DeKALB – On the heels of one of the best passing performances in NIU football history, redshirt junior quarterback Ethan Hampton has taken home the first Huskie of the Week honor of the new school year and the first of his career.

After being named NIU’s starting quarterback minutes before kickoff of Saturday’s season opener versus Western Illinois University, Hampton passed for 328 yards and five touchdowns in less than three quarters of action. He finished the game with a passer efficiency rating of 310.3 to break NIU’s single-game record.

The Huskie veteran’s five scores are tied for sixth all-time in school history and the most by an NIU passer in over a decade. Hampton was also named the Mid-American Conference Football Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.

Hampton is the second NIU quarterback to receive Huskie of the Week honors since the award was introduced in September 2022. His predecessor and longtime mentor Rocky Lombardi was named the first-ever Huskie of the Week on Sept. 12, 2022.

Next week’s Huskie of the Week will be announced Sept. 9.

The Northern Star sports section’s Huskie of the Week is voted for on a weekly basis. Student-athletes considered for this week’s edition were chosen based on their weekly performance in competitions taking place from Aug. 26 to Sept. 1.