The football career of Huskie inside linebacker Steve Henriksen has been one of injuries and setbacks.

This season, however, has been one of confidence and comebacks for the junior.

After earning the starting RILB job in spring drills, Henriksen looked forward to his first full season on the defensive side of the ball.

“I’ve waited a long time for this,” he said before his first career start against Eastern Illinois. “I’m just gonna go out there and play my hardest.”

Henriksen did just that, recording a game-high 18 tackles against the Panthers, in a 28-17 NIU victory.

After sitting out his freshman year as a Prop 48 casualty, the outlook on the 1988 season didn’t look like Henriksen was going to make any tackles.

“My sophomore year I came in as a linebacker, and then moved to fullback because we didn’t have much depth there,” he said. “At the time, (Adam) Dach was a freshman, he was coming in just like me. The first few weeks of fall camp I was doing really well, then I screwed up my neck and was out for a week.”

Then Dach took control and the rest is NIU rushing history.

Henriksen finished the season with 84 yards on 13 carries in six games. His biggest game at fullback came against Southern Illinois (Oct. 22 ‘88) when he racked up 54 yards on nine carries.

“I never really liked fullback that much,” he said.

The following winter, the coaching staff moved Henriksen back to linebacker and planned to redshirt him because of a surplus at the linebacker spot.

“They said not to play too complacent, to still try even though I was going to be redshirted,” he said. “So I went ahead and tried and they decided to play me.”

He saw action in three early games in 1989, mostly on special teams. Then on Oct. 23, he underwent surgery on his shoulder and was granted a medical hardship redshirt for the season.

Before he really had a chance to make his return in spring drills last April, he suffered yet another setback.

“Back in March, I was working at home trying to make some money,” he said, “and I got into a little chainsaw accident.”

That little accident got him 66 stitches in his forehead after the saw kicked back at him.

“The doctors said I was very lucky. I almost lost my eye.”

The injury forced him to miss two weeks of spring practice because he couldn’t put a helmet on. He had to earn back his starting position upon returning, and did that by collecting 13 stops in the spring game.

And he hasn’t stopped amassing tackles. Through the three games this fall he has a team leading 56 tackles, including 25 last week against Toledo.

Does he keep all the credit for himself?

“The defensive line is doing a great job,” he said. “It’s my job to make tackles and it’s their job to keep me clean. So they must be doing their job if I’m making all these tackles.”

Defensive coordinator Tim McGuire is pleased with Henriksen’s play but knows it could be better.

“He needs to be more consistent in his play,” he said. “He’s really been playing hard and we’re proud of that. We try to make him practice hard all week, but when you make 25 tackles you’re gonna be a little sore.”

As the season progresses, Henriksen feels that his performances will also.

“I’ve been through a lot and I won’t settle for anything less than a great season from myself.”