Belvidere's greatest offensive weapon of the Verne Pottinger era is the highest ranked player on our list to play his college football at a NCAA Division III school.
Rob Dal Santo blitzed the NIC-10 with two seasons never before seen. As a junior in 1988, Dal Santo rushed for 1,523 and 18 touchdowns in 14 games as he powered Belvidere to its first IHSA title game. There, Dal Santo rushed for 171 yards on 30 carries, but the Bucs fell to Peoria Richwoods, 29-26.
Dal Santo came back to rewrite the NIC-10 record books in 1989. He set conference records for yards in a game (306), season (1,922) and career (3,445). The Bucs won their first 11 games before falling to Wheaton Central, 28-12. Still, over the course of his two seasons, Belvidere went a stellar 23-3, he won two rushing titles, was twice first team all-conference and all-state.
Dal Santo hoped to play at Northern Illinois University. When that didn't come to fruition, he chose to play at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. There, he again rewrote the school record books. Dal Santo still holds the Platteville records for career rushing yards (3,529), and remains in the top five for rushing touchdowns in a career (30).
After college, Dal Santo returned to the area where he's run Rob Dal Santo Painting for more than 14 years.
| No. 52 - Rob Dal Santo, Belvidere | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Level | School | Accomplishments | Points |
| 1988 | High School | Belvidere | First Team All-Conference | 2 |
| League Leader (rushing) | 1 | |||
| Playoff Team | 1 | |||
| Conference Champion | 1 | |||
| Final Four | 1 | |||
| 1989 | High School | Belvidere | First Team All-Conference | 2 |
| League Leader (rushing) | 1 | |||
| Playoff Team | 1 | |||
| Conference Champion | 1 | |||
| All-State | 1 | |||
| 1991 | College | UW-Platteville | Division III Player | 1 |
| Starter | 1 | |||
| Winning Team | 1 | |||
| 1992 | College | UW-Platteville | Division III Player | 1 |
| Starter | 1 | |||
| Winning Team | 1 | |||
| All-Conference | 1 | |||
| 1993 | College | UW-Platteville | Division III Player | 1 |
| Starter | 1 | |||
| All-Conference | 1 | |||
| 1994 | College | UW-Platteville | Division III Player | 1 |
| Starter | 1 | |||
| Winning Team | 1 | |||
| All-Conference | 1 | |||
| Total | 26 | |||
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