Early in the season, senior wide receiver Mark Philmore kept his team waiting. NU coach Randy Walker was unsure when Philmore would return to the program after taking a break from team activities for personal reasons.

After coming back from his leave and reaffirming his position as the leader of the Northwestern receiving corps, now it’s Philmore playing the waiting game – as he is expecting a child this weekend.

“My baby girl’s supposed to be born this weekend, it’s my last home game, my family is going to be up here,” Philmore said. “So it’s a pretty big weekend.”

When Philmore talks about the upcoming addition to his family, he can’t help but grin. After all he’s been through in his career, his upcoming fatherhood was one of the things that turned this season around for him.

The 5-foot-10 receiver has fought through several injuries, a brief hiatus and impending fatherhood.

“I think it’s helped me be more focused, especially towards the end of the season because it’s getting closer and closer to the due date,” Philmore said of his girlfriend Lucy Tang’s pregnancy. Tang, Weinberg ’04, was a student trainer while at Northwestern.

After a productive summer working with senior quarterback Brett Basanez, Philmore injured his ankle the first play of the first game of the season against Ohio. He was limited by the injury in that game, as well as the following contest against Northern Illinois.

The next week he didn’t participate in practice or travel with the team to Arizona State, when he took his leave from the team.

Since the break, Philmore has caught a team-high four touchdowns, two of which came in his career day against Michigan where he caught nine balls for 137 yards in the first half.

Wide receivers coach Garrick McGee said the early-season respite had a positive impact on the receiver.

“I think it gave him time to reevaluate what’s important to him,” McGee said, “I think that time away got him to appreciate being on the field, being a good teammate and just showing up at practice having fun playing ball all day.”

McGee said one of the problems might have been Philmore began the season with the wrong mentality.

“There was a point in time earlier this season where he was kind of focused on him doing well and him having a good season and year,” McGee said. “I think at this point he’s focused on sharing what he knows and his tricks with the younger players, and he’s focused on whatever he needs to do to win games.”

After playing in all 12 games his freshman season, Philmore has not played a full season since due to different injuries.

Even so, he is in NU’s top 10 in receiving yardage and career receptions. The Reynoldsburg, Ohio, native has caught a pass in all 36 of his career games.

Basanez has seen Philmore progress for four years. Since Basanez sat out his first season, he began he career along with Philmore in 2002.

“He’s one of my best friends here,” Basanez said. “I’ve kind of seen him go through some good times, some injuries and we’re going to be there together at the end.”

McGee has only coached Philmore for two seasons, but he said he has also seen Philmore change.

“Without a doubt when he’s on his game he’s one of the top players in the Big Ten,” McGee said. “He’s developing as a player and a human being.”

Philmore is used to waiting – he waited two seasons to catch a touchdown pass. He will have another painstaking wait this spring to see if his name is called on NFL Draft day.

But by then Philmore should be able to handle delays, as he will have dealt with waiting for the birth of his baby.

“The doctor says she’s probably going to go over (Nov. 6th),” Philmore said of Tang’s expected due date. “We have to see the doctor again (today), and if it hasn’t progressed then again on Tuesday.

“It’s just a matter of being patient.”

Reach Abe Rakov at [email protected].