DEKALB, Ill. – With each play on the field starting right in front of them, it's inevitable that defensive tackles will be in the center of the action, but for the 2019 Northern Illinois Huskies their veteran defensive tackles help set a tone even before the ball is snapped. 

"It all starts in the middle," said NIU defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Jordan Gigli. "Those are the two guys closest to the football, doing the dirty work, and fortunately I've got some guys with some great personalities, great character, some charisma and they lead vocally as much as they do on the field. I think our team, not only defense but the offense as well feeds off their energy."

A quartet of veterans spearhead that effort, led by seniors Ben LeRoy (Wilmette, Ill./Loyola Academy) and Marcus Kelly (Waukesha, Wis./West) as well as juniors Jack Heflin (Prophetstown, Ill./Erie-Prophetstown) and Weston Kramer (Naperville, Ill./Marmion Academy), a group that Gigli is happy to have as a starting point up front on the defensive side of the ball. 

"They are working, getting better every day," said Gigli, who comes to NIU following five seasons at North Dakota. "I've got a veteran group, so that helps, these guys have played a lot of football, they have won a lot of games, so they know a little bit of what it takes. We are just trying to get better at one thing each day and the culmination of that after 27 or 28 practices before Illinois State, hopefully we will be ready to roll."

LeRoy appeared in all 14 games during the 2018 season, making nine starts, and ranked third among NIU's defensive linemen with 34 tackles. The Wilmette, Ill., native made a career-high eight tackles, which included 1.5 sacks, against Central Michigan (Sept. 22). 

Kelly made his first career start in the season opener a year ago at Iowa, recording a career-best five tackles against the Hawkeyes, and would go on to see action in all 14 games a season ago. 

A Third Team All-MAC selection, Heflin was third on the team with six sacks a season ago and ranked fourth in tackles for loss with eight. The native of Prophetstown, Ill., made his first start at Toledo and found himself in the Rockets backfield all night as he finished with seven tackles, including 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss, in a 38-15 Huskie victory. 

Kramer led NIU's interior defensive line with 38 tackles last season, which including 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, while making 13 starts. After appearing in every game of his true freshman season in 2017, Kramer continued to be a consistent presence as a sophomore in 2018 as he recorded at least two tackles in 11 of NIU's 14 games. 

"You have four returners that have been through the trenches and been through the battles that this program has had," Gigli remarked of the quartet of LeRoy, Kelly, Heflin and Kramer. "They are leading the way with some talented young players that we have, including two young freshmen that are coming along pushing for playing time. The good thing is, as a group they are making my job very hard setting a depth chart coming up in a couple of weeks."

Of that group of newcomers, Gigli pointed toward true freshmen Demond Taylor (East St. Louis, Ill./East St. Louis) and James Ester (Detroit, Mich./Cass Tech) as players fighting to get in the rotation and at least play in the four games available while still maintaining a redshirt under new NCAA rules. Gigli also likes the progress of redshirt freshman Jeffrey Griffin Jr. (Homewood, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) who has moved inside from defensive end. 

With the first game of a new era in Huskie football just a little over two weeks away, Gigli has been pleased with how his group has adapted to a new staff and looks forward to continued success from the Huskie defensive tackles. 

"Anytime there is a coaching change there is always change," Gigli said. "These guys have bought into what we have brought here as a program, a culture and they challenge me every day. I probably learn more from them than they learn from me, it challenges me to bring my 'A' game to meetings, film and practice every day because we have guys that have played a lot of football and they are all very good. They are all very coachable, played a lot of games, have a lot of accolades but they are still willing to get better and you can win a lot of ball games with a group like that."

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.