Aug. 24, 2015

DeKALB, Ill. -- Justin McCareins, Northern Illinois University's all-time leader in every major receiving category, leads off the Top 10 Countdown on NIU's list of the 50 Greatest Players in Huskie Stadium history, presented by Compass Mortgage, checking in at No. 10.

NIU announced the first 40 players on the 50 Greatest Players list in random order daily this summer before counting down the Top 10 in reverse order from August 24 through September 4, the day before NIU opens the 2015 football campaign at home versus UNLV. The Huskies will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Huskie Stadium throughout the 2015 season with special ticket pricing, 1965 Throwback Uniforms for the first game and more.

McCareins, a Naperville, Illinois native who came to NIU from Naperville North High School, caught 204 passes for 2,991 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns as a wide receiver during a stellar four-year career with the Huskies from 1997-2000. Fifteen years later, those numbers still top NIU's all-time receiving charts.

"Justin was always striving to be perfect," said former NIU Head Coach Joe Novak, a member of the selection committee which voted on the Top 10, and McCareins head coach throughout his NIU career. "He had a tremendous amount of self-pride, a great work ethic and a real desire to be really good. He had great, very soft hands. He ran good routes and was a disciplined player."

McCareins, who was inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011, led the Huskies in receiving yards in 1998, 1999 and 2000. He earned first team All Mid-American Conference and honorable mention All-America honors as a senior when he caught 66 passes for 1,168 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also earned the MAC Special Teams Player of the Year Award with 411 kickoff return and a then-school record 362 punt return yards on 19 returns for a 19.1 average that still stands as the second-highest for a single season in school history. His 2,014 all-purpose yards for that season rank fourth on the single season record list, as do his 4,367 career all-purpose yards. During his career, he recorded a school-record 13 100-yard receiving games.

Tops on that list of 100-yard games are the career-high 189 yards on 11 catches and one score he put up in a 31-14 loss at Auburn in 2000. Novak remembers that game not only for McCareins' stellar performance but also as a game that helped the Huskies turn the corner to become the winning program it remains today.

"Auburn was a big game," Novak said. "Justin was unstoppable that day. We ran him on a lot of different routes. We got beat, but it was a game where our kids said, `we can compete' and I think that was a pivotal game in us getting that thing turned around to get confidence and believe we were a good football team."

Following his career at NIU, McCareins was drafted in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. He played with the Titans from 2001-03 before being traded to the New York Jets. His four seasons with the Jets (2004-07) were highlighted by a 56-catch, 770-yard season in 2004. McCareins finished his NFL career by rejoining the Titans in 2008. He remains NIU's all-time leading receiver in the NFL as well with 3,676 career receiving yards.

The 50 Greatest Players, including the Top 10 in order, were selected by vote of a 13-member committee of current and former staff members, NIU's long-time radio broadcast team, Huskie Hall of Famers like George Bork and Joe Novak and individuals whose affiliation with the NIU football program collectively dates back hundreds of years. In order to qualify to be considered, players must have competed in Huskie Stadium, which opened Nov. 6, 1965.

See the entire list here.

Each of the living 50 Greatest Players has been invited to return to Huskie Stadium for a game of their choice this season, at which time they will be honored on the field as "Huskie Legends".

In honor of the 50th Anniversary of Huskie Stadium, NIU is offering special $19.65 ticket pricing, presented by Hy-Vee, for all Huskie home football games this year. Purchase tickets in section A and G on the West Side of Huskie Stadium online for $19.65 each. These tickets are available for purchase at this special price online only by using the promo code "1965". CLICK HERE to order now or go to NIUHuskies.com/tickets.

On Saturday, NIU announced that the Huskie team will wear 1965 Throwback uniforms for its 2015 season opening game versus UNLV on Sept. 5 at Huskie Stadium. The uniforms, including the helmet decals, jerseys and socks, replicate those worn by the 1965 NIU squad that posted a perfect 9-0 regular season record. More than 20 members of the 1965 team will hold a 50-Year Reunion on Sept. 4-5 and will be honored during the NIU-UNLV game. The Throwback jerseys will be auctioned off on the Huskies' official athletics website at NIUHuskies.com.

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.

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.

-- NIU --

Twitter: @NIUAthletics
Facebook: NIU Huskies