Central Michigan University Athletics
Quarterback Joe Labas (2) leads the Chippewas onto the field during a 2025 game.
Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography
Joe Labas: 'I'm just thankful to be playing out there. I'm thankful that they've given me the opportunity to do so."
12/22/2025 8:07:00 AM | Football, Our Stories
With less fanfare than one might expect around a quarterback, Joe Labas has led a Chippewa Football resurgence.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Much has been made of the Central Michigan football team's resurgence under first-year coach Matt Drinkall.
Digging into it, one of the first factors that comes to the forefront is the core group of veterans who remained with the program and become the pillars, the foundation, if you will, for what one hopes will be great success in seasons to come.
Those pillars, unfortunately, won't be around Mount Pleasant when the hardware comes in and the confetti comes down. That group -- the Michael Heldmans and the Jordan Kwaitkowskis and the Dakota Cochrans -- will have moved on, taken their degrees and entered the workforce, or perhaps be playing on Sundays.
And while that trio has formed the heart and soul of a solid CMU defense, one could add a name from the other side of the ball to that oh-so critical list of veteran difference makers: quarterback Joe Labas.
A Phone Call
When Drinkall and his staff took over the program in December, 2024, one of the first orders of business was to get know the players who would return, or could return.
Phone calls were made. Jim Chapin, CMU's new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, talked to Labas, who, at the time, was in the transfer portal.
More importantly, Chapin talked about Labas with his Chippewa teammates.
"One of the questions I asked was, 'Tell me about the quarterbacks,'" Chapin said. "And universally, Joe is respected. They thought he was a great person, a hard worker, dependable, a great teammate. That was beyond what he could do with the football."
Labas had started six games in 2024 after transferring from Iowa, where he made one start in three seasons. He had the Chippewas off to a 3-2 start in '24 when he went down with an injury in that sixth game. CMU would win just one game the rest of the way.
A consensus endorsement from teammates plus what Labas had put on film in five full 2024 games were enough for Chapin, who turned to Drinkall with the message, "We need to recruit this guy out of the portal."
Coming Together
Chapin not only had to sell Labas on the benefits of returning to CMU for his final year of collegiate eligibility, but he also had to convince him to buy in to the offense that he and Drinkall were installing.
For a quarterback who had proven more than capable of airing it out, that was far from a slam dunk.
Drinkall had spent the previous six seasons at Army, where the offensive philosophy is run, run and run some more.
"You know," Chapin said, "you hire the guy from Army, (Labas) was probably a little nervous. And so that was the first thing to say, like, 'Hey, man, we're going to be able to throw the football.'"
A more important factor, but one less tangible, was about Joe Labas' character.
"Meeting coach Drinkall, we obviously decided that for the guys who did stay, we're going to stay and do this thing," Labas said. "So yeah, we liked Drinkall's message and what he had for us and his vision for this program.
"Especially quarterback, it's more about serving people, serving others. It's never really about yourself. This is a game, but even outside the game, it's never about you. You have to think about other people and take care of other people. But it's also about being a part of a team. Like a lot of things, like a lot of jobs out there, there's a team aspect to it."
"Just understand it's teamwork; you have to work together to meet an end goal. Just being selfless. I think those things I've learned from football."
Carrying out the plan
Don't get the misconception that the Chippewa offense is anywhere close to run-and-gun. It's decidedly run first, and the quarterback is often called upon by design to keep the ball, put his head down, and go.
For that, Labas has routinely given way to any of three other quarterbacks on the roster, Jadyn Glasser, Angel Flores and Marcus Beamon. Flores and Beamon are each in their first season at CMU, transfers that Drinkall and Chapin sought for the specific purpose of spelling Labas.
That Labas willingly cedes the signal-calling responsibilities when called upon speaks to his ego – or lack thereof – and maturity.
"I told (Labas), 'We have to run the quarterback to be successful,'" Chapin recalled of those early conversations with the Brecksville, Ohio native. "And I want to do whatever I can to make your senior year fulfilling. We're going to bring in guys around you that can do it and supplement you. And he, from that moment, has been unbelievably unselfish and his ego is so tiny.
"I was intimidated by him because he's so professional. I mean, you'd think that he's 35 years old with the way he carries himself and he just has a heart of gold. I got hired and I'm like, 'This kid's got it figured out.'"
Team First
Changing quarterbacks mid-drive is certainly not unheard-of. But it is somewhat unorthodox and it can raise some eye brows. On top of that, there is always the prospect of playing beyond college, and to accomplish that goal, a quarterback needs to be on the field, showing what he can do with his arm.
And then there's the pressure of the position. In no other team sport does a single position draw the scrutiny that the quarterback does. For better or for worse, the quarterback gets the credit for the good and an equal measure, or perhaps more, of blame for the bad.
That comes with the territory. Better have thick skin and strong shoulders to play the position.
"I always joke with quarterbacks," Chapin said, "the way that you play and how you play, everyone has an opinion. And with Joe, it's like, dude, people are going to have an opinion.
"They're going to say, like, 'Why are they splitting time with you? What does that mean? Your coach doesn't like you. Why are you guys running the ball so much? Are they not believing in you?
"Joe has just been able to eliminate all the outside noise, stay focused, be incredibly unselfish. His maturity is something that has been critical to our offense, because we're young, by and large. He really was somebody that kept us together through good times and bad. He was just a very steady eddie, and you know what you're going to get from him."
Production
Labas has clearly embraced his role and he has produced with an incredible efficiency.
He ranks among the top 20 in the nation in passing efficiency and completion percentage and he leads the Mid-American Conference in both categories.
He's thrown for 1,676 yards and 12 touchdowns. Far from eye-popping numbers, but most importantly, he's been at the nucleus of an offense that is designed to control time of possession. He has led the program back to respectability and a 7-3 mark this season against non-Power-4 Conference opponents.
Fighting in their own weight class, the Chippewas have been pretty good, and Labas has played as critical a role in that as anybody on the roster.
He's led CMU to its first bowl game in four seasons and, most importantly, he's shown what commitment and maturity mean, a legacy that should resonate with younger teammates as they endeavor to take the program on its next steps in 2026 and beyond.
"Just going to a bowl game and having a winning season, that says a lot and it means a lot to these guys in this locker room," Labas said. "That's just all I wanted to do, you know, since I was younger, just wanted to play at a high level.
"I always thought I could, and it's happening. Just taking it day by day, not being too ahead of yourself, and just being where your feet are at all times. That's really important.
"I'm just thankful to be playing out there. I'm thankful that they've given me the opportunity to do so."
Digging into it, one of the first factors that comes to the forefront is the core group of veterans who remained with the program and become the pillars, the foundation, if you will, for what one hopes will be great success in seasons to come.
Those pillars, unfortunately, won't be around Mount Pleasant when the hardware comes in and the confetti comes down. That group -- the Michael Heldmans and the Jordan Kwaitkowskis and the Dakota Cochrans -- will have moved on, taken their degrees and entered the workforce, or perhaps be playing on Sundays.
And while that trio has formed the heart and soul of a solid CMU defense, one could add a name from the other side of the ball to that oh-so critical list of veteran difference makers: quarterback Joe Labas.
A Phone Call
When Drinkall and his staff took over the program in December, 2024, one of the first orders of business was to get know the players who would return, or could return.
Phone calls were made. Jim Chapin, CMU's new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, talked to Labas, who, at the time, was in the transfer portal.
More importantly, Chapin talked about Labas with his Chippewa teammates.
"One of the questions I asked was, 'Tell me about the quarterbacks,'" Chapin said. "And universally, Joe is respected. They thought he was a great person, a hard worker, dependable, a great teammate. That was beyond what he could do with the football."
Labas had started six games in 2024 after transferring from Iowa, where he made one start in three seasons. He had the Chippewas off to a 3-2 start in '24 when he went down with an injury in that sixth game. CMU would win just one game the rest of the way.
A consensus endorsement from teammates plus what Labas had put on film in five full 2024 games were enough for Chapin, who turned to Drinkall with the message, "We need to recruit this guy out of the portal."
Coming Together
Chapin not only had to sell Labas on the benefits of returning to CMU for his final year of collegiate eligibility, but he also had to convince him to buy in to the offense that he and Drinkall were installing.
For a quarterback who had proven more than capable of airing it out, that was far from a slam dunk.
Drinkall had spent the previous six seasons at Army, where the offensive philosophy is run, run and run some more.
"You know," Chapin said, "you hire the guy from Army, (Labas) was probably a little nervous. And so that was the first thing to say, like, 'Hey, man, we're going to be able to throw the football.'"
A more important factor, but one less tangible, was about Joe Labas' character.
"Meeting coach Drinkall, we obviously decided that for the guys who did stay, we're going to stay and do this thing," Labas said. "So yeah, we liked Drinkall's message and what he had for us and his vision for this program.
"Especially quarterback, it's more about serving people, serving others. It's never really about yourself. This is a game, but even outside the game, it's never about you. You have to think about other people and take care of other people. But it's also about being a part of a team. Like a lot of things, like a lot of jobs out there, there's a team aspect to it."
"Just understand it's teamwork; you have to work together to meet an end goal. Just being selfless. I think those things I've learned from football."
Carrying out the plan
Don't get the misconception that the Chippewa offense is anywhere close to run-and-gun. It's decidedly run first, and the quarterback is often called upon by design to keep the ball, put his head down, and go.
For that, Labas has routinely given way to any of three other quarterbacks on the roster, Jadyn Glasser, Angel Flores and Marcus Beamon. Flores and Beamon are each in their first season at CMU, transfers that Drinkall and Chapin sought for the specific purpose of spelling Labas.
That Labas willingly cedes the signal-calling responsibilities when called upon speaks to his ego – or lack thereof – and maturity.
"I told (Labas), 'We have to run the quarterback to be successful,'" Chapin recalled of those early conversations with the Brecksville, Ohio native. "And I want to do whatever I can to make your senior year fulfilling. We're going to bring in guys around you that can do it and supplement you. And he, from that moment, has been unbelievably unselfish and his ego is so tiny.
"I was intimidated by him because he's so professional. I mean, you'd think that he's 35 years old with the way he carries himself and he just has a heart of gold. I got hired and I'm like, 'This kid's got it figured out.'"
Team First
Changing quarterbacks mid-drive is certainly not unheard-of. But it is somewhat unorthodox and it can raise some eye brows. On top of that, there is always the prospect of playing beyond college, and to accomplish that goal, a quarterback needs to be on the field, showing what he can do with his arm.
And then there's the pressure of the position. In no other team sport does a single position draw the scrutiny that the quarterback does. For better or for worse, the quarterback gets the credit for the good and an equal measure, or perhaps more, of blame for the bad.
That comes with the territory. Better have thick skin and strong shoulders to play the position.
"I always joke with quarterbacks," Chapin said, "the way that you play and how you play, everyone has an opinion. And with Joe, it's like, dude, people are going to have an opinion.
"They're going to say, like, 'Why are they splitting time with you? What does that mean? Your coach doesn't like you. Why are you guys running the ball so much? Are they not believing in you?
"Joe has just been able to eliminate all the outside noise, stay focused, be incredibly unselfish. His maturity is something that has been critical to our offense, because we're young, by and large. He really was somebody that kept us together through good times and bad. He was just a very steady eddie, and you know what you're going to get from him."
Production
Labas has clearly embraced his role and he has produced with an incredible efficiency.
He ranks among the top 20 in the nation in passing efficiency and completion percentage and he leads the Mid-American Conference in both categories.
He's thrown for 1,676 yards and 12 touchdowns. Far from eye-popping numbers, but most importantly, he's been at the nucleus of an offense that is designed to control time of possession. He has led the program back to respectability and a 7-3 mark this season against non-Power-4 Conference opponents.
Fighting in their own weight class, the Chippewas have been pretty good, and Labas has played as critical a role in that as anybody on the roster.
He's led CMU to its first bowl game in four seasons and, most importantly, he's shown what commitment and maturity mean, a legacy that should resonate with younger teammates as they endeavor to take the program on its next steps in 2026 and beyond.
"Just going to a bowl game and having a winning season, that says a lot and it means a lot to these guys in this locker room," Labas said. "That's just all I wanted to do, you know, since I was younger, just wanted to play at a high level.
"I always thought I could, and it's happening. Just taking it day by day, not being too ahead of yourself, and just being where your feet are at all times. That's really important.
"I'm just thankful to be playing out there. I'm thankful that they've given me the opportunity to do so."
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