Four-year, 54-game starter played in every Huskie game in four seasons. Set the school record for most games played in a career and helped NIU to a combined 22-6 record in 2010 and 2011. Named to the 2011 preseason Watch Lists for the Outland Trophy (interior lineman) and Rotary Lombardi Award (lineman).
2011: Started all 14 games at left tackle for the Huskies as a senior... Finished his career with 54 starts - every game of his NIU career... Set school record for games played... NIU went 35-19 during Olson[apos]s years as a starter, including a 22-6 mark his final two seasons... Consensus First Team All Mid-American Conference selection... Named Fourth Team All-American by Phil Steele... Recognized on the preseason Watch Lists for the Outland Trophy and Rotary Lombardi Award... Earned the NIU co-Offensive Lineman of the Year award from the team[apos]s coaching staff... One of four senior starters on the Huskie offensive line in 2011... Part of the offensive line that powered NIU to 476 yards of total offense per game, second in the MAC and 11th in the nation... O-line gave up just 12 sacks in 14 games to rank 10th in the country for fewest sacks allowed... Helped NIU gain 400 yards or more of total offense in 10 games, including a season-high 710 yards versus Ball State (11-15) that ranks as the second-highest single game mark in NIU history... The Huskies ranked in the top 20 nationally in rushing offense (11th), total offense (11th), scoring offense (12th), passing efficiency (17th) and sacks allowed (10th)... Offense ranked in the top five of the conference in eight different statistical categories... Led the way for Chandler Harnish[apos]s 1,379 rushing yards and Jasmin Hopkins[apos] 956 yards on the ground... The NIU offense broke 12 single-season records, including passing yards (3,386), touchdowns (67), net yards gained (6,664) and yards per game (476).
2010: Started all 14 games at left tackle. Consensus first team All Mid-American Conference selection, earning the honor from league coaches, Rivals.com, Phil Steele[apos]s Magazine and CollegeFootballNews.com. Named Northern Illinois[apos] Offensive Lineman of the Year. Leader of the Northern Illinois offensive line which paved the way for the Huskies[apos] record-setting, MAC-leading 2010 offense. The NIU offense broke eight school single season records in 2010, including points scored (532), points per game (38.0), total offensive yards (6,300), yards per game (450.0), first downs (303) and touchdowns (65). The 2010 Huskies set the MAC all-time record for rushing yards in a season and ranked seventh in the country in rushing offense with 260.4 yards per game. Led the way for Chad Spann to become the school[apos]s 11th 1,000-yard rusher in the past 12 years. The NIU offensive line allowed the fewest sacks in the league with 13 in 14 games. Member of the offensive line that paved the way for Chad Spann[apos]s 223 yard rushing night at Minnesota (9-25). Named the Huskies[apos] Offensive Lineman of the Week for the Eastern Michigan (11-26) game after NIU tallied 646 yards, tied for the fourth-most in history and 544 rushing yards, the second-highest total all-time. Also earned Offensive Linemen of the Week recognition after helping lead the NIU rushing attack to 510 yards of total offense against North Dakota (9-11). Honored as NIU[apos]s Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week after helping lead the Huskie offense to 520 total yards at Akron (10-2). Earned his third NIU Offensive lineman of the Week honor after helping the Huskie offense to 441 yards against Buffalo (10-16).
2009: Named to third team All-MAC squad by Phil Steele[apos]s Magazine. Earned the Huskies[apos] offensive lineman/blocker of the week honor versus Wisconsin (9-5). Member of the Huskie offense that ranked tied for seventh in the nation in red zone offense, scoring on 44-of-47 trips inside its opponents[apos] 20-yard line with 27 touchdowns and 17 field goals. NIU offense led the MAC and ranked 19th nationally in rushing with 195.15 yards per game, including a season-best 418 versus Eastern Michigan (11-5). Huskies allowed only 15 sacks on the year, the fewest in the league.
2008: Started in all 13 games on the offensive line. Named the Huskies[apos] offensive lineman of the week on Nov. 12 versus Central Michigan. Improved each week of the season, according to offensive line coach Matt Limegrover. The line did not allow a sack in seven of the Huskies[apos] 13 games as NIU averaged 335.1 yards of total offense per game. NIU had 22 rushing touchdowns and 13 passing TDs. Huskies put up 339 yards of total offense against Louisiana Tech (12-28) in the Independence Bowl.
2007: Redshirted.
High School: Earned first team all-conference honors as a junior and senior. Named to the All-Area first team his senior year by the Richfield Sun-Current. Selected to MinnesotaPreps.com All-State second team as a senior. Nominated for the Minnesota High School Football Coaches All-Star Game. Played offensive tackle, defensive tackle, and kicker at Richfield High. Elected a team captain as a senior. His grandfather, Warren Olson, is in the Minnesota Football Coaches Hall of Fame. Three-year football letterwinner who also played three years of golf and two years of hockey at the varsity level.
Personal: Born July 1, 1988 in Edina, Minn. Son of Lisa and Todd Olson. Enjoys hunting and fishing. Earned his degree in history last spring and is doing post-bachelor[apos]s work in sociology
