Dec. 15, 2011
DeKALB, Ill. - After winning Northern Illinois' first Mid-American Conference Championships in 28 years, winning 10 games for the second consecutive season and riding an eight game winning streak, three members of the Northern Illinois football team were named All-Americans this week, marking the first time that the Huskies have had as many as three players honored since the 1993 season.
Senior center Scott Wedige (Elkhorn, Wis./Elkhorn Area HS) was named a second team All-American by CBSSports.com, quarterback Chandler Harnish (Bluffton, Ind./Norwell HS) earned honorable mention All-America honors from SI.com and left tackle Trevor Olson (Richfield, Minn./Richfield HS) received fourth team All-America recognition from Phil Steele as all three media outlets recognized the excellence displayed by the Huskie offense in 2011.
Wedige becomes the first Northern Illinois player since Michael Turner in 2003 to be selected as a postseason first or second team All-American. Running back Garrett Wolfe (2006), offensive tackle Doug Free (2006) and defensive end Larry English (2008) were all third team choices with English the last NIU player named to an All-America team.
Wedige and Olson lead an offensive line that ranks fifth in the nation in sacks allowed, having given up only nine sacks in 13 games this season. The Huskies also rank ninth in the nation in rushing offense and 10th in total offense. NIU is averaging 38.3 points per game and scored 40 or more points in nine contests this season. Wedige is a two-year starter while Olson has started a school record 53 consecutive games at left tackle, every NIU game of the last four seasons.
"I am really proud of the guys who have earned these individual honors; they are all very deserving," said NIU Head Coach Dave Doeren. "They are great representatives of the NIU football program on the field and in the classroom. The body of work they have speaks for itself. To have three players named All-Americans from our offense says a lot about the coaching staff and what our offense was able to do this year in addition to their abilities as players."
Harnish, the MAC's 2011 Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner as league MVP, was also a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and won a National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete Award and $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. He is the first Huskie quarterback to earn All-America honors of any kind since 1990 when Stacey Robinson starred under center for NIU. Robinson was an honorable mention All-America selection by three media organizations (UPI, Football News and Pro Football Weekly) in 1990 and garnered honorable mention All-America status from The Sporting News and Football News in 1989. Entering his final game in a Northern Illinois uniform, Harnish has already set 23 school records and put himself in elite company all-time in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history with his rushing (1,382) and passing (2,942) yardage totals in 2011.
In addition to the three All-America honorees, Northern Illinois kicker Mathew Sims, who set the school record for points scored by a kicker and kicked two game-winning field goals on the season, was an honorable mention choice on College Football News' All-Sophomore team. Sims made a 33-yard field goal as time expired versus Ohio in the MAC Championship game to give NIU its first title since 1983.
Northern Illinois (10-3) is preparing for a meeting versus Sun Belt Champion Arkansas State (10-2) in the 2012 GoDaddy.com Bowl in Mobile, Ala. on Sunday, Jan. 8. NIU fans can purchase tickets to the game for $45 each online at www.NIUHuskies.com and can see information on travel and fan packages (deadline Friday, Dec. 16) through the Bowl Central link on NIUHuskies.com. The game will air on ESPN and can be heard on WLBK 1360 AM in DeKalb and WSCR 670 AM in Chicago.
-- NIU -
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