When people who meet Dan Vitale discover he is a college football player, they invariably ask what position he plays. It is the type of conversation-starter that wouldn't normally last more than a few seconds. But with Vitale, they have no idea what they're getting into.
He will start by telling them he is a superback at Northwestern. What follows are a series of quizzical looks, equal parts confusion and curiosity. Then come the questions. A superback? What's that?
"I used to just tell everybody I was a tight end, fullback or H-back," Vitale said.