Football | August 14

DeKALB, Ill. – With four players who started at least seven games on the offensive line for the Northern Illinois University football team a year ago, it would be easy to assume that the Huskies will simply fill one position and reload.
 
That assumption is proving far from true as 11 practices into 2019 preseason camp, the offensive line is seeing some of the most competitive battles for playing time, with even the new true freshmen and redshirt freshmen entering the fray.
 
"Quite candidly, we have healthy competition all over the board right now," said NIU offensive line coach Daryl Agpalsa.  "We have guys that are competing at the guard position, and there's some at the tackle position too. The one thing we talk about all the time is trust in competition, building trust with what you do on and off the field. The competition is helping make everybody better."
 
With three of the Huskie seniors and most veteran players – Jordan Steckler, Christopher Perez, Jr. and Nathan Veloz – back on the field after missing spring practices, depth is quickly building. Juniors Benn Olson, Isaac Hawn and Brayden Patton, as well as redshirt freshmen Nolan Potter and Marques Cox have all worked with the first two teams during preseason camp.  Add graduate transfer Andrew Starr, who was a three-year starter and all-conference player at Sacred Heart University, and head coach Thomas Hammock likes the group even before talking about the talented young freshmen the Huskies have added in 2019.
 
"I like where we are (on the offensive line). I think we've got probably seven maybe eight guys right now that are probably game ready," Hammock said. "I think we've got some guys that are showing leadership and being physical and I think that's the start for any good offense. We've got guys competing. We've got some pieces. We've just got to figure out who's the best five and then who are the next two or three that can that can go in and play multiple spots."
 
Steckler, who has started 30 games over the last three seasons and earned all-conference honors in 2017, says the entire group brings a workman-like mentality to every day. 
 
"We don't work hard to be recognized, we work hard so that our offense can play well, and our team can feed off our energy to win games," Steckler said. "That's all we care about. We've got that chip on our shoulder too, like most people on the team. We try to emphasize that in our room. We know we're a good group, we have a lot of talent but at the end of the day that doesn't matter if we're not working."
 
For some of the linemen, that involves working at multiple positions. Perez, who started all 11 games he played at left guard last year, has moved into the center spot. Starr has played both guard and tackle during camp. Veloz has also spent time at both guard and tackle in the past.  That versatility can lead to playing time, according to Agpalsa.
 
"We sell them on the fact that the more positions they play, the more ability there is to get on the field," Agpalsa said. "There's always a balancing act, sometimes it can be too much. At the end of the day, the more they can play, the more they can help our ballclub and the more opportunity they have to get on the field."
 
The group of newcomers looking to make an early impact and get on the field is led by true freshmen Leif Engstrand, at 6-8, the tallest player on the team, and Logan Zschernitz.  Both have benefitted from the way NIU has run preseason practices with two "fields" going simultaneously.
 
"With the way we practice, those [younger] guys have gotten a lot more reps than they normally would, over the course of a fall camp," Hammock said. "They get anywhere from 12 to 20 quality reps of team that normally freshmen just go through individual and do a couple things. We split up the practices so that they can have an opportunity to develop. I think that's only going to help us."
 
For Agpalsa, building a strong – and deep – offensive line is critical to the team's success, and his group is moving in the right direction.
 
"I really believe this," he said. "The game of football really revolves around the offensive line and the defensive line, it really makes football what it is. I think this group is moving in the right direction. They're working hard, they take a lot of ownership in what they do. We have a long way to go, we have to continue to improve but the progress we're making right now is good. We're focused on getting better day by day."
 
After enjoying an off day from practice Tuesday, part of which was spent at Hopkins Park Pool in DeKalb, NIU practiced for just over two hours in shells (helmets, shoulder pads, shorts) Wednesday at Huskie Stadium. 
 
Season Tickets for all five 2019 NIU home games are still available, starting at as little as $60 for an East Side (general admission) season ticket. Purchase four tickets for family or a group of friends on either the East or West Side for as little as $55 or $75 per person with the Huskie Family Pack. 
 
Three-game Mini-Plans, which include a choice of any two Saturday and either #MACtion (weeknight) game are just $70 each for all three games, while the new Huskie Flex Pass offers the chance to purchase a minimum of five tickets to any game or combination of games for $75, or just $15 each. The new Saturdays Special includes a ticket to all three Saturday home games as well as a voucher good for a hot dog, chips and a soda for each game for just $110.
 
To renew or purchase new season tickets and #JointhePack for 2019, click the links above, which are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Tickets are also available by calling 815-753-PACK (7225), emailing huskiestickets@niu.edu or stopping by the NIU Athletics Ticket Office in the Convocation Center, which is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
-- NIU --