(03-14-2023 10:40 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  

(03-14-2023 09:26 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(03-14-2023 08:36 PM)Big Red Wrote:  

(03-14-2023 08:29 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  The NIU to NFL pipeline is looking pretty soft these days. Need to pick up the recruiting and development fast. The current staff has completely underwhelmed in that respect and NIU might have zero NFL presence in a few years. Would hate to see that but certainly seems possible.

Pretty liberal use of the phrase "to the NFL pipeline" there.

IDK.....Maybe not a pipeline but a steady flow:

01 - Hampton, Mccareins, Diem
02 - Hill
04 - Fleck, Sandy, Turner
05 - Cieslak
06 - Williams, Hurd
07 - Wolfe,Free, Nordin
09 - English
10 - Davis
11 - Spann, Smith, Wilson
12 - Harnish, Palmer, Wedige
14 - Ward, Bishop, Melvin
15 - Brown
16 - TLL
17 - Golladay
18 - Beebe
19 - Scharping, Smith, Blake
21 - Heflin, Steckler

17 out of 21 seasons NIU managed to put 33 players on an NFL roster. There hasn't been a two year gap where no NIU player hasn't made an NFL team. But I feel like one is coming.

That is a very very nice list. Thank you for putting that together.

Hammock needs to step up. As much grief as we give Carey. He put out some NFL talent.

How different is this list from any other MAC school? Is NIU an outlier?

(03-15-2023 07:43 AM)Big Red Wrote:  

(03-14-2023 10:40 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  

(03-14-2023 09:26 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(03-14-2023 08:36 PM)Big Red Wrote:  

(03-14-2023 08:29 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  The NIU to NFL pipeline is looking pretty soft these days. Need to pick up the recruiting and development fast. The current staff has completely underwhelmed in that respect and NIU might have zero NFL presence in a few years. Would hate to see that but certainly seems possible.

Pretty liberal use of the phrase "to the NFL pipeline" there.

IDK.....Maybe not a pipeline but a steady flow:

01 - Hampton, Mccareins, Diem
02 - Hill
04 - Fleck, Sandy, Turner
05 - Cieslak
06 - Williams, Hurd
07 - Wolfe,Free, Nordin
09 - English
10 - Davis
11 - Spann, Smith, Wilson
12 - Harnish, Palmer, Wedige
14 - Ward, Bishop, Melvin
15 - Brown
16 - TLL
17 - Golladay
18 - Beebe
19 - Scharping, Smith, Blake
21 - Heflin, Steckler

17 out of 21 seasons NIU managed to put 33 players on an NFL roster. There hasn't been a two year gap where no NIU player hasn't made an NFL team. But I feel like one is coming.

That is a very very nice list. Thank you for putting that together.

Hammock needs to step up. As much grief as we give Carey. He put out some NFL talent.

How different is this list from any other MAC school? Is NIU an outlier?

The hell if I know…I imagine it varies era to era, which was the original point. What era are we headed into talent wise?

To be fair, it takes 4 to 5 years for a coach to show his recruits are NFL caliber. Hammocks talent will reveal itself over the next couple years.

Anyone remember John Spilis in the late 60s? I saw him play my freshman year. He was drafted by the Packers.