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2024 NIU Football Roster

Lon Horwedel
Nate Manley
Scott Walstrom, NIU
Scott Walstrom, NIU
Scott Walstrom, NIU
Scott Walstrom, NIU
Mark Mahan

82 Tristen Tewes

  • Height 6-3
  • Weight 251
  • Class Redshirt Senior
  • Position Tight End
  • Hometown Pleasant Plains, Ill.
  • High School Pleasant Plains

Biography

Career
• In 58 games played between 2019-24, caught 34 passes for 356 yards with four touchdowns. 
• Averaged 10.5 yards per catch for his career.
• Key part of the Huskies’ success in the run game over the last four years.  
• Spent his first two seasons at NIU at linebacker before moving to tight end in 2021.
 
2024
• One of top blocking tight ends on the Huskie team. 
• Caught six passes for 41 yards with a touchdown on the season.
• Had a 12-yard reception in NIU’s historic win over No. 5 Notre Dame (9-7).
• Hauled in a pair of passes for 10 yards versus Buffalo (9-21).
• Scored on a seven-yard reception to give NIU a 14-7 lead at Western Michigan (11-6).
• Also recorded receptions against Bowling Green (10-12) and Akron (11-13).
• NIU ranked second in the MAC in total offense (382.2 yards/game)
• The Huskies averaged 203.8 rushing yards per game to rank 16th nationally.
• NIU gained 350 or more yards in nine of 13 games on the season.
• Led the way to six 100-plus yard rushing games by Huskie backs in 2024.
• Part of blocking crew that led the way to 388 yards and an average of 6.0 yards per play to power the Huskies’ historic upset of No. 5 Notre Dame (9-7). 
• Helped the Huskies to a season-high 706 yards of total offense versus Western Illinois (8/31), the third highest total in school history.
• Earned Academic All-MAC and CSC Academic All-District honors.  

2023
• Veteran tight end saw action in 12 games with five starts.
• Used primarily as a blocker in 2023 with three catches for 34 yards on the season.
• Started three of the last four games of the season, including the Camellia Bowl versus Arkansas State (12-23). 
• Caught a season-long 18-yard pass in the Huskie win.
• Also had catches of six and 10 yards versus Tulsa (9-23) and Central Michigan (10-31), respectively. 
• Helped lead the way to Antario Brown’s 1,296 rushing yards which ranked 15th nationally.   
• NIU offense racked up 506 yards of total offense at Central Michigan. 
• Contributed as a blocker to NIU’s season-high 380 rushing yards and 571 yards of total offense at Akron (10-7).
• Played on kickoff return team. 
• Earned CSC Academic All-District and Academic All-MAC honors. 

2022
•    Played in eight games with three starts at tight end.
•    Totaled 15 catches for 180 yards with three touchdowns. 
•    Caught a career-high six passes at Kentucky (9-24) for 37 yards.
•    Scored the first two touchdowns of his NIU career on two- and three-yard receptions, the second tying the score at 14 with six seconds left in the first half. 
•    Caught three passes for a career-high 70 yards against Central Michigan (11-2), scoring on a 34-yard touchdown pass.
•    Made four receptions for 64 yards in NIU’s win at Western Michigan (11-9).
•    Also recorded catches versus Vanderbilt (9-17) and at Ohio (10-22). 
•    Did not play in the first two games and missed the Ball State (10-1) and (10-8) Toledo contests. 
•    Received Academic All-MAC and CSC Academic All-District honors. 
•    Earned recognition in the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society. 

2021
•    Key contributor at tight end and on special teams while playing in all 14 games and starting six.
•    Caught 10 passes for 101 yards to average 10.1 yards per catch. 
•    Season-long 21-yard reception came versus Maine (9-25).
•    Had a 15-yard catch at Michigan (9-18), leading all Huskies in receiving yards in the game. 
•    Recorded a season-best two catches for eight yards at Kent State (11-3).
•    Made at least one catch in nine games, including one grab in five consecutive games between the Wyoming (9-11) and Toledo (10-9) games.
•    Tallied an 11-yard reception in the Cure Bowl vs. Coastal Carolina (12-17). 
•    Scored on a two-point conversion pass from Rocky Lombardi at Central Michigan (10-23). 
•    Returned four kickoffs for 24 yards as an up-man on the kickoff return team, including a season-long 12-yard return in the Cure Bowl. 
•    In addition to the kickoff return team, served as a blocker on the field goal/PAT unit. 
•    Member of the 2021 Academic All-MAC team.

2020
• Participated in all six games.
• Served on kickoff and kickoff return teams.
• Credited with six tackles.

2019
• Participated in four games during redshirt season on special teams.
• Saw first action as a Huskie at Miami (10-19) as a member of the kickoff return squad.

HIGH SCHOOL
• A four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at Pleasant Plains Hight School.
• A first team all-conference selection on both offense and defense as a junior.
• Named IHSFCA All-State as a senior.
• Made 131 total tackles, 103 solo, his senior season.
• Helped lead Pleasant Plains to a spot in the state championship game his junior season.
• Also lettered in basketball and track and field.

PERSONAL
• Born December 22 in Springfield, Illinois.
• Son of Tammy and Paul Tewes
• Earned his bachelor's degree in environmental studies in December 2022.

Statistics

Season:
2024

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 82

    2019Freshman

    Linebacker
    6'3" 215 lbs
    82
  • 82

    2020Redshirt Freshman

    Linebacker
    6'3" 232 lbs
    82
  • 82

    2021Redshirt Freshman

    Tight End
    6'3" 246 lbs
    82
  • 82

    2022Redshirt Sophomore

    Tight End
    6'3" 251 lbs
    82
  • 82

    2023Redshirt Junior

    Tight End
    6'3" 251 lbs
    82
  • 82

    2024Redshirt Senior

    Tight End
    6'3" 251 lbs
    82