2015 Camp Central | Video Preview

Throughout fall camp, NIUHuskies.com will preview every position on the 2015 Northern Illinois University football team, continuing today with the linebackers. Thursday's position group: Wide receivers.

DeKALB - The NIU linebacking corps enters the 2015 season with a healthy mixture of young and old players. Though this may be worrisome to some Huskie fans, the Huskies have been in this predicament before and have come through to produce at least one All-Mid American Conference selection in four of the last five years. Competition has been the key to the Huskies' success at the second level of the defense.

There's a fresh face in charge of the group this season as Ross Watson takes as coach of the linebackers in 2015. Watson arrived in DeKalb in January after stints at Youngstown State, Florida Atlantic, Nebraska and his alma mater, Mount Union.

"The guys are bringing great energy and that's the thing we've been coaching up with these guys," said Watson on how the group has performed in camp. "When we're out here it's time to go and I've been very impressed and pleased with that, but that's something we have to continue. That's a one-time conversation on how we do things and we need to continue on that path."

Last season, the Huskie linebackers combined for 344 total stops, 29.5 behind the line of scrimmage, with eight sacks, four fumble recoveries and five forced fumbles. In 2015, NIU returns 74 percent of its total tackles at the linebacker position.

Two of the Huskies most experienced linebackers, senior Boomer Mays (Lawrence, Kan./Eudora) and junior Sean Folliard (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge), lead the group this season and will be looked upon to again produce big plays for NIU.

Mays, originally signed as a long snapper, appeared in 41 games with 31 starts at the mike linebacker position for the Huskies. The Lawrence, Kansas native proved to be a powerful run-stopper in 2014 as he made nine stops behind the line of scrimmage, tied for the most by any returning player.

With at least five tackles in eight games proving his consistency, Mays was named second team All-MAC at the end of last year. His high level of play earned him preseason accolades from Phil Steele, who named him to the All-MAC First Team in his preseason college football preview.

Watson says Mays brings more than just numbers to the NIU defense.

"Boomer brings a lot of experience to the position and can shed some light on the program and its history and where it has come from. He's a great resource for the younger guys to have" said Watson.

With a knack for being in the right place and making big plays at the right time, Folliard had a breakout season in 2014 with 65 tackles, eight behind the line of scrimmage. As a sophomore, he recorded 3.5 sacks for losses of 29 yards with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, the only player with multiple forced and recovered fumbles in 2014.

His last forced fumble of 2014 came late in the fourth quarter at Western Michigan setup Drew Hare's final score to seal the Huskies fifth-straight MAC West Championship. Huskie fans caught their first glimpse of Folliard's big play ability as a freshman when he blocked a point after touchdown attempt against Bowling Green in the MAC Championship game.

"Sean's been a guy who's been great with the younger guys, showing them the ropes and doing things as simple as showing them how to turn on the computer and how to work the remote to watch film. Sean's great about that," Watson said.

Other players returning to the squad are reserves Jamaal Payton (Bellwood, Ill./Proviso West) and Bobby Jones IV (Miami Gardens, Fla./Monsignor Pace), who both played in all 14 games last season. Payton recorded 37 stops and was one of the team's top special teams contributors as well as a situational linebacker, and was named the Huskies' Special Teams Player of the Week three times last season. Jones totaled 11 tackles, including three in his collegiate debut versus Presbyterian.

"Both of those guys are pushing everyday. I tell them both that their résumé is on tape. The nice thing about all our guys is that there's a younger guy that is pushing them to try and take their positions away. The more competition we have in the meeting room, the better we're going to be this year," Watson added.

Of the 12 linebackers on this year's squad, four are first-year players with two more redshirt freshmen, Renard Cheren (Lake Worth, Fla./Park Vista) and Will Daniels (Green Bay, Wis./Preble) on the roster.

"These guys are in the standard swimming phase right now as I like to call it. They've hit day seven of camp and now it's about who can mentally take all the things that we're throwing at them right now," said Watson. "Those are the guys who can really separate themselves. It's one thing to compete physically but it's the young guys who can compete mentally that will see playing time."

PRACTICE No. 7 UPDATE
The NIU Huskies learned the meaning of the team's motto "The Hard Way" on Wednesday as the team used the old facilities - the locker room and training room - at Huskie Stadium to show the younger members of the team the roots of the program.

Prior to the NIU Athletics Department unveiling of the Yordon Center in 2007 and the Chessick Center in 2013, the football program along with many other athletic programs, were housed inside Huskie Stadium, sharing the locker room and the cramped training room.

View the video on "Living The Hard Way" here and hear from defensive end Perez Ford, as well as equipment coordinator Mike Valentine on how the operation came about.


NIUHuskies.com's 2015 Camp Central is your place for all the news and updates on the NIU Football team's preparations for the 2015 season. There you'll find practice updates, position previews, video interviews and highlights as well as practice schedule changes and more all throughout camp.

NIU Football 2015 season tickets are still on sale and remain the best value in Chicagoland. Season ticket prices begin for as little as $99, a 61 percent discount off the single game price. Other ticket options include two different three-game mini-plans for just $75, the new Huskie Family Pack, which includes four season tickets in sections A, B, F or G of Huskie Stadium for just $299 or the Young Alumni Ticket, with two East Side season tickets for $115 for all 2014-15 NIU graduates. Faculty and staff, senior citizens (62 and over) and NIU Alumni Association members can purchase season tickets for just $115.

In addition to the Seats for Soldiers program for donated tickets, single game, three-game mini-plan and group tickets are on sale now. Check out the 50th Anniversary ticket special presented by Hy-Vee offering tickets in section A and G on the West Side of Huskie Stadium for $19.65 each. These tickets are available for purchase online only by using the promo code "1965" CLICK HERE to order.

To become an NIU season ticket holder or to purchase mini-plans, the Family Pack or single game tickets, go online anytime to NIUHuskies.com/tickets or call 815-753-PACK (7225) Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Or check out the premium areas available for 2015, including bench back seating, the Coaches' Club or the new End Zone Club! The Huskies' newest premium area is located at field level, just outside of the South End Zone and provides fans with a completely unique view of the action, as well as food and beverages. For more information, go to huskieathleticfund.com.