The Northern Illinois University football team concluded the most successful decade in school history, appropriately, with a 17-14 victory over Western Michigan in the 2019 regular season finale. With the decade coming to a close, it's only fitting to reflect on the accomplishments on this incredible time in Huskie football history.
 
From 2010-19, the Huskies posted 91 victories, the 13th most in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, won four MAC championships, appeared in seven MAC Championship games, posted eight winning seasons, and made the only BCS bowl game appearance by a Mid-American Conference school. The Huskies also collected seven of their 16 total "Boneyard Wins" in the last 10 years, including victories at Iowa (2013) and Nebraska (2017).

NIU Record by Decade

1950-59	32-57-1
1960-69	63-33-1
1970-79	42-65-2
1980-89	56-52-2
1990-99	32-78
2000-09	68-53
2010-19	91-44

 
Several players distinguished themselves on and off the field between 2010-19. When quarterback Jordan Lynch finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2013, he became the top MAC player in the history of the award. Nine Huskies earned All-America honors, including 2017 Consensus All-American Sutton Smith, while four took home Academic All-America accolades, with a school record three in 2012.
 
Four Huskies garnered league MVP awards as NIU players took home half of the MAC's Vern Smith Leadership Awards in the decade, including four straight from 2010-13. Tailback Chad Spann began the streak by winning the award in 2010. Quarterback Chandler Harnish took the honor in 2011, and Lynch won the award in 2012 and 2013. Smith claimed the Vern Smith Award in 2018 to cap his two-time All-America career.
 
Over the last 10 years, 64 Huskie players earned 91 All-MAC honors, 12 more than the previous decade.

NIU Year-by-Year This Decade

Year	Overall	MAC	Postseason	Head Coach
2010	11-3	8-0	MACC Game (L); Bowl Game (W)	Jerry Kill/Tom Matukewicz
2011	11-3	7-1	MACC Game (W); Bowl Game (W)	Dave Doeren
2012	12-2	8-0	MACC Game (W); Bowl Game (L)	Dave Doeren/Rod Carey
2013	12-2	8-0	MACC Game (L); Bowl Game (L)	Rod Carey
2014	11-3	7-1	MACC Game (W); Bowl Game (L)	Rod Carey
2015	8-6	6-2	MACC Game (L); Bowl Game (L)	Rod Carey
2016	5-7	5-3		Rod Carey
2017	8-5	6-2	Bowl Game (L)	Rod Carey
2018	8-6	6-2	MACC Game (W); Bowl Game (L)	Rod Carey
2019	5-7	4-4		Thomas Hammock

Take a minute and let all that sink in.
 
After a remarkable decade of Huskie Football, compiling just one All-Decade Team proved to be a challenge. In fact, considering all the great players who have donned the Red and Black the last 10 years, it was impossible to narrow it down to just one. Thus, we present the Huskies' first and second All-Decade Team for 2010-19.  
 
The selection process was straightforward, but it wasn't easy. Any Huskie that played between 2010 and 2019, even if just one year, was eligible. Huskie All-Americans, All-MAC honorees and league MVPs were automatically on the list, and from there it was pared down. If those didn't distinguish one player over another, the NIU record book was the deciding factor.
 
Our all-decade team consists of 45 All-MAC selections, including two players, Sean Progar and Max Scharping, who earned first-team All-MAC accolades three consecutive seasons, and four Vern Smith Award winners.
 
We want to hear from Huskie Nation about your favorite NIU Football memories from the past decade. Be sure to check all three of NIU's social media accounts, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, every day this week. Each day will be devoted to one category, including Team of the Decade, Game of the Decade, Player of the Decade, Performance of the Decade and Moment of the Decade. Though many people will undoubtedly have the same response for some of these categories, it's not a vote, or a poll. This is just a chance to celebrate and relive the last 10 years before moving on to the next great decade of Huskie Football.

NIU All-Decade Team

	FIRST	TEAM	SECOND	TEAM
OFFENSE
QB	Jordan Lynch $*+#	2010-13	Chandler Harnish $*+	2008-11
RB	Chad Spann *+	2007-10	Joel Bouagnon *	2013-16
C	Andrew Ness *	2012-15	Scott Wedige $*	2009-11
OL	Jared Volk *	2010-13	Joe Pawlak *	2008-11
OL	Aidan Conlon *	2012-15	Jordan Steckler *	2016-19
OL	Max Scharping $*	2015-18	Levon Myers *	2013-16
OL	Trevor Olson $*	2008-11	Tyler Loos *	2012-14
WR	Kenny Golladay *	2015-16	Perez Ashford *	2009-12
WR	Tommylee Lewis $*	2011-13, 15	Nathan Palmer *	2008-11
WR	Martel Moore *	2009-12	Da'Ron Brown *	2011-14
TE	Shane Wimann *	2014-17	Jason Schepler *	2008-10, 12
DEFENSE
DE	Sutton Smith $*+	2016-18	Alan Baxter *	2009-12
DE	Sean Progar *	2009-12	Josh Corcoran *	2015-18
DT	Ken Bishop *	2012-13	D.J. Pirkle	2007-10
DT	Jack Heflin *	2017-Present	Nabal Jefferson	2009-12
CB	Shawun Lurry *	2014-17	Rashaan Melvin	2010-12
CB	Paris Logan *	2012-15	Chris Smith *	2009-10
S	Jimmie Ward $*	2010-13	Dechane Durante *	2011-14
S	Marlon Moore *	2012-15	Mykelti Williams *	2017-19
LB	Jamal Bass *	2011-14	Bobby Jones IV *	2014-17
LB	Boomer Mays *	2012-15	Jawuan Johnson *	2015-17
LB	Antonio Jones-Davis *	2016-19	Alex Kube *	2007-10
SPECIALISTS
RET	Aregeros Turner *	2013-16	Tommy Davis *	2009-11
P	Matt Ference	2017-Present	Tyler Wedel	2011-14
K	Mathew Sims *	2010-13	Christian Hagan *	2014-17
				# - Heisman Finalist
				$ - All-American
				* - All-MAC
				+ - Vern Smith Award