In the midst of the summer heat, about 40 members of the NIU football team have been doing their sweating indoors as they prepare for the forthcoming season.

The Huskie players in DeKalb this summer have been working out every day at Huskie Stadium by lifting weights and running. The rest of coach Jerry Pettibone’s squad have been doing their preparations at home.

“We sent all the players a workout program to follow to prepare them for the season, so they should all be doing the same workout,” Pettibone said.

The Huskies are working out at the stadium without the guidance of a strength coach. NIU Athletic Director Gerald O’Dell said he hoped to have a temporary strength coach on campus by the beginning of next semester; an idea Pettibone supports.

“We need a university strength coach here at Northern, not just for football but for the whole athletic program,” Pettibone said. “This is the next step to show (prospective players) we are going in the right direction with our program. Almost all other Division I schools have a strength coach, and I feel it would be a productive part of the athletic program.”

Two Huskie veterans who might have benefitted from the presence of a strength coach this summer are seniors Marshall Taylor and Tim Peshek. Taylor, a standout wishbone quarterback who led NIU in rushing last year, has been recovering from a broken ankle suffered in last season’s final game. However, the liklihood of a full recovery for Taylor appears high.

“Marshall is coming along real well,” Pettibone said of Taylor. “He is showing good signs (of making a complete recovery), and his strength is coming back.”

Peshek, NIU’s top fullback in 1987, sustained a serious knee injury last season and “is not yet fully recovered,” Pettibone said. The NIU coach added that a decision on Peshek’s future with the Huskies will be made next week.

Though official practices do not begin until August 12, freshmen are expected to report to Pettibone and his staff August 9. One of those freshman hopefuls is recently signed placekicker Matt Golden.

The 6-foot-3, 170-pound soccer-style kicker was a Second-Team All-State selection out of Dugway, Utah. Golden set a school record with a 54-yard field goal last season. He is expected to serve as a backup to NIU kicker John Ivanic, though Golden will probably handle kickoffs. Golden’s talents are not limited to football as he has competed in Junior Olympic skiing.