This year, the NIU football team can look forward to heading into the season with a winning record under its belt. Next year, the squad can look forward to having a part of the Best-of-the-West on its side.

NIU’s coaching staff has landed the Chicago Sun-Times Best-of-the-West participant, Sonjee Roberson. The Best-of-the-West match is a new end-of-the-season game for the all-star players picked by the Sun-Times.

The 6-foot-5, 260-pound lineman is expected to sign with the Huskies. However, Roberson is a Proposition 48 casualty and will not be eligible to play until the 1990 season.

“I chose Northen Illinois because of the coaches and the school (facilities),” Roberson said. “They offered me more of a degree situation and I need that because my grades aren’t so hot right now.”

Gary Olson, Roberson’s coach from Oak Park-River Forest, said Roberson is classified by recruiters as “one of the top linemen in the state of Illinois.”

“He’s very hard working and very diligent,” Olson said. “He’s definitely one of our leaders – not really vocally, but he’s congenial.”

Olson said Roberson “didn’t get the recognition he probably would have gotten,” in high school since he missed three games because of an injury. Roberson had sprained his ankle in the third game of his football season, but he said his ankle is “fine” now.

Besides Northen Illinois , Roberson said the University of Illinois and a couple of other schools showed interest in him, but he “turned them down.”

Other sports which Roberson has participated in during his high school career are wrestling (one-and-a-half years), shot put in track (three years) and the high-jump in track (one year.) He said he might try his hand at baseball this season since it’s his senior year.

Off the field, Roberson has made an accomplishment which he takes pride in. He reached the status of Eagle Scout two years ago.

Olson said he doesn’t think Roberson will have trouble adjusting to college football, even after he sits out a year.

“He doesn’t give up easy – he doesn’t know the word ‘give up,'” Olson said. “I think sitting out will help him make the academic adjustment.”