tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56666272720801344852024-03-16T23:52:34.092-07:00NIC-10 Sports History BookEventually ... this will be the most comprehensive site for historical data on the Northern Illinois Conference ... standings, stats, bios of the best athletes in conference history. If you are a former player or coach with statistics or information to contribute to the blog, email Alex Gary at alexgary87@gmail.com.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1607125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-51256204601265771992022-12-04T18:20:00.002-08:002022-12-04T18:20:57.847-08:002023 Boys Basketball<style type="text/css">
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-baqh" colspan="5">NIC-10 Standings</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-x5q1"></td>
<td class="tg-lvth" colspan="2">Conf.</td>
<td class="tg-lvth" colspan="2">Overall</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-x5q1">School</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">W</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">L</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">W</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">L</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-x5q1">Rockford Guilford</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">2</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">0</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">5</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-x5q1">Rockford Auburn</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">2</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">0</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">4</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-x5q1">Rockford Boylan</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">2</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">0</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">4</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-x5q1">Machesney Park Harlem</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">2</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">0</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">2</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-x5q1">Belvidere</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">1</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">1</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">2</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-x5q1">Freeport</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">1</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">1</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">2</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-x5q1">Belvidere North</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">1</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">2</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">2</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-x5q1">Rockford East</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">0</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">2</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">2</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-x5q1">Rockford Jefferson</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">0</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">2</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">1</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-x5q1">Rockton Hononegah</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">0</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">3</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">2</td>
<td class="tg-lvth">5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><div>Dec. 7 games<br />Auburn at Boylan<br />Belvidere at North<br />Jefferson at East</div><div>Hononegah at Freeport<br />Guilford at Harlem</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-38307565559698193982022-02-19T20:50:00.002-08:002022-02-19T20:54:01.729-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 1 - Laurie Walquist, Rockford<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgL_5r9VWYpPY8vj9W8zc3GDBzilB40f2tueUQoxK8g2qc3Ip-Lm-4E21XKSIn6XALJaiIv8edNxOLwx7LVsbUfKzQ_0a-b_Aqm8CZ-PV0Jb2a7Ps-x615Mp-p5SYIwV1WsPxcsz_QdtQvjFbM0ozXrdyGu1Q2k52PYrrHIfn055glavU8aw0j6deAD=s708" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="708" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgL_5r9VWYpPY8vj9W8zc3GDBzilB40f2tueUQoxK8g2qc3Ip-Lm-4E21XKSIn6XALJaiIv8edNxOLwx7LVsbUfKzQ_0a-b_Aqm8CZ-PV0Jb2a7Ps-x615Mp-p5SYIwV1WsPxcsz_QdtQvjFbM0ozXrdyGu1Q2k52PYrrHIfn055glavU8aw0j6deAD=w400-h314" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rockford High School sports pioneer Laurie Walquist is seated <br />in the front row, second from left, next to George "Papa Bear" Halas.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The Northern Illinois Conference's first great player remains its most accomplished - if you look at high school, college and professional accomplishments in total.<p></p><p>Laurie Walquist was a two-sport star at all three levels and one of the area's biggest winners. He was a halfback in the old single wing offense for the 1916 and 1917 Rockford Rabs. The Rabs were 7-3-1 in 1916 with Walquist scoring one touchdown and adding an extra point. He was the unquestioned star of the 1917 team, scoring five touchdowns and adding 12 extra points for a team that went 9-1 and finished with a claim as the top ranked team in the state.</p><p>Walquist and lineman Milton Olander went from starring at Rockford to the starting lineup of the University of Illinois in 1918. Both Walquist and Olander were starters all four years for the Illini.The 1918 team was Western Conference champions with a 5-0 record and the 1919 squad went 6-1 and has been picked retroactively as the national champion by the Billingsley Report and Boand System and co-national champion by the College Football Researchers Association.<br /><br />Overall, in Walquist's four years in the starting backfield, the Illini went 20-8. Walquist had four passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns and a TD reception. Walquist was second team All-Big Western Conference in 1919 and first team all-conference in 1920 and 1921.<br /><br />Walquist also played basketball at Illinois all four years. After finishing his final season, Walquist and fellow Rockford High School graduate Harry Englund signed with George Halas' Chicago Bears in the fledgling NFL.<br /><br />Englund, who played with the Decatur Staleys in 1921, would play just that one year with the Bears. Walquist, though, would stick around until 1931, playing with many of the legends who got the pro game on solid footing.<br /><br />Walquist's 1922 teammates included Halas, the player coach. In 1925, Walquist was in the backfield with Red Grange. In 1929, he was teammates with Paddy Driscoll. In 1931, he played with Bronko Nagurski.<br /><br />While Walquist was never the big star, he was a star. He played in 111 games, starting 77. He had four touchdown passes, 10 rushing TDs and four receiving. More importantly, he was as big a winner in the pro ranks as he was in high school and college. The Bears had winning seasons in eight of his nine seasons - he didn't play in 1923. The 1926 Bears went 12-1-3. The 1922 and 1927 Bears were 9-3. Overall, Chicago was 73-36-16 with Walquist on the roster.<br /><br />After the 1931 season, Walquist, who earned an economics degree at Illinois, transitioned to assistant coach and part-owner. He finally left the Bears in the mid-1930s to become sales manager at Chicago Furnace & Supply Co. He settled in Glenview and died in 1985.</p>
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 1 - Laurie Walquist, Rockford</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Team</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1916</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Rockford</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1917</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">High School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Rockford</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-abip">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1918</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1919</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Second Team All-Western Conf.</td>
<td class="tg-abip">0.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">National Champion</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1920</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">First Team All-Western Conf.</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1921</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Western Conf.</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1922</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Chicago</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL Runner Up</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1924</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Chicago</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL Runner Up</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1925</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Chicago</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1926</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Chicago</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL Runner Up</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1927</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Chicago</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1928</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Chicago</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">1929</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Chicago</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">1930</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Chicago</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1931</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Chicago</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">Totals</td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">77.5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><div><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-59247630495417125592022-02-17T11:36:00.004-08:002022-02-17T11:39:05.961-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 2 - Carlos Polk, Guilford<p>If Carlos Polk had been picked by a different team on draft night he might have ended up the greatest football player in NIC-10 history.<br /><br />At Guilford, Polk was one of the very rare three-time all-conference football players. Joining him on this small list from the top 100 is Adam Schlamp (Freeport), LaVerne Grell (Freeport) and Ralph Baker (Rockford). Boylan's Steve Harris and Auburn's Donterrio Hannah also were three-time first-team all-conference players, but they didn't accumulate enough points outside of high school to make this list.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjK1LUlXyNIUyr1Ql09iBFH69NfWQJcWaIBnRlm7wXvROh6s4ouL3e9uMcuzGvi1Por-P0ou2MIUA1FwbwU-HGIV9H7ZejhPNUKHhHKrRptPLJZSDvyIvTlAQOkjZsJzInaa09ABj_uvwA3nLzSqJVxHAgQ0axxH3K6p-vOFRDfExo1rc1A5tjVFIxA=s552" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjK1LUlXyNIUyr1Ql09iBFH69NfWQJcWaIBnRlm7wXvROh6s4ouL3e9uMcuzGvi1Por-P0ou2MIUA1FwbwU-HGIV9H7ZejhPNUKHhHKrRptPLJZSDvyIvTlAQOkjZsJzInaa09ABj_uvwA3nLzSqJVxHAgQ0axxH3K6p-vOFRDfExo1rc1A5tjVFIxA=s320" width="232" /></a></div>Polk was about as dominant a player as you'll see in high school. In his three years (1993-1995), he was credited with 453 tackles, 10 fumble recoveries, seven blocked kicks, five interceptions and 30 tackles for loss. The Vikings went 18-11 over those three years. <br /><br />Guilford went 7-3 in his senior season, finishing in second place. It was the highest finish for Guilford since the 1982 team that won the state title. The Vikings wouldn't win as many as seven games again until 2006. Polk was named NIC-10 defensive MVP, was a consensus all-state linebacker and was picked to play in the Illinois All-Star Game.<br /><br />Polk also was named to the USA Today All-America team. In researching this list, he appears to be one of only three high school All-Americans. East's Jerry Latin was named to the Sunkist All-American team in 1970 and Stuart Walker, also of East, was named to the Parade Magazine team in 1974.<br /><br />It is not a stretch to say that Polk was the most highly sought after recruit in NIC-10 history. Arizona State, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State and Wisconsin. In the end, he chose Nebraska, which was perhaps the premier college program at the time. The Cornhuskers were completing their second straight undefeated season under Tom Osborne and a three year stretch where Nebraska went 36-1.<br /><br />Polk redshirted in 1996 and was an immediate rotation player in 1997 as the Cornhuskers again went undefeated, winning the national championship with a 42-17 win over Tennessee in the Orange Bowl. In that title season, Polk had 32 tackles and one sack.<p></p><p>In 1999, Polk moved into the starting lineup and made first team All-Big 12. In 2000, Polk had one of the best college seasons every by a NIC-10 player. He was named first-team All-American by the Associated Press and American Football Coaches Association. He was a Football News Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist, a finalist for the Bronco Nagurski Defensive Player of the Year and the Butkus Award for the nation's top linebacker.<br /><br />Polk ended his Nebraska career with 227 tackles, with 10 sacks and 32 tackles for loss. He still holds the NIC-10 record for tackles for loss for any player at the NCAA's highest level of college football. The Cornhuskers added Polk to their Nebraska Hall of Fame in 2010.<br /><br />In 2001, the San Diego Chargers took Polk in the fourth round of the NFL draft. The Chargers had a need. Incumbent middle linebacker Junior Seau was 31 years old.<br /><br />Unfortunately for Polk, Seau never retired, playing until he was 40. Polk ended up starting only six games in a seven-year NFL career. Instead, he became a special teams demon. He recorded 122 tackles in 75 games, including one playoff game. He became so well respected for special teams that he's become a special teams coach, <a href="https://www.chicagobears.com/news/bears-hire-carlos-polk-as-assistant-special-teams-coach" target="_blank">getting hired in February 2022 by the Chicago Bears as assistant special teams coach</a>.<br /><br />Of course, had Polk been drafted by a team where he wasn't blocked by a Hall of Fame player, he may have found a starting role and earned enough points in this system to finish No. 1.</p>
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<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 2 - Carlos Polk, Guilford</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Team</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1993</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Guilford</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1994</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Guilford</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1995</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Guilford</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NIC-9 Defensive MVP</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">All-State</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">USA Today All-American</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1997</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Nebraska</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Bowl Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">National Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1998</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Nebraska</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Bowl Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1999</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Nebraska</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">All-Big 12</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Bowl Game</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2000</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Nebraska</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">All-Big 12</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Consensus All-American</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Bowl Game</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Career Record Holder (Tck-Loss)</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2001</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">San Diego</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Fourth Round Draft Pick</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2002</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">San Diego</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2003</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">San Diego</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2004</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">San Diego </td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2006</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">San Diego</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2007</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">San Diego</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2008</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL </td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Dallas</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">Totals</td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">75</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-58983383482260639702022-02-15T21:23:00.004-08:002022-02-15T21:26:07.806-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 3 - Preston Pearson, Freeport<p>Nothing ever came easy for the greatest professional football player to come out of the NIC-10.</p><p>If you know anything about local football history, then you know the thumbnail sketch of Preston Pearson's career. More of a basketball player than football player at Freeport, Pearson played hoops instead of football at the University of Illinois. When his Illini career was over, Don Shula and the Baltimore Colts took a flier on him in the 12th round. Pearson, against very long odds, made the team and ended up playing in five Super Bowls in 14 years for three different teams.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNI1qtVUbVMygP-5Q0S5FnZ-nnGsaciPDHXZWHcR-ylcI0-SDmjlKVVXzjGsNWkFS4J1LJsisUy8cdQ8fTCiY0nzCumsbW-0oSj8L6D6DjVaFQo0I-0evfYUXb-C3ldnZYpx7wZgAJK5SmiTUuzwWmjIvHdFmeZuCdaAoWKsMMqqDwrd54TwVzl-Ys=s900" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="679" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNI1qtVUbVMygP-5Q0S5FnZ-nnGsaciPDHXZWHcR-ylcI0-SDmjlKVVXzjGsNWkFS4J1LJsisUy8cdQ8fTCiY0nzCumsbW-0oSj8L6D6DjVaFQo0I-0evfYUXb-C3ldnZYpx7wZgAJK5SmiTUuzwWmjIvHdFmeZuCdaAoWKsMMqqDwrd54TwVzl-Ys=s320" width="241" /></a></div>If you dig a little deeper, Pearson's story is even more remarkable.<br /><br />At Freeport, Pearson was a good but not great football player. In 1961, his brother Rufus powered the Pretzels to a 7-2 record. Rufus scored touchdowns in every game but the last. In back-to-back weeks, Rufus had touchdown runs of more than 30 yards in 7-6 wins.<br /><br />Preston? He wasn't even mentioned in a game story from the Rockford newspapers. In a 1961 Freeport basketball preview, the writer mentioned that Preston became a starter the final two games of the football season.<br /><br />In 1962, Preston took over for Rufus in the starting backfield, but that Pretzels team was one of the weaker ones in the Nate Johnson era. The 1959, 1960 and 1961 Freeport teams combined to go 22-3-2. The 1963 team would go 9-0 and the 1964 team would finish 6-2-1.<br /><br />The Pretzels struggled to a 3-3-3 record in 1962, Preston's senior season. His biggest play, an 80-yard touchdown run against Sterling, was called back because he stepped out of bounds 18 yards into the play. His only touchdown as a varsity football player at Freeport was a 30-yard TD reception in his final game.<br /><br />Preston was named honorable mention all-Big Eight, while his teammate, Jim Kuhlmeier, was named first team all-conference at halfback.<br /><br />It was on the basketball court where Pearson made a bigger mark. He led the Big Eight in scoring in 1962-1963 with 17.4 points per game for a Freeport team that finished 17-8. He was named to the Chicago Daily News All-State team.<br /><br />The 6-1 Pearson wasn't a major recruit, though. His best scholarship offer came from Bowling Green. Pearson had visited the University of Illinois the year before when the Illini were recruiting Rufus and was desperate to play in Champaign. So he wrote basketball coach Harry Combes a letter.<br /><br />Combes responded, encouraging Pearson to enroll and they'd work out some kind of help.<br /><br />Illinois offered room and board and Pearson worked a number of odd jobs around Freeport, including shoveling snow and delivering newspapers, to be able to afford tuition.<br /><br />Eventually, Pearson worked his way into a full scholarship by carving out a role as a defensive stopper. By his senior year, he'd worked his way into the starting lineup, averaging 8.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game for an Illini team that went 12-12.<br /><br />One of those 12 losses led to Pearson's biggest break. The Illinois were playing UCLA and the greatest college basketball player ever in Lew Alcindor. Late in the game, Pearson came from the weakside to block one of Alcindor's skyhooks. A Baltimore Colts scout was at the game and convinced Colts coach Don Shula to draft Pearson because of his athleticism.<br /><br />Even though he hadn't played football in our years, Pearson made the team as a defensive back. The Colts eventually turned him into a kick returner and running back. Pearson was lucky to learn from several future Hall of Famers, including quarterback Johnny Unitas, tight end John Mackey, running back Lenny Moore and receiver Raymond Berry.<br /><br />He learned his lessons well and began earning more and more snaps. He didn't get a carry or reception until his second year in Baltimore and didn't start a game until his third. In 1970, fortune smiled on Pearson again when Baltimore's defensive coordinator Chuck Knoll took over the Pittsburgh Steelers, long one of the worst franchises in the NFL, and Knoll traded for Pearson.<br /><br />In Pittsburgh, Pearson's career took off. He had 503 yards rushing in 1970 and 851 yards rushing and receiving in 1971. In 1972, he was leading the AFC in rushing through the first four weeks of the season when he hurt his hamstring. That opened the door for future hall of famer Franco Harris.<br /><br />Pearson's touches declined in 1974 and the Steelers chose not to re-sign the 29-year-old Pearson. The Dallas Cowboys were looking for a veteran running back and signed Pearson and put him in a role that he essentially pioneered - the third-down receiving back.<br /><br />Pearson ended up playing six years with the Cowboys, catching 189 passes versus 325 rushing attempts.<br /><br />Pearson played for three of the greatest franchises in football. He was the first player to play in five Super Bowls - 1969, 1975, 1976, 1978 and 1979. He was the first to play in Super Bowls for three different teams.<br /><br />In 13 NFL seasons, he rushed for 3,609 yards, caught 254 passes for 3,095 yards and had 2,841 in punt and kickoff returns. The Freeport Pretzel who scored just one TD in his varsity career ended up scoring 36 in the NFL in the regular season and playoffs.<p></p>
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<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 3 - Preston Pearson, Freeport</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Team</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1961</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Freeport</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1962</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">High School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Freeport</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Honorable Mention All-Big 8</td>
<td class="tg-abip">0.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1963</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played Basketball</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1964</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played Basketball</td>
<td class="tg-abip">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1965</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played Basketball</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1966</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played Basketball</td>
<td class="tg-abip">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1967</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Baltimore</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">12th Round Pick</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1968</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Baltimore</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Super Bowl</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1969</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Baltimore</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1970</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Pittsburgh</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1971</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Pittsburgh</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1972</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Pittsburgh</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1973</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Pittsburgh</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1974</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Pittsburgh</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Super Bowl</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Super Bowl Winner</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1975</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Dallas</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Super Bowl</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1976</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Dallas</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1977</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Dallas</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Super Bowl</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Super Bowl Winner</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1978</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Dallas</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Super Bowl</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1979</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Dallas</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1980</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Dallas</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">Totals</td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">72.5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><div><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-52256518252303645852022-02-14T07:41:00.003-08:002022-02-14T07:47:18.018-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 4 - Dean Lowry, Boylan<p>Boylan's Dean Lowry is No. 4 on this list with a bullet.</p><p>The lineman was the defensive anchor of two state championship teams at Boylan. He was a three-year starter in the Big 10 at Northwestern and he's one of the very rare NIC-10 football players to became an established starter in the NFL.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgea62EeSDds648kbpXLXlJCI7K5Ufn9fav75niQT1S_FJGb_gc07iYMeI92ZtKg53Fw0n1htYs0ltbM1N4JaBoGK6B2B_mRTOaJcCTfrrL-yER1Rspda19H7AWzMICbty5gf4sD3bN1rsJh5H6WOb2xWqJF91jgauI7yd_NLK_1mq1aRh-v4jYhjAU=s420" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="420" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgea62EeSDds648kbpXLXlJCI7K5Ufn9fav75niQT1S_FJGb_gc07iYMeI92ZtKg53Fw0n1htYs0ltbM1N4JaBoGK6B2B_mRTOaJcCTfrrL-yER1Rspda19H7AWzMICbty5gf4sD3bN1rsJh5H6WOb2xWqJF91jgauI7yd_NLK_1mq1aRh-v4jYhjAU=s320" width="320" /></a></div>At Boylan, Lowry utterly dominated. He was first-team all-conference for the 14-0 Titans in 2010, who won the first football state title in school history and the first for the NIC-10 since 1994. His senior year, he had 10 sacks among his 65 tackles, and he caught two passes, both touchdowns. The 2011 Titans again went 14-0, winning a second straight state championship. No NIC-10 team has even reached a title game since. Lowry was named conference defensive MVP and all-state by the Chicago Tribune and Champaign News-Gazette.<br /><br />His high school play drew interest from dozens of schools in the Midwest. Iowa, Purdue and Indiana recruited him from the Big Ten along with MAC schools Ball State, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan. In the end, Lowry chose to study economics at Northwestern.<br /><br />He made an immediate impact for the Wildcats, playing all 13 games as a true freshman as a backup. He moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore and was an honorable mention all-Big Ten selection as a junior and second-team all-conference as a senior. Durability was his calling card. Lowry didn't miss a game in four years and finished his college career with 139 tackles, 31 of which were for loss. Only Carlos Polk (Guilford) and Joe Coniglio (Boylan) are confirmed to have had more at the highest level of NCAA Division I football.<br /><br />The Green Bay Packers took Lowry in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, 137th overall. Only Mike Junkin (Belvidere), a first round pick, and Leonard Bell (Jefferson) and Leo Stasica (Rockford), third round picks, were taken in higher rounds.<br /><br />As a rookie in 2016, Lowry played in 15 of 16 games. In 2017 and 2018, he was a part-time starter. He became the every week starter at left defensive end in 2019 and has kept the job in 2020 and 2021. His ability to answer the bell each week continues to add to his value. He's yet to miss a game in high school, college or the pros because of injury.<br /><br />This ranking was compiled before the 2021-2022 season. Even if you added in the points he gained from this season, as you'll see, Lowry remains No. 4 on the list. But he's perhaps three seasons away from moving all the way up to No. 1.<br /><br />Although the NFL is known as the Not For Long because careers can end in a single play, Lowry is as good a better as any that he'll continue to be a productive player in the NFL for several more seasons. In 2021-2022, he started all 17 games, had 42 tackles and had career highs in sacks (five) and quarterback hits (nine).<br /><br />For his career, he has 209 tackles and 15 sacks in the regular season and another 15 tackles in eight playoff games. He's now played in 104 NFL games - regular season and playoffs - starting 73. Only Preston Pearson (Freeport), with 198 NFL games, and Laurie Walquist of the long closed Rockford High School, who played 111 games in the 1920s and 1930s, have played more.<br /><br />Lowry also has been a winner at every level. His Boylan teams went 28-0. Northwestern was 30-20 in his four years on campus, playing in two bowl games. The Packers have gone 66-38, including eight playoff games.<p></p><p><br /></p>
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 4 - Dean Lowry, Boylan</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Team</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2010</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Boylan</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Final Four</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">State Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2011</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">High School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Boylan</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-abip">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Conference Defensive MVP</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Final Four</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">State Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">All-State Selection</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2012</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Bowl Game</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2013</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2014</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Honorable Mention All-Big 10</td>
<td class="tg-abip">0.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2015</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Bowl Game</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Second Team All-Big 10</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">0.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2016</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Green Bay</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">4th Round Draft Pick</td>
<td class="tg-abip">7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">2017</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Green Bay</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">2018</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Green Bay </td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">2019</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Green Bay</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Playoffs</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">2020</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Green Bay</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Playoffs</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">Totals</td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">67</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><div><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-91978890697710241212022-02-13T07:44:00.002-08:002022-02-13T07:45:47.765-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 5 - Ira Matthews, East<p>Standing 5-8 and weighing 175 pounds in his prime, Ira Matthews had a tough time convincing coaches that he was a workhorse ball carrier. Instead, he settled for being that rare player who could win a game with five or six touches a game.</p><p>Matthews was one of the constellation of stars that formed perhaps the greatest collection of talent in NIC-10 history. The East E-Rabs went 22-0 in 1973 and 1974, winning the Class 4A title in the first year of the state playoffs. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZfP9YqS9f5lVfBLviLubzMvSE_03MK5xNw20rZ7dSzG-mZvs5f0acI3cQeDKzQq1w387xC4JXsZibXe3JFP65RJ4IPVVuu5KHeI0u24iOOhubwmri1BqHhnhFoxXqwlJA2nuR9WVBVu-trKXvTAt52HgYDyZKJY858NRhIWWdVcVDuIL81Nuj8VoV=s660" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="660" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZfP9YqS9f5lVfBLviLubzMvSE_03MK5xNw20rZ7dSzG-mZvs5f0acI3cQeDKzQq1w387xC4JXsZibXe3JFP65RJ4IPVVuu5KHeI0u24iOOhubwmri1BqHhnhFoxXqwlJA2nuR9WVBVu-trKXvTAt52HgYDyZKJY858NRhIWWdVcVDuIL81Nuj8VoV=s320" width="320" /></a></div>With so much talent, Matthews had to share the ball with running backs Russell Pope and Joe Black and quarterback Dean Schlueter. His high school career totals of 1,235 yards rushing and 663 yards receiving don't even rank in the top 30 all-time in the NIC-10. But he had an amazing knack for the big play. He scored touchdowns on 14 of his 168 carries at East, averaging 7.4 yards a run. He added eight more as a receiver, averaging 17.4 yards per catch. He also added one touchdown each on an interception return, kickoff return and punt return.<p></p><p>Matthews was one of five E-Rabs from 1974 to play Division I college football at the highest level. He and lineman George Wojtowicz went to Wisconsin where Matthews reprised his big-play role for the mostly middling Badgers.</p><p>In four years at Wisconsin, he gained 2,268 yards from scrimmage, averaging 5.0 yards per carry and 12.8 yards per reception, scoring 13 touchdowns. He added another 588 yards and three touchdowns returning punts and kickoffs. He led the NCAA in punt return average his senior year, averaging 16.9 yards per return.</p><p>Al Davis drafted Matthews in the sixth round of the 1979 NFL draft and he made one of the league's most prestigious franches as a kick return specialist.</p><p>Matthews played every game of the 1979 and 1980 seasons. He rarely appeared as a running back. In three years with the Raiders, he had just seven rush attempts and three pass receptions. He excelled as a returner, though. He finished second in the NFL in kickoff return average in 1979, including returning one kick for a 104-yard touchdown. In 1980, he was fourth in the NFL in punt return yardage.</p><p>The 1980 Raiders made it all the way to the 1981 Super Bowl where Oakland trounced Philadelphia, 27-10. Matthews returned two kickoffs and one punt during the game.</p><p>In 1981, Matthews got hurt five games into the season. In 1982, the Raiders traded him to the Green Bay where he was supposed to team up with James Lofton and John Jefferson, but he tore a hamstring and never appeared.</p><p>In the end, Matthews played 41 games in the NFL, including playoffs.</p>
<style type="text/css">
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 5 - Ira Matthews, East</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Team</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1973</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">East</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Special Mention All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Top Four Ranking</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1974</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">East</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">League Leader (Yards/Carry)</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Final Four</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">State Champion</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">All-State</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1975</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Wisconsin</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1976</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Wisconsin</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1977</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Wisconsin</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1978</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Wisconsin</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">League Leader</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1979</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Oakland</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">6th Round Draft Pick</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">All-Conference Player</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1980</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Oakland</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Super Bowl</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1981</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Oakland</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Totals</td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-baqh">51</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-48553444384839978482022-02-12T15:39:00.004-08:002022-02-12T15:41:41.335-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 6 - Mike Junkin, Belvidere<p>The greatest player to come out of the Belvidere football factory under Verne Pottinger wasn't there very long, but he was there long enough to set a standard that lifted the program for years to come.<br /><br />Mike Junkin's father was a United Airlines pilot and his family didn't move to Belvidere until he was a sophomore. The Bucs became known for relentless winning under Pottinger, but that wasn't the case when the Junkins came to town.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0XK_avT72ltz0syuKO91A8szLC6lYkw6gtjsia1SiveafEXYKTC4lk0eFQBzRB8iNfeLUq5MCCQl4nUFAXGJd3rX8LtU0BD2YSah90gmvIPq3EPV8ztWr51RJPatV75Ga24MHmX3WOIEnhNe9jWLivdbiHNjpwS5L2E_uI2p4LzHj0qBEkxZu6k0g=s800" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0XK_avT72ltz0syuKO91A8szLC6lYkw6gtjsia1SiveafEXYKTC4lk0eFQBzRB8iNfeLUq5MCCQl4nUFAXGJd3rX8LtU0BD2YSah90gmvIPq3EPV8ztWr51RJPatV75Ga24MHmX3WOIEnhNe9jWLivdbiHNjpwS5L2E_uI2p4LzHj0qBEkxZu6k0g=s320" width="320" /></a></div>In 1981, Junkin's first year in the starting lineup as a linebacker and offensive guard, Belvidere went 2-7. At that point, the Bucs were just 15-30 under Pottinger. In 1982, Junkin was the only Belvidere defensive player named to the first team All-Conference team as the Bucs improved to 6-3. It was the first of 15 straight winning seasons, that included three IHSA titles games and two state titles.<br /><br />Junkin was tall enough (6-3) for big time NCAA football, but he was too skinny (190 pounds). But he also had an older brother, Trey, who played at Louisiana Tech and later spent 15 years in the NFL as a special teams player. That pedigree intrigued college coaches and Junkin ended up playing at Duke.<br /><br />Then, as now, the Blue Devils were a basketball school in serious need of football talent. New Duke coach Steve Sloan plugged him into the lineup right away. Junkin had 58 tackles for loss as a freshman, 105 as a sophomore, 162 as a junior and 188 as a senior. His total of 513 remains a record for any NIC-10 player at the highest level of college football. The next closest on the list is Brock Spack with 384. Junkin's 31 tackles for loss is only surpassed by Guilford's Carlos Polk when he was at Nebraska.<br /><br />The production certainly caught the eye of NFL evaluators. Marty Schottenheimer, who compiled a 200-126 record in the NFL from 1986 to 2006, was so impressed with Junkin that he traded up in the 1987 draft to take Junkin fifth overall, ahead of players such as Shane Conlan (Bills at No. 8), Jerome Brown (Eagles at No. 9) and Rod Woodson (Steelers at No. 10).<br /><br />Junkin remains the only NIC-10 player to ever be taken in the first round of the NFL draft.<br /><br />Unfortunately, the draft was Junkin's NFL highlight. Curiously, the Browns decided to turn a middle linebacker tackling machine into an pass rushing outside linebacker. Plus, he had bad luck with injuries. His rookie season was ended by a wrist injury. His 1988 season was hampered by a knee injury. Before the 1989 season, the Browns traded Junkin to the Chiefs for a fifth-round pick. Junkin suffered through an ankle injury and a shoulder injury in what would be his final NFL season.<br /><br />Still, he ended up playing 21 games in the NFL, including the playoffs, starting seven. Only eight former Big Eight/NIC-10 players from the Rockford area have played more.<br /><p></p><style type="text/css">
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 6 - Mike Junkin, Belvidere</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Team</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1981</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Belvidere</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Losing Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1982</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">High School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Belvidere</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-abip">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1983</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Duke</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1984</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Duke</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1985</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Duke</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">All-ACC</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Honorable Mention All-American</td>
<td class="tg-abip">0.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1986</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Duke</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">All-ACC</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">All-American</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Career Record Holder (Tackles)</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1987</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Cleveland</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">First Round Draft Pick</td>
<td class="tg-abip">10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1988</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Cleveland</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1989</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Kansas City</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Totals</td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-abip">48.5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-57400140507289791282022-02-11T20:38:00.005-08:002022-02-11T20:40:08.351-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 7 - Jerry Latin, East<p>The No. 7 player on our list was one of the area's all-time breakaway threats and it carried him all the way to the NFL - where he got little chance to show off his skills.<br /><br />Latin was the first transcendent back of the Bob Pellant era at East High School. Latin finished fourth in the Big Eight in rushing as a junior with 797 yards on 116 carries. His senior year, he rushed for 1,325 yards on 190 carries, winning the rushing title by nearly 500 yards.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguezYgqsrM4CUGty4zBks2ZYNXGnbhfiPNAf7g1yq8ictrEMvmNJd-Pnq9L9bnVOzkZepB2Iv71nM4EqouSLr32Bk19j8vyQgc_qcGHTVyX-O6AMM4Kmsiila5qo6bCxtzuM5nJKhWkJRcDbfJ6A2mB0AJG8RoeGG_eX_wPfQ27s_k74NgljD_18sn=s881" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="881" data-original-width="660" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguezYgqsrM4CUGty4zBks2ZYNXGnbhfiPNAf7g1yq8ictrEMvmNJd-Pnq9L9bnVOzkZepB2Iv71nM4EqouSLr32Bk19j8vyQgc_qcGHTVyX-O6AMM4Kmsiila5qo6bCxtzuM5nJKhWkJRcDbfJ6A2mB0AJG8RoeGG_eX_wPfQ27s_k74NgljD_18sn=s320" width="240" /></a></div>Latin was the first player in Big Eight recorded history (rushing stats weren't tracked until the early 1960s) to rush for more than 2,000 yards in his career. Latin was especially dominant in the middle of his senior season. Against Guilford, Boylan and West, he had games of 230, 207 and 239 yards rushing. Latin was first-team all-conference both seasons and was named to the 1970 Sunkist All-American team.<br /><br />East won the Big Eight both of Latin's seasons on the varsity and went 14-4 overall. The 1970 team featured quarterback Mitch Anderson as well. Anderson would go on to Northwestern where he would lead the Big Ten in passing. Unfortunately, Latin's E-Rabs didn't have a IHSA playoffs to show where they stood statewide.<p></p><p>Latin had lots of college options. Both Illinois and Wisconsin wanted him. Instead, he chose to stay closer to home to play for Northern Illinois, which had just moved to the highest level of Division I football in 1969.<br /><br />Latin had an up-and-down career at NIU. He spent his freshman year working on raising his grades. He moved directly into the starting lineup in 1972, but he spent much of the next two seasons blocking for Mark Kellar. Kellar would gain 1,316 yards as a junior in 1972 and then lead the NCAA with 1,719 yards in 1973. Kellar would go on to play one year in the WFL and three in the NFL.<br /><br />As a secondary option, Latin gained 617 yards as a sophomore and 884 yards as a junior. His junior year included a 221-yard game against Marshall on just 18 carries.<br /><br />Latin was positioned to take over as lead back in 1974. He had 20 carries for 106 yards in the season-opener against McNeese State. The next week, against Long Beach State, he injured his shoulder on his sixth carry. It essentially ended his college career.<br /><br />The shoulder never fully recovered. Latin played in just four games and finished the season with just 150 yards. He didn't even suit up for his final college game.<br /><br />Instead of showcasing his skills, Latin was damaged goods going into the NFL draft. The St. Louis Cardinals grabbed him with their last pick, the 11th round.<br /><br />Latin beat the odds by making the Cardinals. Unfortunately, St. Louis already was strong at running back. The team had Terry Metcalf, who was coming off a Pro Bowl season in 1974 and would make it again in 1976 and 1977.<br /><br />In Latin's three years with the Cardinals, he started just three games and got 116 carries in 35 games overall. His biggest moment came at the end of his rookie season. The Cardinals had clinched a playoff birth and rested Metcalf. Latin had 112 yards rushing in the last game, including a 57-yard touchdown run.<br /><br />In 1978, Latin moved from the Cardinals to the Los Angeles Rams early in the season, but he still didn't see much action. That was his last year in the NFL. He ended up with 140 carries in the NFL for 560 yards rushing with another 152 yards receiving.<br /><br />Latin returned to Rockford and put in a couple more seasons with the minor league Rockford Rams before hanging up the cleats for good.</p>
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 7 - Jerry Latin, East</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Team</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1969</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">East</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Conference Back of the Year</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">League Leader (yards/carry) </td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1970</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">High School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">East</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-abip">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Conference Back of Year</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">League Leader (Rushing)</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">All-State</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Sunkist All-American</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Conference MVP</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1972</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northern Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on NCAA Div. 1A</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1973</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Northern Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on NCAA Div. 1A</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1974</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northern Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on NCAA Div. 1A</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1975</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">St. Louis</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">11th Round Draft Pick</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1976</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">St. Louis</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">1977</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">St. Louis</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">1978</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Los Angeles</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Totals</td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-abip">43</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-22763100724031323272022-02-09T08:10:00.003-08:002022-02-09T08:49:29.281-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 8 - Leo Stasica, Rockford<p>The No. 8 player on our list had one of the most spectacular seasons of any high school player ever and he followed it up with one of the more spectacular college careers as well.<br /><br />Leo Stasica was one of five athletic Stasica brothers, one of which, Stan, made our list at No. 28. Leo first made waves as a starting running back for the 1933 Rockford Rabs. Although Leo was lauded for big plays in every game, he clearly was third fiddle to "Fishy" Ignatchuk and Benny Behr. Stasica had four rushing touchdowns for a Rabs team that went 7-0-2 and tied Joliet for first in the Big Six.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMKhebpuTtRvf2NPzrPBnVqZKrtRIv8MyWmHwEOz2vy7MoI-Xbpk9jY1z7-RPS8vVXuk9mJquDDtBe1CowpMXEVJbwEyLOZGtoMwcdwAX6OrOVlMhn4ZbG1vdkiqrMGJ3eA8tBEylzHwLci0bEZVISPNpjj1yrBoDRvyTczT42JxPSgQaaZGRyzcf-=s2124" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2124" data-original-width="1108" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMKhebpuTtRvf2NPzrPBnVqZKrtRIv8MyWmHwEOz2vy7MoI-Xbpk9jY1z7-RPS8vVXuk9mJquDDtBe1CowpMXEVJbwEyLOZGtoMwcdwAX6OrOVlMhn4ZbG1vdkiqrMGJ3eA8tBEylzHwLci0bEZVISPNpjj1yrBoDRvyTczT42JxPSgQaaZGRyzcf-=s320" width="167" /></a></div><br />In 1934, the Rabs moved Leo to quarterback and he had one of the most dominant seasons in conference history. It is a shame that individual rushing and passing statistics weren't kept until the 1960s because Stasica may have set records that would be standing today.<br /><br />The Rabs went 5-1-2 in 1934. Rockford scored 13 total touchdowns on the season. Stasica had 10 rushing touchdowns and two TD passes. The Rabs only scored one TD in which Leo wasn't directly involved.<br /><br />In the 19-12 win over Elgin in week four, Leo scored on runs of one, five and 64 yards and on defense recovered a key fumble on Rockford's own 1-yard line to preserve the win.<br /><br />In week six, he essentially beat West Aurora by himself. He had touchdown runs of one, nine and 28 yards and a pass interception in a 17-0 win.<br /><br />The Rabs capped off the season with a 19-12 non-conference win over Moline. His 41-yard pass to Bill Watson started the scoring and he recorded the game-winning TD on a 75-yard run.<br /><br />The big season earned Stasica a scholarship to Illinois, which had had considerable success with Rockford athletes such as Robert Reitsch, Laurie Walquist, Barton Cummings and Jack Beynon. Unfortunately, Stasica never really got untracked for the Illini. He played on the freshman team in 1935. In 1936, he made the varsity and appeared in several games, but he did not earn enough time to merit a letter.<br /><br />In 1937, Stasica's grades slipped and he was ineligible for the season. He spent considerable time back home, acting as an assistant coach at Rockford. In 1938, instead of heading back to Illinois, he transferred to Colorado.<br /><br />The Buffaloes were looking for a replacement for Byron "Whizzer" White. The future Supreme Court justice had led Colorado to an 8-0 record in 1937 and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting. Stasica had to sit out the 1938 season, but when he came back in 1939, he did a pretty good job filling White's shoes. <p></p><p>In 1939, he powered Colorado to first place in the Mountain States Conference. Exact stats and scoring are unavailable for the year, but the Rockford newspapers published his highlights. Over a five week stretch, Stasica had 102 yards rushing and a TD pass in a 13-0 win over Colorado A&M, a 40-yard TD pass in a 27-7 win over Wyoming, the game-winning TD pass in a 21-14 win over Utah, a two-yard TD run and 40-yard TD pass in a 12-6 win over BYU and two TD runs and two TD passes in a 27-17 win over Denver to finish the season.<br /><br />Stasica was all-conference in 1939 and a trendy pick for All-American in 1940. He again led the Buffaloes in scoring and powered Colorado to a 5-3-1 record. He again was named all-Mountain States and was honorable mention All-American by some publications.<br /><br />The NFL took notice. The Brooklyn Dodgers took Stasica in the third round - the 24th pick overall - in the 1941 draft. Unfortunately, he was blocked by Ace Parker, one of the top running-throwing backs of his day and rarely saw the field. <br /><br />In 1942, Stasica entered the Navy where he helped build ships for the D-Day invasion. In 1943, he was rejected for combat by the medical doctors and signed with the Washington Redskins. Unfortunately, he was blocked again, this time by all-time NFL great Sammy Baugh.<br /><br />In 1944, he moved to the Boston Yanks, a struggling NFL franchise, and finally got some playing time. He played parts of seven games, completing 21 of 47 stats for 225 yards and gaining 22 yards rushing on seven carries. He threw only one TD pass and had seven intercepted. That looks bad, but Boston was a bad team. The Yanks had only six TD passes versus 22 interceptions on the season.<br /><br />That was it for pro football for Stasica. He'd met and married a Denver girl named Mary while at Colorado. He headed back to Denver for a long career in sales and distribution management for the Browne-Vitner Co. <br /><br />In the 1940s and 1950s, the Rockford newspapers would occasionally update readers on Stasica's whereabouts. But by 1982, when Stasica died at the age of 1966, he'd faded so much from memory that the local newspapers didn't run even a brief about his death.</p><table class="tg"><thead><tr><th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span>No. 8 - Leo Stasica, Rockford</span></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td class="tg-btxf">Year</td><td class="tg-btxf">Level</td><td class="tg-btxf">Team</td><td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td><td class="tg-btxf">Points</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-0pky">1933</td><td class="tg-0pky">High School</td><td class="tg-0pky">Rockford</td><td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td><td class="tg-c3ow">1</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf">Conference Champion</td><td class="tg-abip">1</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-0pky">1934</td><td class="tg-0pky">High School</td><td class="tg-0pky">Rockford</td><td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Conference</td><td class="tg-c3ow">2</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td><td class="tg-abip">1</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky">Conference Champion</td><td class="tg-c3ow">1</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-btxf">1935</td><td class="tg-btxf">College</td><td class="tg-btxf">Illinois</td><td class="tg-btxf">Played on Power 5 Freshman Team</td><td class="tg-abip">2</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-0pky">1936</td><td class="tg-0pky">College</td><td class="tg-0pky">Illinois</td><td class="tg-0pky">Played on Power 5 Team</td><td class="tg-c3ow">2</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-btxf">1939</td><td class="tg-btxf">College</td><td class="tg-btxf">Colorado</td><td class="tg-btxf">Letter winner in NCAA Div. 1A</td><td class="tg-abip">3.5</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td><td class="tg-c3ow">1</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf">First Team All-Conference</td><td class="tg-abip">1</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td><td class="tg-c3ow">1</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-btxf">1940</td><td class="tg-btxf">College</td><td class="tg-btxf">Colorado</td><td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner in NCAA Div. 1A</td><td class="tg-abip">3.5</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td><td class="tg-c3ow">1</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf">First Team All-Conference</td><td class="tg-abip">1</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td><td class="tg-c3ow">1</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf">Honorable Mention All-American</td><td class="tg-abip">1</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-0pky">1941</td><td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td><td class="tg-0pky">Brooklyn</td><td class="tg-0pky">3rd Round Pick</td><td class="tg-c3ow">8</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf"></td><td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td><td class="tg-abip">3</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td><td class="tg-c3ow">1</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-btxf">1943</td><td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td><td class="tg-btxf">Washington</td><td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td><td class="tg-abip">3</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td><td class="tg-c3ow">1</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-btxf">1944</td><td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td><td class="tg-btxf">Boston</td><td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL</td><td class="tg-abip">3</td></tr><tr><td class="tg-0pky">Totals</td><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-0pky"></td><td class="tg-c3ow">42.5</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-19331760293025065982022-02-06T14:42:00.001-08:002022-02-06T14:51:31.822-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 9 - Seth Miller, Auburn<p>The No. 9 player on our list was a ballhawk extraordinaire who would have ended up much higher on this list in a more enlightened time.</p><p>Seth Miller of Auburn was one of the area's greatest all-around athletes. He was a track conference champion in the 220-yard dash and 180-yard low hurdles and ran a leg on the 880-yard relay team that finished fourth at the 1966 IHSA state track meet.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkrnDzpYLRHF9KGWx7GcwrgKgWQkWX03NqOYi45m5lWp84_oS2MpHYLmBvaaebaAeTDjlUlMKdpNyFYZXX-F5GjBsgGTBPjTPQPxLs7N9FPPH2IpPkUDUMgDPSZFWwnTUVPs-Ev7xlEehGBquq-yuw6pdTA9ft9CNlwLigTnZ-FeQVP6jShmwp03pX=s352" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkrnDzpYLRHF9KGWx7GcwrgKgWQkWX03NqOYi45m5lWp84_oS2MpHYLmBvaaebaAeTDjlUlMKdpNyFYZXX-F5GjBsgGTBPjTPQPxLs7N9FPPH2IpPkUDUMgDPSZFWwnTUVPs-Ev7xlEehGBquq-yuw6pdTA9ft9CNlwLigTnZ-FeQVP6jShmwp03pX=s320" width="240" /></a></div>He was even better in basketball. He was a two-time all-conference forward for the Knights basketball teams that went 37-12 in his final two years on varsity. The Rockford Register-Republic picked him for its all-state teams as a senior. <br /><br />In football, he was all-Big Eight as a wide receiver as a junior and then all-conference as a running back as a senior. He was fourth in the conference in receiving yards as a junior and seventh in rushing yards as a senior. The Knights were just 4-5 his senior year, but he showed enough that he was named to the Champaign News-Gazette all-state team.<br /><br />He had the rare combination of size (6-4, 200 pounds) and speed to excel in either football or basketball in college. His best offer came from Arizona State where he joined a football program on the rise under coach Frank Kush.<br /><br />Kush moved Miller all over his first couple of years. His sophomore year, he had 26 yards rushing and 28 yards receiving. Finally, Kush moved Miller to safety as a junior and he responded with one of the best individual seasons by any NIC-10 football player in college ever.<br /><br />In 1969, Miller led NCAA Division I in interceptions with 11 in 10 games. With Miller wreaking havoc in the secondary, the Sun Devils went 8-2 and won the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Arizona State was an impressive 24-6 in Miller's final three seasons at ASU.<br /><br />The Atlanta Falcons picked Miller in the eighth round of the 1970 NFL draft. Miller didn't stick with Atlanta, but he did catch on with the Hamilton TigerCats of the Canadian Football League in 1971. In his first three games, he had two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.<br /><br />Unfortunately, Miller and two teammates were caught in a minor marijuana bust. Canada legalized marijuana in 2001 and it's increasingly legal in the United States, but in the early 1970s it was still considered a big deal. Hamilton released Miller and his two teammates immediately, and the drug bust likely was a factor in unsuccessful tryouts with the Denver Broncos and Toronto Argonauts.<br /><br />Miller returned to Rockford to find work and he kept in playing shape by playing with the Rockford Rams of the semi-pro Central States Football League.<br /><br />In 1974, his pro dreams were revived when the World Football League came into existence. Miller caught on with the Memphis Southmen, who featured future Dallas Cowboys quarterback Danny White.<br /><br />Miller again showed a remarkable nose for the ball. He finished second in the WFL with nine interceptions for a team that finished with a league-best record of 17-3. In 1975, Memphis added Miami Dolphins stars Jim Kiick, Larry Csonka and Paul Warfield. Miller was second in the league with five interceptions for a 7-4 team when the league folded because of a lack of TV revenue.<br /><br />In 34 professional football games, Miller had 18 interceptions. Still, the NFL signed none of the former WFL players.<br /><br />Miller returned to Rockford, got a job at UPS and stayed with the company until he died in 2010 after a 12-year battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.<br /><br /><style type="text/css">
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<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 9 - Seth Miller, Auburn</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Team</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1964</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Auburn</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1965</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Auburn</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">All-State</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1966</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Arizona State</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Division 1</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1967</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Arizona State</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Division 1</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1968</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Arizona State</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Division 1</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1969</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Arizona State</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Division 1</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">All-WAC</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NCAA Leader</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Career Record Holder (Int)</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1970</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Atlanta</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">8th Round Pick</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1971</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">CFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Hamilton</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in CFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1973</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Denver</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Free Agent Contract</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1974</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">WFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Memphis</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played in WFL</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter </td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1975</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">WFL</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Memphis</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Played in WFL</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">Totals</td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">42</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-33114272511991185632022-02-03T09:04:00.004-08:002022-02-03T09:07:33.371-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 10 - Jerry Stalcup, East<p>The 10th greatest player on our list likely would have finished higher if pro football was the big money operation that it is today.</p><p>Jerry Stalcup had one of the greatest college football careers of any player to play in the Big Eight/NIC-10. He then walked away from a solid pro football career that had several more years in it to give his family a foundation.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSQQhD17P30Wz8qoCK2LHCtRuSwWzkgj2V1zcEAd7ATCDVr46b3h6UBQ5yUtGN9oHCCT3r5-NTaD47zvDuvtFaX-KkdZCilQB82wYZV9y0_WuaAfKFuZb1fcrGMnE1RMvj2iG-tmtHW7G6Odf2_sIOfPwCwF8LJotlEggsBkbBni6s_WxvR7-Wfu1t=s360" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="260" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSQQhD17P30Wz8qoCK2LHCtRuSwWzkgj2V1zcEAd7ATCDVr46b3h6UBQ5yUtGN9oHCCT3r5-NTaD47zvDuvtFaX-KkdZCilQB82wYZV9y0_WuaAfKFuZb1fcrGMnE1RMvj2iG-tmtHW7G6Odf2_sIOfPwCwF8LJotlEggsBkbBni6s_WxvR7-Wfu1t=s320" width="231" /></a></div>At East, Stalcup was a standout of good but not great E-Rabs teams in 1954 and 1955. Even though he was just a honorable mention all-conference fullback his senior year, he'd impressed scouts enough that Wisconsin offered him a scholarship.<p></p><p>Stalcup joined the Badgers at an opportune time. Milt Bruhn had just taken over Wisconsin. The Badgers struggled Stalcup's freshman year, going 1-5-3. Jerry moved into the starting lineup as a linebacker/offensive lineman in 1957 and was a fixture for his final three seasons.<br /><br />Wisconsin went 20-7-1 with Stalcup as a starter. The 1959 season was storybook for both the Badgers and Stalcup. Wisconsin went 7-3, winning the extremely competitive Big Ten with a 5-2 mark to qualify for the school's first Rose Bowl trip since 1953.<br /><br />Stalcup came up big in the season's biggest moments. In the season opener, he recovered an onside kick to preserve a 16-14 win over Stanford. Against Ohio State, he was in on a big hit that knocked out the Buckeyes' star running back Bob White in a 12-3 win. The year's biggest win was over No. 2 ranked Northwestern. In that game, Stalcup had 16 tackles and the game-clinching interception with 50 seconds to play. <br /><br />Defensive stats from that era are non-existent, which is a shame because in individual game stories, Stalcup had a handful of games with 20 or more tackles. If those numbers were available, he'd likely be near the NIC-10 record of 513 tackles that Mike Junkin of Belvidere recorded at Duke in the 1980s.<br /><br />Stalcup was taken in the sixth round of the 1960 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He spent the 1960 with L.A., playing 12 games, starting one and getting his only career NFL/AFL interception. In 1961, he chose to sign with the Denver Broncos of the upstart AFL. He started eight games in 1961 and nine out of 14 games in 1962. <br /><br />In 1963, at the age of 25, he chose to walk away from pro football. He'd married his high school sweetheart in 1960 and having to spend half his year out west playing for minimal pay had lost its luster. Instead, he returned to Rockford to go into the insurance business. After a short time in that, he was recruited to return to East as defensive coordinator. He'd spend most of the next four decades as a teacher and coach both at the high school and semiprofessional level.<br /></p>
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-13pz" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 10 - Jerry Stalcup, East</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">Year</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Level</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Team</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">1954</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">East</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Losing Team</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1955</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">High School</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">East</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Honorable Mention All-Conf.</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">0.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1956</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">College</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Wisconsin</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Player on Power 5 Freshman Team</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">1957</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">College</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Wisconsin</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1958</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">College</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Wisconsin</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">1959</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">College</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Wisconsin</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">All-Big Ten</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Bowl Game</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1960</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Rams</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Sixth Round Pick</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">1961</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">AFL</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Broncos</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Played in AFL</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">1962</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">AFL</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Broncos</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Played in AFL</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Starter </td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Total</td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-baqh">41.5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-80607346216822901692022-01-30T16:31:00.004-08:002022-01-30T16:33:11.548-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 11 - Leonard Bell, Jefferson<p>The No. 11 player on our list remains the second-highest NFL draft pick in NIC-10 history.</p><p>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.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmmj1Rsz3oxmulFRcamlqZ3QeEn_jjuYxA60kOJp1jIZARd32KCT9gBs4kWGhqr8mHzBa9J2XnB0ScRewTRMJu-jPAqYS0l0Mjfzm6Fa9O198JxudlEi7HS1BjS4b_gfGByF6p2Kg-6Eq0iH5IboF386WBH34kja3TNvsSGVtcq3WraaB-iUW_1d5H=s6828" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6828" data-original-width="3728" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmmj1Rsz3oxmulFRcamlqZ3QeEn_jjuYxA60kOJp1jIZARd32KCT9gBs4kWGhqr8mHzBa9J2XnB0ScRewTRMJu-jPAqYS0l0Mjfzm6Fa9O198JxudlEi7HS1BjS4b_gfGByF6p2Kg-6Eq0iH5IboF386WBH34kja3TNvsSGVtcq3WraaB-iUW_1d5H=s320" width="175" /></a></div>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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><p></p><style type="text/css">
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<th class="tg-13pz" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 11 - Leonard Bell, Jefferson</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">Year</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Level</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">School</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">1980</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Jefferson</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1981</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">High School</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Jefferson</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1983</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">College</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Indiana</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1984</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">College</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Indiana</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1985</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">College</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Indiana</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1986</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">College</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Indiana</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Honorable Mention All-Big 10</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">0.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Bowl Game</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">1987</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Bengals</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">3rd Round Pick</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Played in NFL </td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">1988</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Cowboys</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Free Agent Contract</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1989</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Oilers</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Free Agent Contract</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Total</td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-baqh">40.5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-10569732924891573442022-01-28T11:41:00.002-08:002022-01-28T11:44:17.304-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 12 - Stuart Walker, EastThe 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7dVHBIwHUEfOWBB7t06QngKWEl6D_RKRbOLwZs2YMJt6UavlS4_Oigv6ieyNpbrowVTxjw-iDvgvYugZtioUbiQdvxWKsYZ8beMTO91hsiejlSXCEoNtEGiJNN8nc55XjoqbucRBLvgM1z1EFFtm5sLSBVcUG2jtKepfafAhgDbmsx_s669WNdnBL=s2563" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2563" data-original-width="1922" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7dVHBIwHUEfOWBB7t06QngKWEl6D_RKRbOLwZs2YMJt6UavlS4_Oigv6ieyNpbrowVTxjw-iDvgvYugZtioUbiQdvxWKsYZ8beMTO91hsiejlSXCEoNtEGiJNN8nc55XjoqbucRBLvgM1z1EFFtm5sLSBVcUG2jtKepfafAhgDbmsx_s669WNdnBL=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><style type="text/css">
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<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 12 - Stuart Walker</span></th>
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</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1973</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">East</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Final Four</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1974</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">East</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Playoffs</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Final Four</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">State Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">All-State</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Parade All-American</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1975</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Colorado</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Bowl Game</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1976</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Colorado</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Bowl Game</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1977</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Colorado</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1978</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Colorado</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">1979</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Atlanta</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">12th Round Draft Pick</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Taxi Squad</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Total</td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-baqh">40</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Players</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-52216763767436962502022-01-27T07:10:00.005-08:002022-01-28T05:34:17.375-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 13 - Tim Scharf, Boylan<p>The No. 13 player on our list was one of the area's biggest winners in both high school and college.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPozts4jZ3r4kIajxrfWzQmy7-cgxbzxTkdOQoJLTOefill3kpRfzIVRR0bam8WLOFDJKYpX-v5zKBMAKbl849g6xQxInTTm3kPtJb518WzXdd3WiLpwEOX99a6-mh7TTV2J1mJDKXf2TY-v-LNkj7Y0UuEzXXliYFJaPp5Qy1AOe9jeDRCuSkF-GX=s1600" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1409" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPozts4jZ3r4kIajxrfWzQmy7-cgxbzxTkdOQoJLTOefill3kpRfzIVRR0bam8WLOFDJKYpX-v5zKBMAKbl849g6xQxInTTm3kPtJb518WzXdd3WiLpwEOX99a6-mh7TTV2J1mJDKXf2TY-v-LNkj7Y0UuEzXXliYFJaPp5Qy1AOe9jeDRCuSkF-GX=s320" width="282" /></a></div><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />Then the magic happened.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<p></p><p>Scharf went back to school to get a masters degree in predictive analytics from DePaul University. Today, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyscharf/" target="_blank">Scharf is a senior machine learning engineer for Second Spectrum Inc. in Los Angeles</a>. <br /></p>
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 13 - Tim Scharf, Boylan</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1991</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Boylan</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Playoffs</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Final Four</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1992</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Boylan</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Conference Defensive MVP</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Playoffs</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Final Four</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1993</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1994</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1995</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Bowl Game</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1996</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Bowl Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1997</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Jets/Steelers</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Sixth Round Pick/Taxi Squad</td>
<td class="tg-abip">5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1998</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Claymores</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played in NFL Europe</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Total</td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-abip">40</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><div><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-69914235556160215012022-01-21T22:17:00.004-08:002022-01-21T22:57:05.858-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 14 - Ralph Baker, Rockford<p>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.<br /><br />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.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgINO-Unwxlim_Vd13YADBC_Lb3Qg16l46vRkG5OS18O61aYF4XPSLk15iJkmOS7LYQFHvPmk3PnJPhT1u2kyB7kTKrJrmRU2Z7zB4DIWrXA1sOWU6qoAKSRJXtnseTNm6Ul584wcGeoya3ToM_Gq40LUD-qOb3mJ96OhDjBsHeYzf6xpP09M2Pa5_r=s621" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="382" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgINO-Unwxlim_Vd13YADBC_Lb3Qg16l46vRkG5OS18O61aYF4XPSLk15iJkmOS7LYQFHvPmk3PnJPhT1u2kyB7kTKrJrmRU2Z7zB4DIWrXA1sOWU6qoAKSRJXtnseTNm6Ul584wcGeoya3ToM_Gq40LUD-qOb3mJ96OhDjBsHeYzf6xpP09M2Pa5_r=s320" width="197" /></a></div>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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<p></p><p>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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.</p>
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 14 - Ralph Baker, Rockford</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1919</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Rockford</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1920</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Rockford</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1921</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">High School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Rockford</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-abip">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">League Leader (Touchdowns)</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1922</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Player on Power 5 Freshman Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1924</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">All-Western Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1925</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">All-Western Conference</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">All-American</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">1926</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">College</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">All-Western Conference</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">All-American</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">1927</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">College</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Chicago</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Free Agent Contract</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">Total</td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">37</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-87230876262153307182022-01-17T20:09:00.006-08:002022-01-18T07:43:23.132-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Players: No. 15 - Marshall Starks, WestThe 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.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHdxzDSG0PCZNl8E8aTDKFP6Ldr8lWr8uhMr8hzw0ylKQZw36NeoYqFcN2FH2noWYb76KS6bPaWkwNLBvWuqQ4KXE_CqTjGhmtcOdXKN-aTKgdpz3BpaqPMF5-EDGsuD3kY1sREcS961mcGMLFLbQGjZ5bFZ3ogtpplZLMNCyD1AwCv778gEvJZf-x=s881" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="881" data-original-width="660" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHdxzDSG0PCZNl8E8aTDKFP6Ldr8lWr8uhMr8hzw0ylKQZw36NeoYqFcN2FH2noWYb76KS6bPaWkwNLBvWuqQ4KXE_CqTjGhmtcOdXKN-aTKgdpz3BpaqPMF5-EDGsuD3kY1sREcS961mcGMLFLbQGjZ5bFZ3ogtpplZLMNCyD1AwCv778gEvJZf-x=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<div><br /></div><div>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. </div><div><br /></div><div>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.</div><div><br />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.<br /><br />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.</div><div><br />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.</div><div><br /><style type="text/css">
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 15 - Marshall Starks, West</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1955</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">West</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Losing Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1956</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">High School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">West</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Second Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">League Leader</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1957</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Player on Power 5 Freshman Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1958</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1959</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Player on Power 5 Freshman Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1960</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Player on Power 5 Freshman Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1961</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">St. Louis</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Eight Round Draft Pick</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1963</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">AFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">New York</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in Regular Season</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1964</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">AFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">New York</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in Regular Season</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1966</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">CFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Edmonton</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in Regular Season</td>
<td class="tg-abip">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">Total</td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">34</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div><div><br /><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/2022/01/nic-10s-100-greatest-players-no-15.html">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-84515482781295770552022-01-14T17:19:00.004-08:002022-01-14T17:21:52.014-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 16 - Russell Pope, East<div class="separator">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.</div><br />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, <a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/2021/09/nic-10s-100-greatest-football-players_4.html" target="_blank">the 79th ranked player on our list</a>. Pope also added 171 yards on 11 catches.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_dnWM8IaxxswktXN4XgJtV1Y0rBHJrrEbKfa0AH2G9XRsSOHjoGOqQQIIw3GKqHNtG04q_KaMq_wwMP-DtNuIHhkmWEvU7FzcrFPhizRnxzkElDUG0b686RSDa6B6FLFSVMjtfcNY9viNlkT5XBHUZo6oxyQ3LWhFhQjlu9lrFkAZZoN7CGXYxquQ=s640" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_dnWM8IaxxswktXN4XgJtV1Y0rBHJrrEbKfa0AH2G9XRsSOHjoGOqQQIIw3GKqHNtG04q_KaMq_wwMP-DtNuIHhkmWEvU7FzcrFPhizRnxzkElDUG0b686RSDa6B6FLFSVMjtfcNY9viNlkT5XBHUZo6oxyQ3LWhFhQjlu9lrFkAZZoN7CGXYxquQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Pope was one of four E-Rabs from the 1974 team to play major college football. Matthews and lineman George Wojtowicz (<a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/2021/08/nic-10s-100-greatest-football-players_20.html" target="_blank">No. 94</a>) 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<div><br /></div>
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 16 - Russell Pope, East</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1973</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">East</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">League Leader</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Ranked Top 4</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1974</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">High School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">East</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-abip">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Final Four</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">State Champion</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1975</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Purdue</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1976</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Purdue</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1977</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Purdue</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1978</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Purdue</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Bowl Game</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1979</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Buffalo</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Free Agent Contract</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1980</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">CFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">British Columbia</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Free Agent Contract</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">0.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1981</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Detroit</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Free Agent Contract</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">1982</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">USFL</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Chicago</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Free Agent Contract</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">0.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Total</td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-abip">34</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><div><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-44738262754865621672022-01-11T19:42:00.002-08:002022-01-11T19:44:25.403-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 17 - Len Williams, Guilford<p>Guilford's Len Williams was never surrounded by top level talent, but he set passing records that still stand 30 years later.</p><p>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.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnfQF0tUWjXsUb3JHxAHHGU50zmCnA6X-9mH4nPXDPxWfe0x5O9XYQvx2eFUj5jgOqwa4urJMBlmX-FxlqwnSQdmoD3g1z2UJHnPdLDHaKg5kup6G_wD9bpyNQt7G8v46-UZ7Av32tRr7vXSM2R_CycWDIzy6q7Vf_zbEcwSh0wcNvb5UkgqdIFF_6=s1193" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="721" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnfQF0tUWjXsUb3JHxAHHGU50zmCnA6X-9mH4nPXDPxWfe0x5O9XYQvx2eFUj5jgOqwa4urJMBlmX-FxlqwnSQdmoD3g1z2UJHnPdLDHaKg5kup6G_wD9bpyNQt7G8v46-UZ7Av32tRr7vXSM2R_CycWDIzy6q7Vf_zbEcwSh0wcNvb5UkgqdIFF_6=s320" width="193" /></a></div>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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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).<br /><br />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.<br /><p></p>
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 17 - Len Williams, Guilford</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1987</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Guilford</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1988</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">High School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Guilford</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Special Mention All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1990</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1991</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1992</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1993</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">League Leader</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Career Record Holder</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1994</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">CFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Las Vegas</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in CFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1995</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">CFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Calgary</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in CFL</td>
<td class="tg-abip">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Title Game</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Total</td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-abip">33</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><div><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-46624579109156245722022-01-10T08:40:00.001-08:002022-01-10T08:43:19.975-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 18 - Tom Linebarger, Freeport<p>The 18th player on our list was the baddest man on one of the greatest collections of football talent in Freeport history.<br /><br />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.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5OC-sCMn_cXHwfQNbD_r5MbODIPAuZWsJUyIcL7oFancjes5e1MoOQNrc2HbgKfUxfgOfXVr7XzIjXz2S9f6sT3az2gQrcC9jn29_431ilFQ2jEoKOb6Ahko5R5-gcOMKU1PZlHxdm4xHq-AfQfMQmt53XZrw8hOzhLkzmffCQSK4cg8ao5HXnb9z=s400" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5OC-sCMn_cXHwfQNbD_r5MbODIPAuZWsJUyIcL7oFancjes5e1MoOQNrc2HbgKfUxfgOfXVr7XzIjXz2S9f6sT3az2gQrcC9jn29_431ilFQ2jEoKOb6Ahko5R5-gcOMKU1PZlHxdm4xHq-AfQfMQmt53XZrw8hOzhLkzmffCQSK4cg8ao5HXnb9z=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br />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.<br /><br />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.<p></p><p>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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Instead, Linebarger finished his SMU degree and went into finance. Today, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-linebarger-06046b11/" target="_blank">he's a director at CIT Bank in Chicago</a>.<br /></p>
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 18 - Tom Linebarger, Freeport</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1978</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Freeport</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Playoffs</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1979</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Freeport</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">All-State</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1980</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Iowa</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1982</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">SMU</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Bowl Game</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1983</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">SMU</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Bowl Game</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1984</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">SMU</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Bowl Game</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">All-Southwest Conference</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">1985</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Steelers</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Free Agent Contract</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">Total</td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">33</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><div><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-14050495888877746112022-01-08T18:07:00.006-08:002022-01-10T08:45:37.629-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 19 - Merwin Hodel, West<p>Merwin Hodel is the highest ranked player that the NIC-10 History Book knows next to nothing about outside of his statistics.<br /><br />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.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiI4PTOz953Q76mt0w26qJh-jq6dbXJic0rm8sAaiPPk101NQIgzczejCsK6FpY-h6wQJg9lgIeVfziihj-y0KvVvW5xmUv9BCWC49xmPR5hcVW_JIl0YkAdSLtwmmjl7JBXAQE4UU1pSzf5jAUP2qd5j87qjvfU-XowaFbTxBMInpcN13JSTBg1wBJ=s259" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="175" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiI4PTOz953Q76mt0w26qJh-jq6dbXJic0rm8sAaiPPk101NQIgzczejCsK6FpY-h6wQJg9lgIeVfziihj-y0KvVvW5xmUv9BCWC49xmPR5hcVW_JIl0YkAdSLtwmmjl7JBXAQE4UU1pSzf5jAUP2qd5j87qjvfU-XowaFbTxBMInpcN13JSTBg1wBJ" width="175" /></a></div>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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />He remains a mystery to us. If anyone reading this can fill in the gaps, please email me at <a href="mailto:alexgary87@gmail.com">alexgary87@gmail.com</a>.<br /><br /><style type="text/css">
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<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 19 - Merwin Hodel, West</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1946</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">West</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Record</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1947</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">High School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">West</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Honorable Mention All-Big 8</td>
<td class="tg-abip">0.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1948</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Colorado</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Freshman on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1949</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Colorado</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1950</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Colorado</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">All Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1951</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Colorado</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">All Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1952</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Giants</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Fourth Round Pick</td>
<td class="tg-abip">7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1953</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Giants</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Played in NFL</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Total</td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-abip">32.5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-43642159453526877542022-01-07T11:44:00.004-08:002022-01-07T17:44:52.981-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 20 - Doug Bartels, Boylan<p>The No. 20 player on our list beat the odds a couple of times to play his way on to this ranking.</p><p>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.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKCy-ljBvIDCkutCKBznGK4Md3O1fw4rCbgMqJlbEPOzkR2ROwvbYtXiNlnpeoK43EFF6nWYTSYaVOLjaLRCTYQU6ttMD9ji5Lw5sgtBR67LDwDzCaeu5IrqP4z9kCrxZ0L5ikqY-WTdvHy2qslaLMhIgarGIMTmH3_ssSfeR5WmBh3U5D7_TtEjmY=s551" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKCy-ljBvIDCkutCKBznGK4Md3O1fw4rCbgMqJlbEPOzkR2ROwvbYtXiNlnpeoK43EFF6nWYTSYaVOLjaLRCTYQU6ttMD9ji5Lw5sgtBR67LDwDzCaeu5IrqP4z9kCrxZ0L5ikqY-WTdvHy2qslaLMhIgarGIMTmH3_ssSfeR5WmBh3U5D7_TtEjmY=s320" width="310" /></a></div>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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><p></p>
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 20 - Doug Bartels, Boylan</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2005</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Boylan</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2006</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">High School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Boylan</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-abip">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">All-State</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2008</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Bowl Game</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2009</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Bowl Game</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2010</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Bowl Game</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2011</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northwestern</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Bowl Game</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Total</td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-abip">32</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><div><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-72001798216170101232022-01-06T08:01:00.002-08:002022-01-06T08:06:06.074-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 21 - Matt Barr, Belvidere<p>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.<br /><br />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.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhO2c4Py7NE5pvyN1tnXK9JtKPikUSgxi7CNwtFOr8AsHExU1iUDBGtzBf-wmTLiXoIaUBV4E1tHJfaResUyt2FD9tJmg_4icL7LTO_LDCiE5UslbLNhvidg0v8CYM3J7mU5RvxYx66tpttXKeAIp8Of6MWeSEizLTGTWThHAC-aj6K8NqrXPC66MVc=s1600" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1343" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhO2c4Py7NE5pvyN1tnXK9JtKPikUSgxi7CNwtFOr8AsHExU1iUDBGtzBf-wmTLiXoIaUBV4E1tHJfaResUyt2FD9tJmg_4icL7LTO_LDCiE5UslbLNhvidg0v8CYM3J7mU5RvxYx66tpttXKeAIp8Of6MWeSEizLTGTWThHAC-aj6K8NqrXPC66MVc=s320" width="269" /></a></div>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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-barr-cpa-42012b7a/" target="_blank">he is the vice president of finance at Russell Construction and Development in Davenport, Iowa</a>.<br /><p></p>
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 21 - Matt Barr, Belvidere</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2004</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Belvidere</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2005</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">High School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Belvidere</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-abip">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Conference MVP</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Final Four</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">League Leader</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">All-State Selection</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2007</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Western Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Division 1AA</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2008</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Western Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Division 1AA</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2009</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Western Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Division 1AA</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2010</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Western Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Division 1AA</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter1</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">All-American</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Playoffs</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Total</td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-abip">32</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><div><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-86269393785156431282022-01-04T08:53:00.003-08:002022-01-04T18:43:40.851-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 22 - Chris Finlen, Hononegah<p>Ironically, the 22nd ranked player on our list was never that big of a star even though he played the marquee quarterback position.<br /><br />Chris Finlen of Hononegah just always seemed to be the right guy to lead a football team.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWZIU0QcYc77k_PkUz3Vibl8uIJzR_kXEc0mRt3fCU5E0KJTz2bOxM465XoOfaxHrwdxOkHVbROXpo_5rU_sEA7Ed7nXIN_TjmyuKd81XbYd5F8nopXznHLHWAhFinLzpjJNQR6qA8klNBw7iUwvaAIoz--7rnKY3AvoapA5Wp0Rc13eFpgdITDs7i=s474" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="474" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWZIU0QcYc77k_PkUz3Vibl8uIJzR_kXEc0mRt3fCU5E0KJTz2bOxM465XoOfaxHrwdxOkHVbROXpo_5rU_sEA7Ed7nXIN_TjmyuKd81XbYd5F8nopXznHLHWAhFinLzpjJNQR6qA8klNBw7iUwvaAIoz--7rnKY3AvoapA5Wp0Rc13eFpgdITDs7i=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Finlen was a fine two-year starter at Hononegah in 1995 and 1996. He finished second in the NIC-9 in passing yardage as a junior as the Indians went 5-4. As a senior, Finlen led the NIC-9 in passing yardage (1,146) and completion percentage (57.3%) and had a stellar 10-4 touchdown to interception ratio. He led Hononegah to a 12-1 record and advanced to the IHSA 5A semifinals before falling to Joliet Catholic. <p></p><p>That Indians team, though, is better remembered for its record-setting rushing attack. Fullback Kevin Selover - <a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/2021/10/nic-10s-100-greatest-football-players_2.html" target="_blank">No. 53 on this list</a> - gained 660 yards on the ground. More importantly, Selover was the lead blocker for Matt Beachey, who gained a remarkable 2,350 yards in 13 games with 25 touchdowns. The rushing yards were a record by a large margin and it's a record that hasn't been threatened since.<br /><br />Finlen was so overshadowed that he didn't receive a single Division 1A scholarship offer. He decided to roll the dice walk on at Norther Illinois University. It was good timing. In the late 1980s, coach Jerry Pettibone had turned the Huskies into a mid-major power. By 1996, NIU had sunk to being one of the worst programs in the country, going 1-10 in the first season under Joe Novak.<br /><br />Finlen made an impression right away. He not only made the team, but he took over as starter in the seventh game of his freshman season. It was a trial by fire as Finlen threw for 1,107 yards in an 0-11 season.<br /><br />Finlen had to sit out the 1998 season after breaking his collarbone, but he won the starting job again in 1999 and ended up being NIU's first three-time captain. When he came back, NIU was on the rise. The Huskies won 17 of Finlen's final 31 starts. The Huskies went 6-5 in 2000 and 2001. These were NIU's first winning seasons since 1990 and a signal of what was to come. Beginning in 2000, NIU had winning records in 14 of 16 seasons.<br /><br />Like his time at Hononegah, though, the Huskies under Novak were known more for its running attacks. The 2000 and 2001 teams featured Thomas Hammock and future NFL star Michael Turner in the backfield. Still, Finlen ended up becoming the first QB in NIU history to pass for 1,000 or more yards in four seasons. He ended up with 6,551 yards throwing on a 55.2 completion percentage and 42 touchdowns. He still ranks third all time in NIU career passing yardage and fifth in TD passes.<br /><br />After NIU, there initially was little NFL interest in Finlen. He spent a year working for the Chicago Bears in personnel and continuing to train. He changed agents and finally got several chances in the NFL.<br /><br />In 2003, Finlen signed with the New Orleans Saints. When he didn't make that roster, he headed to Europe to play for the Barcelona Dragons where he had four TD passes as a backup.<br /><br />In 2004, the New York Jets signed him, but he never moved above No. 4 on the depth chart.<br /><br />Finally, in 2005, the Saints signed Finlen to a two-year deal. They sent him back to Europe to play for the Berlin Thunder. In the end, Finlen never made the Saints roster. He ended his pro career with 385 yards passing and five TDs in NFL Europe.<br /><br />At that point, Finlen decided to put his NIU degree to use. He became a sales rep for Medtronic Spine and Biologics in Chicago. Today, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-finlen-146579a/" target="_blank">he's the district sales manager</a>.<br /></p>
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</style>
<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 22 - Chris Finlen, Hononegah</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1995</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Hononegah</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1996</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">High School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Hononegah</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">First Team All-NIC-9</td>
<td class="tg-abip">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Final Four</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">League Leader</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1997</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Northern Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Div. 1A Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1999</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Northern Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Div. 1A Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2000</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Northern Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Div. 1A Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2001</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Northern Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Div. 1A Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2003</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">New Orleans</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Signed Free Agent Contract</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2003</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL Europe</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Barcelona</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Played in NFL Europe</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2004</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">New York Jets</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Signed Free Agent Contract</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2005</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">NFL </td>
<td class="tg-btxf">New Orleans</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Signed Free Agent Contract</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2005</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">NFL Europe</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Berlin</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Planed in NFL Europe</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Total</td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-abip">31.5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-81486237957472869672022-01-02T13:35:00.001-08:002022-01-02T13:36:59.457-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 23 - Steve McShane, Freeport<p>The 23rd player on this list is at the top of perhaps a tougher list - the greatest McShane - at least so far.<br /><br />McShane was the fifth of 10 kids in his family - nine boys and one girl - and the McShanes have dominated Freeport football for two decades.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipEl1NB2Mm0D9hYOzesqBetsD6uy_BHpG-DtifVr0IC8qPkC1K9fk4_Wl2Q7EDICwbEzYEd8CUV5tLEDGCxY8Ue8yCS-n2S6mIWSybGRAOOcgOSVGj2Jf56MomIQ-4ZgO5MFHxkNwoGPQbEN-sjOovwSboorQs7Fgr-W_vGh2YTYQMD2x-BfeOpm_7=s2000" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1331" data-original-width="2000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipEl1NB2Mm0D9hYOzesqBetsD6uy_BHpG-DtifVr0IC8qPkC1K9fk4_Wl2Q7EDICwbEzYEd8CUV5tLEDGCxY8Ue8yCS-n2S6mIWSybGRAOOcgOSVGj2Jf56MomIQ-4ZgO5MFHxkNwoGPQbEN-sjOovwSboorQs7Fgr-W_vGh2YTYQMD2x-BfeOpm_7=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Here's the run down so far.<br /><br />Robert was an all-NIC-9 linebacker in 2003. Miles was an all-NIC-10 offensive lineman in 2006. Brandon was an all-NIC-10 wide receiver in 2010. Steve starred for the Pretzels in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Vance and Deion followed as all-conference running backs in 2015 and 2017.<br /><br />Vance and Deion are still trying to play their way on to this list. The two are teammates at Northern Iowa. Vance had 61 carries for 331 yards and a team-high five TD runs this season. Deion has moved to receiver. He had 35 catches for 408 yards and two TDs.<br /><br />They have a ways to go to match Steve's career in this system.<br /><br />Steve was a three-year starter for the Pretzels. He dominated from the beginning. He finished fourth in the NIC-10 with 1,140 yards as a sophomore. He missed a game as a junior and again finished fourth in the conference with 879 yards rushing. He had 1,221 yards on 160 carries as a senior, finishing second. He was special mention all-conference as a sophomore, first team all-conference as a junior and first team and offensive MVP as a senior.<br /><br />McShane finished his high school career with 3,240 yards, which was third all-time when he graduated behind Austin Smaha of Belvidere North and Rob Dal Santo of Belvidere. He undoubtedly would have broken the career rushing record if Freeport had played any playoff games. The Pretzels were 11-16 in his varsity career.<br /><br />Despite the gaudy statistics, there was little interest in the 5-8 McShane at the highest levels of college football. McShane originally committed to play for Illinois State but then changed his mind and went to Western Illinois University, a Division I FCS school in the Missouri Valley Conference. <br /><br />At Western, McShane played both football and baseball. In baseball, he played 146 games over four years, batting .257 as an outfielder and using his speed to steal 35 bases.<br /><br />In football, he played in every game from 2015 to 2018. His best year was 2016 when he rushed for 917 yards in 11 games and had 234 yards receiving. He ended up gaining 2,375 yards on the ground with 22 touchdowns and adding 1,031 yards receiving with another nine scores. He was second team All-Missouri Valley in 2016, 2017 and 2018.<br /><br />McShane's versatility earned him an NFL look. The Pittsburgh Steelers signed him to a free agent contract in 2019. He didn't make Pittsburgh. He was training for 2020 when he was contacted by the XFL, which was making a comeback under the WWE's Vince McMahon.<br /><br />McShane signed with the Houston Roughnecks with the goal of building more video to show NFL teams. Unfortunately, he suffered a serious injury on the second day of practice and had to have surgery.<br /><br />The dream isn't dead, though. McShane, who now lives in Texas, spent the past year posting his rehabilitation videos online to show friends and family that he's putting in the work for another shot at pro football. He hopes that comes in 2022 - either the NFL or the XFL, which is planning a return under Duane "The Rock" Johnson.<br /><p></p>
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 23 - Steve McShane, Freeport</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2012</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Freeport</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Special Mention All-NIC-10</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2013</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">High School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Freeport</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">First Team All-NIC-10</td>
<td class="tg-abip">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2014</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Freeport</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-NIC-10</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Conference MVP</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">2015</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Western Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on NCAA FCS</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Playoffs</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2016</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Western Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on NCAA FCS</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">2017</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Western Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on NCAA FCS</td>
<td class="tg-abip">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Playoff Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">2018</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">College</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Western Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Letter Winner on NCAA FCS</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4"></td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax"></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-buh4">2019</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">NFL</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Pittsburgh</td>
<td class="tg-buh4">Signed Free Agent Contract</td>
<td class="tg-dzk6">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">2020</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">XFL</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Houston</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Signed Free Agent Contract</td>
<td class="tg-baqh">0.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Total</td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-abip">30.5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><div><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666627272080134485.post-17176142099463802542022-01-01T20:53:00.002-08:002022-01-01T20:55:54.966-08:00NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 24 - Milton Olander, Rockford<p>The No. 24 player on our list appears to be the only one with a lake named after him.<br /><br />Milton Olander is one of the Northern Illinois Conference football pioneers. He was a three-year starter for Rockford in 1915, 1916 and 1917 and two-year captain. This was a big deal. In the 1910s, '20s and '30s, the Rockford newspapers would run stories on who was picked as football captain.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgi2Omx0-XZCmGJLTVMhnj27wOH26RiBCOQh8EFfALnnP9IEqFcLhH4d8-GR8kGxiBA4tCTj1tMf_6IAwSCnVH039ZzLM01R4dIL8ofSk3MOpFpL0yWI47l09bVNTkMQd_25oXwVk-4MxsP7meUYKWO2jWCgT0JDvmr-TR8_kg_FbGt1W-WFQrZ5prD=s220" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="220" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgi2Omx0-XZCmGJLTVMhnj27wOH26RiBCOQh8EFfALnnP9IEqFcLhH4d8-GR8kGxiBA4tCTj1tMf_6IAwSCnVH039ZzLM01R4dIL8ofSk3MOpFpL0yWI47l09bVNTkMQd_25oXwVk-4MxsP7meUYKWO2jWCgT0JDvmr-TR8_kg_FbGt1W-WFQrZ5prD" width="220" /></a></div>Olander was first team conference in both 1916 and 1917. The 1917 team went 4-1 to win the Big 7. Olander then journeyed to the University of Illinois to play for Robert Zuppke, who was in the early stages of a Hall of Fame coaching tenure.<br /><br />Zuppke trusted Olander immediately. He was a four-year starter at tackle for the Illini from 1918 through 1921. Illinois was 19-9 over Olander's four years anchoring the line. The 1919 team went 6-1 and is one of four teams from that year that has been credited as national champions.<p></p><p>After graduating, Olander embarked on a coaching career. He was hired by the Western State Normal School - now known as Western Michigian University - as head football coach. He guided them to a 6-0 record in his first year, outscoring its opponents 160-0. <br /><br />Since 1922, he remains one of just three coaches in NCAA Division I history to go undefeated in their first seasons despite having no prior head coaching experience at any level. The other two are Joe McKenney of Boston College in 1928 and Chris Peterson at Boise State in 2006. Olander's second team went 6-1-1, but instead of building on that success, Olander returned to Illinois to serve as Zuppke's assistant coach through the 1934 season. </p><p>In his later years, Olander went into business, serving as the director of industrial relations for Owens-Illinois Glass Co. in Toledo, Ohio. He moved to Sylvania, Ohio, and became one of the original members of that city's parks commission. Today, if you visit Sylvania, you can go to Olander Park and Olander Lake.<br /><br />Olander died in 1961 at the age of 62.</p><p><br /></p>
<style type="text/css">
.tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-color:#ccc;border-spacing:0;}
.tg td{background-color:#fff;border-color:#ccc;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;color:#333;
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</style>
<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7jts" colspan="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No. 24 - Milton Olander, Rockford</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">Year</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Level</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Accomplishments</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Points</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1916</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">High School</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Rockford</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1917</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">High School</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Rockford</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">First Team All-Conference</td>
<td class="tg-abip">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Conference Champion</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1918</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1919</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">National Champion</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf">1920</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">College</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Winning Team</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">1921</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">College</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Illinois</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Letter Winner on Power 5 Team</td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf"></td>
<td class="tg-btxf">Starter</td>
<td class="tg-abip">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0pky">Total</td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-c3ow">30</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><div><a href="https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/p/nic-10-100-greatest-football-players.html" target="_blank">NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0