For most freshmen, Camp Kenosha is a gut check. Two-a-day practices, cussing coaches, draining humidity, gagging dorm food. And it lasts for three weeks.

But compared to Mark Philmore’s average summer, Kenosha might as well have been Kokomo.

Where Philmore used to play football, there were no two-a-days. There were three-a-days. His football coach was hardly the most demanding authority in his life. His drill sergeant filled that role. At his high school, P.E. was called P.T. — physical training — and it wasn’t kickball or water polo. It was running, push-ups and sit-ups, and lots of them.

Philmore spent his freshman and sophomore years of high school at Fork Union Military Academy, a speck on the map tucked away in northwestern Virginia near the West Virginia border. Alongside current Michigan running back Chris Perry and several other Division I-A players, Philmore had discipline drilled into his head all day, every day.

His typical morning consisted of waking up at 6 a.m., shining his shoes and belt buckle, making his bed, folding his clothes exactly right, making sure two fingers could fit between each hanger in his closet, then marching to breakfast. Demerits could be leveled for almost anything, and 12 demerits meant a 45-minute “Tour” of marching around campus.

“It was pretty intense,” he said. “But it helps you live a disciplined life.”

So it’s no wonder Philmore vaulted several upperclassmen at Camp Kenosha to earn a starting spot as a wide receiver. While his rookie teammates were adjusting to the pace, the true freshman was right at home.

“They never really talked to me about redshirting, and then camp went real well and I found myself starting the first game of the season,” Philmore said. “It was a big surprise.”

His play caught the eye of senior wideout Jon Schweighardt, who started seven games his freshman season before fracturing his elbow.

“He came in that first day and impressed all of us,” Schweighardt said. “Right then and there we knew he was going to be a great player. There are just better things to come.”

Now the shock has worn off, and Philmore has become a familiar face on the field. Through eight games he ranks third on the team with 21 receptions for 163 yards.

But he may be best remembered for his role on the back end of an incomplete pass.

“I caught the ball,” Philmore yells, as if the referee is still within earshot. “I still want to see the ESPN copies to see what they actually saw.”

He’s talking about a pass in the second quarter of NU’s game against Ohio State on Oct. 5. With the Wildcats trailing 7-6, Philmore appeared to catch a touchdown pass in the right corner of the endzone. But the official ruled that Philmore juggled the ball before stepping out of bounds. NU had to settle for a 37-yard field goal and lost the game 27-16. The controversial call was replayed several times on ESPN2.

For Philmore, who lives only miles from Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, the near-catch remains a sore subject.

“My friends still bug me about that,” he said.

He moved back to Columbus after sophomore year and finished high school in nearby Reynoldsburg. Although he racked up 1,000 yards receiving and 345 yards rushing as a senior, only Duke, NU, UTEP and Ball State came calling.

Philmore said splitting time between schools may have limited his options for college.

“I moved into the area kind of late,” he said. “With recruiting, they see you young and put your name out there. I never got that chance.”

The adjustment to college life was made easier for Philmore because of his experience at Fork Union. No one checks to see if his bed is made. Three-a-days are a thing of the past. And life outside of the barracks has its benefits.

“It was more like a college atmosphere, but it just had that aspect of the all boys, you know,” Philmore said. “It’s not like that here.”

Although Philmore has moved past several upperclassmen on the depth chart, there have been no ill feelings. And like many of NU’s freshmen starters, he’s settling into the feel of the college game.

“I’m just now getting used to that,” Philmore said. “Before, I was getting called out left and right for not doing the little things.”

Walker was doing much of the barking early in the year, but he’s been pleased with Philmore’s progression.

“Even throughout the season you can see the maturity take place,” Walker said. “He has the chance to be a very good receiver.”