NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 11 - Leonard Bell, Jefferson

The No. 11 player on our list remains the second-highest NFL draft pick in NIC-10 history.

Leonard Bell turned out to be the greatest of a number of big-time athletes that made Jefferson a consistent power under Joe Blume in the 1980s.

In high school, Bell was better known as a running back. He was first team All-Big 9 in 1980 with 536 yards on 99 carries in eight conference games for a J-Hawks team that went 4-5. In 1981, he improved those numbers to 712 yards on 112 carries in eight conference games. The J-Hawks improved to 7-2 and Bell was again first team all-conference.

Bell was one of two J-Hawks to earn tickets to the Big Ten off those teams. Defensive demon, Ted Teske, who was named to several all-state teams, signed with Wisconsin, while Bell went to play for the University of Indiana.

Bell redshirted a season and then earned several starts as the Hoosiers went 3-8 under Sam Wyche, who then left Indiana to become head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. Bill Mallory, who has ties to several NIC-10 greats because of his stints as an assistant at the University of Colorado and head coach at Northern Illinois, took over for Wyche and started to turn the Hoosiers around.

It didn't happen right away. Indiana would go 0-11 in Bell's sophomore season. The Hoosiers improved to 4-7 in 1985 and then went 6-6 in 1986, qualifying for the All-American Bowl, the school's first since 1979. Bell was named honorable mention All-Big 10. 

For his college career, Bell recorded 296 tackles, including 13 for loss, with nine interceptions. These are big numbers. He ranks fourth all time among all NIC-10 players in tackles at college football's highest level and third in interceptions.

His former coach, Wyche, certainly took notice. He drafted Bell in the third round - 76th player overall - of the 1987 draft. The 1987 draft was a historic one for the NIC-10. Former Belvidere linebacker Mike Junkin was taken fifth overall in the first round by the Cleveland Browns. Junkin and Bell remain the two highest picks in conference history.

Unfortunately, that was the highlight of a frustrating pro career for Bell. The Bengals changed defensive coordinators, Bell injured his foot, and never got a chance to play. He appeared in one game for Cincinnati. In 1988, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 1988, but then Jerry Jones bought the team and brought in Jimmy Johnson, who released everyone former coach Tom Landry had signed.

Bell gave it one last shot in 1989, signing with the Houston Oilers. When he didn't make that roster he gave up the football dream. He remained in Houston and has been working at the city's largest Toyota dealership for more than 15 years. He's now the lease and purchasing manager at Fred Haas Toyota World.

No. 11 - Leonard Bell, Jefferson
Year	Level	School	Accomplishments	Points
1980	High School	Jefferson	First Team All-Conference	2
1981	High School	Jefferson	First Team All-Conference	2
			Winning Team	1
1983	College	Indiana	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
1984	College	Indiana	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
1985	College	Indiana	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
1986	College	Indiana	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Honorable Mention All-Big 10	0.5
			Winning Record	1
			Bowl Game	1
1987	NFL	Bengals	3rd Round Pick	8
			Played in NFL	3
1988	NFL	Cowboys	Free Agent Contract	1
1989	NFL	Oilers	Free Agent Contract	1
Total				40.5

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 12 - Stuart Walker, East

The No. 12 player on our list was perhaps the most highly regarded player - at least in high school - of the greatest collection of athletes on a single NIC-10 football team.

Stuart Walker was a linebacker/defensive end and special teams ace for the 1973, 1974 East E-Rabs who went 22-0 and rolled to the IHSA Class 4A state title in the first year of the state playoffs. Five players off those teams made our top 100 list - the most for any football team in conference history.

Although those East teams remain city famous for its plethora of offensive stars - quarterback Dean Schlueter led the Big Nine in passing and Joe Black, Ira Matthews and Russell Pope finished fourth, fifth and sixth in rushing - the defense was special as well. The E-Rabs surrendered only 120 points over 22 games in 1973 and 1974. In the 1974 playoffs, East surrender only 35 points in the four playoff games.

East claimed 12 of the 22 first team all-conference slots in 1974. Walker and Matthews were named to the Champaign Gazette All-State team. Only Walker was named to the Parade All-American team. He was the first and remains the only NIC-10 player named as a Parade All-American. It is the longest running and most respected All-American designation.

Walker's closest friend on those East teams was Matthews and the two originally planned to play together at Wisconsin. At the last second, Walker changed his mind and committed to play for the University of Colorado in the Big Eight, battling the likes of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

Walker ended up becoming a three-year starter at Colorado. He had 159 total tackles, including 24 for losses and 12 sacks. He still ranks fifth all-time in tackles for loss by a NIC-10 player in college football's highest level. The Buffaloes went 21-12-1 during Walker's three years and played in the 1977 Orange Bowl. It was Colorado's first New Year's Day bowl since 1961.

In 1979, Walker was one of three former E-Rams taken in that year's NFL draft. The Atlanta Falcons took Walker in the 12th round. Walker, who always struggled to keep on weight during football season, was cut but signed to be on the Falcons' taxi squad. After one of that, Walker gave up the football dream.

Walker went back to Colorado and started working with Continental Airlines. He stayed in the industry for more than 30 years through a bunch of mergers and buyouts. Now, he is retired and splits his time between Florida and Colorado.

No. 12 - Stuart Walker
Year	Level	School	Accomplishments	Points
1973	High School	East	First Team All-Conference	2
			Winning Team	1
			Conference Champion	1
			Final Four	1
1974	High School	East	First Team All-Conference	2
			Playoffs	1
			Conference Champion	1
			Final Four	1
			State Champion	1
			All-State	1
			Parade All-American	1
1975	College	Colorado	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Winning Record	1
			Bowl Game	1
1976	College	Colorado	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Record	1
			Bowl Game	1
1977	College	Colorado	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Record	1
1978	College	Colorado	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Record	1
1979	NFL	Atlanta	12th Round Draft Pick	1
			Taxi Squad	1
Total				40

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Players

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 13 - Tim Scharf, Boylan

The No. 13 player on our list was one of the area's biggest winners in both high school and college.

Tim Scharf was a power fullback and linebacker on Boylan teams in 1991 and 1992 that went 15-1 in the NIC-9 and 23-3 overall. The Titans shared the NIC-9 title in 1991 and won it outright in 1992 and advanced to the IHSA state semifinals both seasons.

Scharf was first team all-conference as linebacker both years and finished fifth in the conference in rushing as a senior with 887 yards and 18 touchdowns on 165 carries.

Despite the stellar career, Scharf had to have some good fortune to end up in the Big Ten. Ray Robey was an outstanding lineman for the Auburn Knights and Northwestern recruiters were impressed by Scharf while scouting Robey. The two headed to Evanston almost as a package deal.

It was great timing. Gary Barnett had taken over the Northwestern program in 1992. The Wildcats hadn't had a winning season since 1971. The futility continued in 1993 and 1994 as Northwestern went just 5-16-1.

Then the magic happened.

The 1995 Wildcats started the season with a massive upset of No. 9 ranked Notre Dame in South Bend to put themselves on the national radar. The win looked to be a fluke when it lost to Miami of Ohio the next week, 30-28. But the Wildcats rebounded by beating Air Force and Indiana and then knocking off Michigan, 19-13. Northwestern would go on to go 8-0 in the Big Ten, winning the first conference title since 1936 and qualifying for its first Rose Bowl since 1948.

The Wildcats would lose to USC in the Rose Bowl, but Northwestern showed the season was no fluke in 1996. The Wildcats would tie for first in the Big Ten with a 7-1 record and be invited to the Citrus Bowl. In Scharf's final two seasons, Northwestern was 19-5. It was the best back-to-back campaigns since 1903-1904 Wildcats went 18-3. Northwestern wouldn't win 19 games over two seasons again until 2017-2018.

Scharf finished his Northwestern career with 150 tackles over four years, 10 of those being for loss. Scharf was invited to the NFL combine where he performed well. He was picked in the sixth round by the New York Jets in 1997. He didn't make that roster but was signed to the practice squad of the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1998, he played a season in NFL Europe with the Scottish Claymores before giving up the NFL dream for good.

Scharf went back to school to get a masters degree in predictive analytics from DePaul University. Today, Scharf is a senior machine learning engineer for Second Spectrum Inc. in Los Angeles. 

No. 13 - Tim Scharf, Boylan
Year	Level	School	Accomplishments	Points
1991	High School	Boylan	First Team All-Conference	2
			Playoffs	1
			Conference Champion	1
			Final Four	1
1992	High School	Boylan	First Team All-Conference	2
			Conference Defensive MVP	1
			Playoffs	1
			Conference Champion	1
			Final Four	1
1993	College	Northwestern	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
1994	College	Northwestern	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
1995	College	Northwestern	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
			Bowl Game	1
1996	College	Northwestern	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
			Bowl Team	1
1997	NFL	Jets/Steelers	Sixth Round Pick/Taxi Squad	5
1998	NFL	Claymores	Played in NFL Europe	2
Total				40

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 14 - Ralph Baker, Rockford

Only one Big Eight/NIC-10 football player ever went on to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and football wasn't even his favorite sport.

Ralph Baker was a star at Rockford High School from the minute he stepped foot on campus. Beginning in 1919, he was a four-year starter in basketball at a time Rockford was one of the top two or three basketball schools in the state. In Baker's four years as the starting center, Rockford compiled a 68-10 record and made it to the IHSA tournament all four years, winning the state title in 1919, finishing second in 1921 and third in 1922.

Baker scored 656 points in 63 games during an era where 40 points by a team was an offensive explosion. He held the school scoring record for nearly two decades.

In football, Baker played on the heavyweights beginning as a sophomore and was a three time all-conference pick. He started out on the line but was moved into the backfield as a junior. In the second week of the 1920 season, Baker set a conference record with 53 points in a 100-0 win over Joliet. Baker scored on five touchdown runs and had TD receptions of 50 and 20 yards. He also kicked eight extra points and added a drop kick. Interestingly, Baker wouldn't score another TD in 1920 as the Rabs went 7-0-2.

In 1921, Baker was the unquestioned star for a Rockford team that went 8-1. The only loss in Ralph's final two seasons was a 6-0 loss to Elgin. Baker scored in every other game in almost every way. He had 13 touchdown runs, four touchdown passes, four punt return TDs, six drop kicks and 13 extra points. The rest of the Rockford team combined to score eight touchdowns on the season.

Baker was heavily recruited by several Western Conference schools and Baker originally picked Illinois, which already had had considerable success with Rockford athletes such as Milton Olander and Laurie Walquist. Baker spent his first year on the freshman team and then transferred to Northwestern. 

A 1977 story by the Rockford Register Star's Mike Doyle quoted a former Baker teammate as saying Baker got a better offer - promise of a job and money - to transfer to Evanston. Baker turned out to be worth the illegal cash.

After sitting out for a year, Baker won a starting spot for the 1924 Northwestern squad. Baker was picked for the All-Western Conference team by several publications after scoring four touchdowns and kicking five field goals and seven extra points. His play was so spectacular that he was often called "Northwestern's Red Grange." Grange, Baker's former teammate, had become a national phenomenon at Baker's old school.

Sometime during that season, he picked up the nickname "Moon" because he read the popular comic strip Moon Mullins every day in the Chicago Tribune.

In 1925, Baker's fame had grown so large that he was named to several All-American teams despite the fact that he played in only four games because of an ankle injury.

In 1926, fully healed, Baker was again tabbed as an All-American by several publications after leading the Wildcats in scoring with two TD runs, catching one TD pass, kicking two field goals and 10 extra points and adding three touchdown passes.

By today's standards, Baker's contributions don't seem all that impressive. He had seven TD runs, one TD receptions, eight field goals, 19 extra points and three TD passes in 20 games. The Wildcats, though, averaged 15 points per game in Baker's three seasons. He played a part - either by scoring, kicking or throwing - in 109 of Northwestern's 369 points over those three years.

The Wildcats also went 16-8 during Baker's time in Evanston. He powered the 1926 team to a 5-0 record in the Western Conference and 7-1 overall. It is one of just eight Western Conference/Big Ten titles in school history.

In 1925, Grange gave the struggling National Football League a huge shot in the arm by joining the Chicago Bears and going on a barnstorming tour to raise the league's profile. Grange left the Bears for the 1926 season and Chicago hoped Baker could be his replacement. A story in the Rockford Morning Star said the Bears were signing Baker for the 1927 season.

That's the only mention the NIC-10 History Book could find about Baker and the Bears. He never played a game in the NFL. Instead, he focused on basketball. Baker also played hoops for Northwestern and he made his pro basketball debut in January 1927 with the Burr Athletic Wear team. Ralph would go on to play a few games for the Chicago Bruins in the American Basketball League in 1927 as well.

Baker eventually moved out west. He was a coach at a small college until moving to Redwood City where he became a taxi driver. He remained a cabbie and a supervisor until retiring in the 1960s. He died in 1977 four years after he was first nominated for the College Football Hall of Fame. He was finally inducted in 1981.

No. 14 - Ralph Baker, Rockford
Year	Level	School	Accomplishments	Points
1919	High School	Rockford	First Team All-Conference	2
			Winning Team	1
1920	High School	Rockford	First Team All-Conference	2
			Winning Team	1
			Conference Champion	1
1921	High School	Rockford	First Team All-Conference	2
			Winning Team	1
			League Leader (Touchdowns)	1
1922	College	Illinois	Player on Power 5 Freshman Team	2
1924	College	Northwestern	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
			All-Western Conference	1
1925	College	Northwestern	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			All-Western Conference	1
			All-American	1
			Winning Record	1
1926	College	Northwestern	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			All-Western Conference	1
			All-American	1
			Winning Record	1
			Conference Champion	1
1927	College	Chicago	Free Agent Contract	1
Total				37

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Players: No. 15 - Marshall Starks, West

The 15th greatest player in NIC-10 history was a star from high school to the pros on teams that, for the most part, weren't great but were much better because of his leadership.

The West Warriors were just 7-10-1 on Marshall Starks' two seasons on varsity. Starks essentially was a one-man show his senior year in 1956, rushing for 970 yards and scoring seven touchdowns for a 3-6 West team.

Despite playing for a second-division team, Starks caught the eye of the University of Illinois football staff. He was a three-year starter for the Illini back in the two-way playing days. Starks played defensive back and halfback.

In Starks' three years, the Illinois were 14-12-1. The 1959 team finished 5-3-1 and ranked 13th in the final Associated Press poll. Starks gained 678 yards rushing and had an additional 388 yards receiving in his Illinois career.

Starks was picked by the St. Louis Cardinals in the eighth round of the 1961 NFL draft. He didn't stick, but Starks kept at it. Eventually, he made the New York Jets roster in 1963. He played defensive back and returned kicks. In 1964, he was returning a punt in the Jets' fourth game when his AFL career came to a sudden end because of a broken leg. 

His AFL career ended with 18 games played, 15 starts, one interception and one interesting touchdown. In the third week of the 1963 season, Starks caught a field goal attempt that came up short and returned it 97 yards.

Starks was in traction until December. He rehabbed aggressively and made it to training camp in the summer of 1965. He was a step slower and the Jets released him. In 1966, he tried out and made the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He played 16 games and had another interception.

Starks had lined up a tryout with Miami in 1967, but he didn't go because his family wouldn't leave Rockford. Instead, he played a final season in the Continental Football Season, bouncing between Toronto, Montreal and Orlando. He then returned to Rockford for good and played three final seasons with the Rockford Rams in the Central States Football League. He was the starting safety for the 1971 CSFL champions.

In 1972, the Rams cut the 32-year-old Starks and he moved full time into other pursuits. He was director of the West Side Community Organization (WESCO) in the 1970s and 1980s and then was an active member of the NAACP. Starks was contemplating running for mayor of Rockford in 2016 when he died.

No. 15 - Marshall Starks, West
Year	Level	School	Accomplishments	Points
1955	High School	West	Losing Team	0
1956	High School	West	Second Team All-Conference	1
			League Leader	1
1957	College	Illinois	Player on Power 5 Freshman Team	2
1958	College	Illinois	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
1959	College	Illinois	Player on Power 5 Freshman Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
1960	College	Illinois	Player on Power 5 Freshman Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
1961	NFL	St. Louis	Eight Round Draft Pick	3
1963	AFL	New York	Played in Regular Season	3
			Starter	1
1964	AFL	New York	Played in Regular Season	3
			Starter	1
1966	CFL	Edmonton	Played in Regular Season	2
Total				34

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 16 - Russell Pope, East

Russell Pope was one of the constellation of stars that powered Rockford East to back-to-back undefeated seasons and the first IHSA state football championships in Rock River Valley history.

The No. 16 player on our list led the E-Rabs to a 9-0 record in 1973, the final year before the IHSA instituted the playoffs, with 893 yards on 125 carries. He was second in the conference only to Freeport's Cal Cummins, the 79th ranked player on our list. Pope also added 171 yards on 11 catches.

In 1974, Pope started in a ridiculously deep backfield that included future Oakland Raider Ira Matthews and Joe Black. Black actually led East with 819 yards rushing, Matthews had 817 and Pope, who twisted an ankle early in the season, had 709 on just 119 carries. Quarterback Dean Schlueter added 1,450 yards passing.

East stormed through the playoffs, crushing Normal to win the 4A state title. In Pope's two years on the East varsity, the E-Rabs outscored their opponents 526-93. East claimed 12 of the 24 all-conference spots in 1974. Pope was named first team all-conference as a running back in 1973 and then first team all-conference as a defensive back in 1974.

Pope was one of four E-Rabs from the 1974 team to play major college football. Matthews and lineman George Wojtowicz (No. 94) went to Wisconsin and Stuart Walker went to Colorado. Pope was hours away from committing to play for Arizona when Purdue cleared a scholarship. Pope's dream was to play in the Big Ten so he headed to West Lafayette, Indiana.

The Boilermakers under Alex Agase started Pope out as a defensive back. He played sparingly as a true freshman and sophomore, recording 21 tackles and breaking up two passes over two seasons. Purdue went 9-13 those two seasons and the Boilermakers replaced Agase with Jim Young. Young and his staff moved Pope back to running back. Pope gained 132 yards on 31 carries and added 187 yards receiving as a junior.

The pieces finally came together for Pope and Purdue in 1978. He gained 673 yards rushing and added another 292 yards receiving. He finished third in the Big Ten in combined yards from scrimmage. Behind Pope's big season, Purdue improved to 9-2-1 and was invited to the Peach Bowl, the school's first bowl appearance in 12 years. 

Unlike former East teammates Walker, Matthews and Jerry Holloway, who were picked in the 1979 NFL draft, Pope's name wasn't called. Immediately after the draft, he became the fourth player from that 1974 East team to sign an NFL contract when he agreed to a free agent deal with the Buffalo Bills.

That started a frustrating pro football odyssey over four years and three leagues. The Bills released Pope in August of 1979. He signed with the British Columbia Lions of the CFL in 1980. In 1981, he got another free agent deal with the Detroit Lions. Finally, in 1982, he got one last shot with the Chicago Blitz of the USFL. In between, he starred with the Rockford Rams along with a number of former Big Nine stars.

Pope never stuck with any of the teams. If he had, he'd be up a few more spots on this top 100 list. Pope eventually settled in Denver to work for the Colorado Department of Corrections.

No. 16 - Russell Pope, East
Year	Level	School	Accomplishments	Points
1973	High School	East	First Team All-Conference	2
			Winning Record	1
			Conference Champion	1
			League Leader	1
			Ranked Top 4	1
1974	High School	East	First Team All-Conference	2
			Winning Record	1
			Conference Champion	1
			Final Four	1
			State Champion	1
1975	College	Purdue	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
1976	College	Purdue	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
1977	College	Purdue	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
1978	College	Purdue	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Record	1
			Bowl Game	1
1979	NFL	Buffalo	Free Agent Contract	1
1980	CFL	British Columbia	Free Agent Contract	0.5
1981	NFL	Detroit	Free Agent Contract	1
1982	USFL	Chicago	Free Agent Contract	0.5
Total				34

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 17 - Len Williams, Guilford

Guilford's Len Williams was never surrounded by top level talent, but he set passing records that still stand 30 years later.

The 17th ranked player on this list was one of a number of great quarterbacks to play at Guilford in the 1980s. Unlike Jeff "Whitey" Anderson and Sean Cook, Williams was on some good but not great teams at Guilford. The Vikings went 11-8 in Williams' two years at quarterback.

Defenses keyed on Williams, but he still passed for 2,051 yards and rushed for 659 in 16 games - three boxscores never appeared in print - with 18 rushing TDs and 16 passing. Hononegah, though, also had top flight passing attacks and Williams was never voted all-conference.

Northwestern saw potential in the 6-foot, 220-pound Williams and offered him a scholarship. They didn't really know what they had. At first, they moved Williams to fullback, but they moved him back to QB after a coach saw him throwing the ball around at practice. After redshirting in 1989, Williams moved up the depth chart quickly and was inserted as an emergency starter in late September 1990.

Williams would never give up the job, starting 43 of 44 games over the next four seasons for teams that went 10-34. Williams thrived despite being overmatched weekly. He threw for 7,487 yards with a 59.9 percent completion rate and 44 touchdown passes. He finished fifth in the NCAA in completion percentage in 1991 and sixth in 1992. He was third in the Big Ten in passer efficiency rating in 1991 and second in 1992.

Williams is one of only four Big Eight/NIC-10 quarterbacks to throw for more than 3,000 yards at the highest level of NCAA Division I football and his career total is more than 900 yards ahead of Chris Finlen.

Williams compiled the numbers and highlight films for a shot at the NFL, but he was decades before his time. While the NFL is full of run-pass quarterbacks today - Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts come to mind - in 1994 teams were spending their top picks on tall, slow QBs such as Heath Shuler (3rd overall), Trent Dilfer (6th) and Perry Klein (111th).

Instead, Williams headed to the Canadian Football League. He played for the Las Vegas Posse in 1994, appearing in 17 games, starting three and throwing for 1,222 yards. In 1995, he was a backup for the Calgary Stampeders, appearing in six games.

No. 17 - Len Williams, Guilford
Year	Level	School	Accomplishments	Points
1987	High School	Guilford	Playoff Team	1
1988	High School	Guilford	Winning Team	1
			Special Mention All-Conference	1
1990	College	Northwestern	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
1991	College	Northwestern	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
1992	College	Northwestern	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
1993	College	Northwestern	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			League Leader	1
			Career Record Holder	1
1994	CFL	Las Vegas	Played in CFL	2
			Starter	1
1995	CFL	Calgary	Played in CFL	2
			Winning Team	1
			Playoff Team	1
			Title Game	1
Total				33

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 18 - Tom Linebarger, Freeport

The 18th player on our list was the baddest man on one of the greatest collections of football talent in Freeport history.

The Freeport Pretzels went 12-2 in Big Nine play and 17-3 overall in Tom Linebarger's two years on the Freeport varsity. The 1978 team tied for first with East and won the school's first playoff game. The 1979 time tied for first with Boylan and missed out on the playoffs because of a 6-0 loss to the Titans early in the season.

Linebarger was one of a number of outstanding players to take the field for the Pretzels those two seasons. Troy King, the star running back from the 1978 team, would go on to play at Wisconsin. Offensive lineman Wes Winnekins would play at Iowa State and receiver/running back Todd Jenkins would play at Northwestern.

Linebarger outdid them all. He played defensive line and fullback for the Pretzels. He was seventh in the conference in rushing as a senior, averaging 5.7 yards per carry, and blasting open holes for Jenkins, who finished fourth. On defense, he led a defense that gave up just 112 points over 20 games over two seasons.

Linebarger also was an outstanding baseball player - he was the 1979 Male Athlete of the Year for the Rockford Register Star - and he was one of the top recruits in the region for both sports. He originally chose Iowa because the Hawkeyes were going to let him play baseball as well.

Linebarger went to Iowa as a tight end and was one of only three true freshman to letter in 1980. But the Hawkeyes football staff rescinded the permission to play baseball so Linebarger transferred to Southern Methodist University, which had been turned into a national power under Ron Meyer.

Linebarger had to sit out the 1981 season and, ironically, SMU dropped baseball as a sport after he transferred there. Still, he stuck it out and played on teams in 1982, 1983, 1984 that went 31-3-1. The 1982 team finished 11-0-1, won the Cotton Bowl and finished second in the final AP Poll. 

SMU moved Linebarger to defensive line. That era of SMU football is known for the Pony Express running attack with Craig James and Eric Dickerson, but the SMU defense was tough as well. The 1982 squad allowed more than 20 points only once in 1982 and it shut down Pittsburgh and Dan Marino, 7-3, in the Cotton Bowl.

Linebarger was a second-team All-Southwest Conference player as a senior and played in two postseason bowl games, the Hula Bowl in Hawaii and the Japan Bowl in Tokyo. He wasn't drafted, but he was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He survived the first two cuts and then decided to walk away when it looked like he was going to be placed on the taxi squad rather than the 47-man roster.

Instead, Linebarger finished his SMU degree and went into finance. Today, he's a director at CIT Bank in Chicago.

No. 18 - Tom Linebarger, Freeport
Year	Level	School	Accomplishments	Points
1978	High School	Freeport	Conference Champion	1
			Playoffs	1
1979	High School	Freeport	First Team All-conference	2
			All-State	1
			Winning Team	1
			Conference Champion	1
1980	College	Iowa	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
1982	College	SMU	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Winning Team	1
			Bowl Game	1
1983	College	SMU	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
			Bowl Game	1
1984	College	SMU	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
			Bowl Game	1
			All-Southwest Conference	1
1985	NFL	Steelers	Free Agent Contract	1
Total				33

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 19 - Merwin Hodel, West

Merwin Hodel is the highest ranked player that the NIC-10 History Book knows next to nothing about outside of his statistics.

The 19th ranked player on our list was a solid running back at West High School. He was honorable mention all-conference as a senior, but he was essentially a blocking back, responsible for opening holes for Sam Rebecca and Ray Dall Osto.

Still, some scout somewhere must have liked what he saw because Hodel ended up playing football at the University of Colorado. After playing on the freshman team in 1948, Hodel won the starting fullback job in Colorado's wishbone offense as a sophomore and starred. Hodel ended up running for 2,181 yards over three seasons, averaging 4.3 yards per carry and scoring 26 touchdowns rushing. He also had 48 receptions for 540 yards and another two touchdowns.

In the history of the Northern Illinois Conference, no player has rushed for more yards or scored more touchdowns at the highest level of college football. These were good Colorado teams as well. The Buffaloes were 3-7 Hodel's sophomore year then 5-4-1 and 7-3 his junior and senior years. He was named first-team All-Big Seven in 1950 and 1951. Hodel still ranks seventh on Colorado's all-time rushing TD list.

Hodel had NFL size (6-2, 205 pounds) and speed - he was a Big Seven hurdles champion at Colorado - and he was picked in the fourth round by the New York Giants in the 1952 NFL draft. He suffered a foot injury in training camp and didn't play in 1952. The Giants signed him again in 1953 and he played in two games. He had 11 yards on five carries and one reception for -15 yards. That one catch occasionally brings Hodel fame. He is the Giants all-time leader in negative yardage for pass receptions.

That was it for Hodel in the NFL and for Hodel in Rockford newspapers history. The NIC-10 History Book could find no more clips on Hodel after the brief playing career. He died on June 15, 1988, in the Denver area and we couldn't find an obituary summarizing his life after football.

He remains a mystery to us. If anyone reading this can fill in the gaps, please email me at alexgary87@gmail.com.

No. 19 - Merwin Hodel, West
Year	Level	School	Accomplishments	Points
1946	High School	West	Winning Record	1
1947	High School	West	Honorable Mention All-Big 8	0.5
1948	College	Colorado	Freshman on Power 5 Team	2
1949	College	Colorado	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
1950	College	Colorado	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
			All Conference	1
1951	College	Colorado	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
			All Conference	1
1952	NFL	Giants	Fourth Round Pick	7
1953	NFL	Giants	Played in NFL	3
Total				32.5

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 20 - Doug Bartels, Boylan

The No. 20 player on our list beat the odds a couple of times to play his way on to this ranking.

Doug Bartels was just 14 months old in 1990 when a man with a gun burst into his home and kidnapped him right out of his babysitter's arms. He was stuffed in a duffle bag and left in the woods as the kidnapper demanded a ransom of $100,000.

Obviously, the story had a happy ending. Police apprehended the kidnapper after he picked up the ransom in a high speed chase and dozens of people scoured Rockford looking for him. He was found by a sheriff's deputy in a heavily wooded area in waste-high weeds.

Bartels used that reprieve to grow into a 6-5 defensive tackle and center for Boylan under coach Dan Appino. With Bartels providing the push up front on offense and defense, the Titans went 7-4 in 2005 and then 8-0 in NIC-10 play and 10-2 overall in 2006. Those two seasons were the beginning of Boylan's record 75-game NIC-9/NIC-10 winning streak that stretched over 10 years.

His size and technique would have made Bartels a hot college prospect, but he was focused on becoming a doctor and early on narrowed his choices to Harvard or Northwestern. He chose to walk on at Northwestern and his timing was perfect.

In 2007, Bartels redshirted and then made the team in 2008 as a center. The Wildcats suffered a rash of early season injuries, forcing Northwestern to start Bartels at offensive guard, a position he'd never played.

Bartels ran with the opportunity. He ended up starting the final nine games of the 2008 season and all of the 2009 season. These were big years for the Northwestern program. The 2008 team went 9-4 under Pat Fitzgerald and played in the Alamo Bowl. The 2009 squad finished 8-5 and played in the Outback Bowl.

Bartels didn't know it, but 2009 would be the pinnacle of his time at Northwestern. He had shoulder surgery before the 2010 season and never fully recovered. He played in nine games and started three.

Bartels then had surgery on his other shoulder before the 2011 season and didn't regain his starting job. He spent his final year as a backup left guard and special teams player.

Still, Bartels played in 48 games over four years, starting 24. The Wildcats went 30-22 during his time in Evanston and played in four bowl games.

Although his college playing career didn't finish as well as he hoped, his academic career proceeded as planned. After graduating from Northwestern, Bartels went to Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center where he earned his medical degree in 2016. Today, Bartels is an orthopedic surgeon in Rochester, Minnesota.

No. 20 - Doug Bartels, Boylan
Year	Level	School	Accomplishments	Points
2005	High School	Boylan	Playoff Team	1
2006	High School	Boylan	First Team All-Conference	2
			Conference Champion	1
			Playoff Team	1
			All-State	1
2008	College	Northwestern	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
			Bowl Game	1
2009	College	Northwestern	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
			Bowl Game	1
2010	College	Northwestern	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
			Bowl Game	1
2011	College	Northwestern	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Bowl Game	1
Total				32

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 21 - Matt Barr, Belvidere

Matt Barr was the last great player of the Belvidere football dynasty that saw the Bucs at or near the top of the NIC-9/NIC-10 for more than 25 years.

At Belvidere, Barr rushed for 309 yards as a junior, backing up Jason Fiske, who was named NIC-10 Offensive MVP while leading the Bucs to third place in the NIC-9 and 7-4 overall. In 2005, Barr was handed the keys to Belvidere wishbone attack that had sliced up local defenses since it was installed by Vern Pottinger, and Barr ran it better than anyone ever.

Barr finished fourth in the NIC-9 in rushing with 1,066 yards and 15 touchdowns on 114 carries - a stellar average of 9.4 yards per carry. He also completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 720 yards and nine touchdowns. 

With Barr behind center, the Bucs were a perfect 8-0 in the NIC-9. The Bucs advanced all the way to the IHSA Class 7A semifinals where Belvidere lost to eventual state champion Mount Prospect, 37-12.

The significance of that playoff run has only grown with time. No NIC-10 public school team has reached the IHSA semifinals since and the Bucs haven't won the NIC-9/NIC-10 football title since Barr graduated.

In 2007, the Belvidere School District opened Belvidere North in 2007 to handle what was expected to be thousands of new houses planned in and around Belvidere. Instead, the Great Recession decimated the housing market and the new houses were never built. Belvidere finished second in 2006 and 2007 then slipped to 3-6 in 2008. The Bucs snuck in the playoffs with 5-4 and 6-3 records in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015 before the bottom dropped out in 2017 with a 1-8 record. Belvidere has been in the bottom three teams ever since.

Dozens of schools were interested in Barr because of his athleticism. But Barr wanted to play quarterback so he chose Western Illinois, an NCAA Division 1A school because the Leathernecks would let him compete at QB.

It turned out to be a historically good decision for Western Illinois. After redshirting in 2006 - when he was named Offensive Scout Team Co-Player of the Year - Barr took over as the Western Illinois quarterback in 2007 and rewrote the school record books.

He threw for 1,305 yards and set the single-game and single-season rushing records for a quarterback as a freshman. He started every game except one missed because of injury as a sophomore, throwing nine touchdowns.

As a junior, he really started to take off. He was the College Sporting News Football Championship Subdivision Player of the Week after opening the season with 437 yards passing against Sam Houston State. He followed that up with games of 117 yards and 270 yards and had 90 more against Southern Illinois before suffering a season-ending injury.

He came back with a vengeance for his senior in 2010. In 13 games, Barr ran for 449 yards with seven touchdowns and passed for 3,410 yards with 27 touchdowns. He finished the season with a 148.7 passer rating for a WIU team that made it to the second round of the NCAA Division 1 FCS playoffs.

Barr was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year and finished second in the voting for the Walter Payton award, which goes annually to the top player in NCAA Division I Football Championship Series. 

Unfortunately for Barr, he was born too soon to entice NFL scouts. Today, quarterbacks who can throw and run - Kyler Murray, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts - are taking over the NFL. In 2010, the only NFL quarterback who played that style was Michael Vick. 

With no NFL on the horizon, Barr completed his degree in accounting at Western and then added a master's degree in accounting in 2011. Today, he is the vice president of finance at Russell Construction and Development in Davenport, Iowa.

No. 21 - Matt Barr, Belvidere
Year	Level	School	Accomplishments	Points
2004	High School	Belvidere	Playoff Team	1
2005	High School	Belvidere	First Team All-Conference	2
			Conference MVP	1
			Conference Champion	1
			Playoff Team	1
			Final Four	1
			League Leader	1
			All-State Selection	1
2007	College	Western Illinois	Letter Winner on Division 1AA	3
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
2008	College	Western Illinois	Letter Winner on Division 1AA	3
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
2009	College	Western Illinois	Letter Winner on Division 1AA	3
			Starter	1
			All-Conference	1
2010	College	Western Illinois	Letter Winner on Division 1AA	3
			Starter1	1
			Winning Team	1
			All-Conference	1
			All-American	1
			Playoffs	1
Total				32

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players