December 1, 2003

NORTHERN ILLINOIS SENIOR PK STEVE AZAR EARNS SECOND MAC SPECIAL TEAMS OF YEAR AWARD

DeKALB, IL --- For Northern Illinois University senior placekicker Steve Azar, everything is an opportunity.
The former walk-on made the most of his, eventually establishing numerous school records, becoming the all-time kick-scorer in Mid-American Conference history, and now repeating as MAC Special Teams Player of the Year.
Two 2003 Mid-Am post-season awards---the other being Freshman of the Year, won by Central Michigan tailback Jerry Seymour---were announced by league commissioner Rick Chryst Monday (December 1).

“It boils down to opportunities and having enough kicks and I had plenty,” Azar said. “Personally, I couldn’t have stepped into a better situation five years ago than I did. I was very fortunate to stay healthy. I’ve got to thank a lot of people this year---my O-line, my snapper Kursten Strothman, my holder P. J. Fleck, coach (Mike) Sabock for recruiting me, and the entire team. It was a privilege to play with all these guys. They all helped me realize my potential. I never thought this would happen twice. I started the day finding out that I made All-MAC and now this. I’m ecstatic.”

The 5-foot-7, 195-pound Huskie side-winder also won the Mid-Am Special Teams Player of the Year award as a sophomore in 2001---sharing it with Ohio punter Dave Zastudil. For Northern Illinois, it marked the fourth consecutive such MAC honor. Flankerback Justin McCareins won the S-T award in 2000 and wide receiver Dan Sheldon earned it in 2002.

“I was talking with Danny (Sheldon) this afternoon and we were joking that he could come back and win the Special Teams of the Year award next year and keep it at Northern for a fifth year,” Azar added. “It just shows the importance of special teams and how it contributed to a winning program. We’ve won that the last four years and look at our record then.”

In the balloting done by the Mid-Am News Media Association, Azar (Colorado Springs, CO / Highlands Ranch) edged Miami (OH) kick returner Ryne Robinson, 18-to-13, for the 2003 honors. The Frosh of the Year voting was tighter as Seymour posted a one-vote margin over Robinson and Toledo wide receiver Steve Odom.

“We do emphasize the kicking game and this shows that,” said NIU head coach Joe Novak. “Not only do we work at it, but, fortunately, we have some talented people playing on our special teams. Steve had a tremendous career. We’re all glad to see him recognized for his kicking excellence and hard work. I’ve said this numerous times, but he is one of the best kickers, if not the best, I’ve been around in all my years coaching. I hate to say this, but Steve spoiled us by being so good.”

Few league kicking specialists have had the year or career Azar did. In the Mid-Am this fall, No. 13 led the loop in scoring (104 points), kick-scoring (8.7 ppg. average), and field goals (1.75 pg.), plus made First-Team All-MAC in voting done by the conference coaches---and becoming the first four-time Huskie All-Mid-Am gridder ever. A semifinalist for the 2003 Lou Groza National Placekicker Award, Azar also set league records in career kick-scoring points (370) and field goals (73).

Nationally---at this juncture in the season---Azar ranks No. 7 in NCAA Division 1-A field goals, No. 9 in overall major-college kick-scoring, and No. 19 in overall scoring. A major impact player from the start, he was a First-Team Football News Frosh All-America, a Second-Team The Sporting News Frosh All-America, Honorable Mention All-MAC, and third in the loop

Special Teams Player of the Year balloting as a red-shirt frosh with 80 points in 2000.

Azar really put his in-step into the Huskie Record Book, rewrote many of his own marks, and holds at least 15 major Northern Illinois records---including (1) career scoring (370 points), (2) career kick-scoring, (3) season kick-scoring (104 points in 2003), (4) single-game PATs (10), (5) season PATs (41 in 2002 and 2003), (6) career PATs (151), (7) season field goals (21 in 2003), (8) career field goals (73), (9) season field-goal percentage (.933 in 2000), (10) career field-goal percentage (.793), (11) consecutive field goals (14 in 2000 and 2001), and (12) longest field goal (52 yards). No. 13 has booted five of the school’s six longest “treys”---including the 52-yarder vs. Maryland this fall. Clutch kicks? Why do you think Azar has earned eight career MAC Special Teams Player of the Week certificates? Only Michael Turner has more with nine.

Steady? How many kickers improve each year? Azar produced the aforementioned 80 kick-scoring points as a frosh, 91 as a sophomore, 95 as a junior, and 104 as a senior for Novak. The right-footed, soccer-style kicker won First-Team All-MAC honors in both 2001 and 2003, plus Second-Team All-Mid-Am in 2002. Prior to the 2003 season, Azar made several honor units in various national publications---Honorable Mention All-America from Street & Smith’s College Football and collegefootballnews.com, plus “Best of the Rest” All-America by Playboy. This summer, he was rated the nation’s No. 9 placekicker by Phil Steele’s College Football and No. 10 in the same department by The Sporting News.

“There aren’t too many better kickers around better than Steve Azar,” Novak added.

The Mid-Am Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year awards will be announced Tuesday (December 2) and the recipient of the prestigious Vern Smith Leadership Award will be named on Wednesday (December 3) prior to the MAC Championship Game between Miami and Bowling Green State Thursday (December 4).

(For further information, please contact Mike Korcek) -NIU-