15 years when I’m playing ball with my kids I’ll pull up the record on the internet and tell them they have to try and beat that now.”

Aikens said Willis has transitioned smoothly to receiver this year, and even with a smaller stature, has become the team’s deep threat guy.

“He’s very fast and you don’t come across that very often,” he said. “When you have a weapon like that you have to get the ball to his hands and let him do things.”

Along with being a special teams weapon and wide receiver, Willis also takes reps at running back. He said last season he felt underutilized in the position because of the team’s depth. This season he has learned to be more patient.

“When I got in last year, I did not play as well as I should have,” Willis said. “Now that I have patience I know I will get in when I can and I have to make the most of it.”

He said he has more trust from the coaches this year and no longer feels underutilized because they know he can make the big play when needed.

Although they are not team captains, both lead by example instead of words, which has caught the attention of the coaches.

“They do things right, and the guys behind them see that,” Murphy said. “They are both quiet, but they lead by their actions and they really set a good example. They always give 100 percent in practice and that really shows up in games.”

Aikens said McKinney and Willis are both dynamic players who bring versatility to both the special teams and offense. Their leadership supports younger players, setting them up for years of future success.

“I think we are lucky to have those guys,” Aikens said. “They are teaching their teammates how to do everything and I don’t know if they even realize it.”

Brent Meske can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @brentmeskeDE