Aug. 18, 2014
Saturday's Uniform Release
DeKALB - It seemed like just another team meeting in the McCareins Room at the Yordon Center Saturday, August 16.
Head Coach Rod Carey showed a real sense of urgency in the final minutes leading up to the meeting, yelling for position coaches to call the players that were not in the meeting room.
The urgency in his eyes quickly turned to frustration as he instructed the coaches to close the doors in the McCareins Room to start the meeting, locking the doors behind the players who were late.
"What are we doing?", exclaimed Carey in vexation to the group, "we put in work here and we talk about being a family and I got guys who aren't here? That is not good enough! I don't care what you think we are and what we can become, we don't have anything if these guys aren't here! If you can't lead, how are they supposed to follow?"
The tension in the room only increased when there was knocking on the doors outside of the meeting room, to which a disapproving Carey just turned away and the lights went out.
After a few seconds in the ambivalent dark, the players would soon find out that they were in the dark the entire time.
A piano scale then played over the speaker system, followed by thundering bass as the hip-hop beat dropped in the room and the doors of the McCareins Room opened and the seven missing players walked into the room as silhouettes from the bright light, donning all new uniforms and helmets for the Huskies upcoming season. As the lights came on in the room, the players cheered and pounded the tables in excitement for the new uniforms.
Take a look at the behind the scenes footage from NIUHUskies.com of the football staffs ultimate prank that ultimately led to cheers.
The Huskies kick off the season versus Presbyterian in 10 days. Season tickets for the 2014 campaign, as well as single game tickets, are on sale now through the NIU Athletics Ticket Office, online at www.NIUHuskies.com or by calling 815-753-PACK (7225) during regular business hours. Season tickets provide a substantial savings over single-game tickets and provide the same ticket location for every game.
Fans will also be encouraged to join fellow Huskie fans, Huskie student-athletes and Huskie legends in The Yard, the new official pregame tailgate of NIU Athletics. Located on the west lawn of Huskie Stadium, The Yard opens 2 ½ hours before game time and will offer food for purchase, a beer garden, Kids' Zone, large screen television, live bands and more! Make plans to come out to The Yard before every home game this season!
