Forgive Chad Spann if he didn’t jump for joy when told the Northern Star had named him the best Huskie of 2010-11.

The former NIU running back has been a little preoccupied after going undrafted in last month’s NFL Draft. Spann had interest from multiple teams, but none pulled the trigger on the back that ran for 2,916 yards and a school-record 49 touchdowns in four years at NIU.

In 2010, while helping the Huskies to an 11-3 record, including a 40-17 victory in the uDrove Humanitarian Bowl, Spann rushed for 1,429 yards and 22 touchdowns on the year. The senior received the Vern Smith Award, as the MAC’s MVP, and was also named the conference’s offensive player of the year.

“Looking back, I’m still very proud of what we were able to accomplish,” Spann said. “We won our first bowl game in a long time, and it was just tremendous.”

In other years, going undrafted would be a minor inconvenience for a sure-fire free-agent signee like Spann. This year is different, though.

No free agents can be signed during the NFL’s current labor situation, meaning Spann is forced to wait by the phone for the call that tells him the lockout has been lifted. Considering how much interest Spann received on draft day, though, a contract may not be far behind a new NFL labor agreement.

“Hopefully it happens right away, because teams are looking to get guys in,” said Spann’s agent, Ken McNeill. “Things will start to happen immediately after the lockout is lifted, and there are a handful teams that I can’t name right now that like Chad a lot.”

Perhaps the likeliest landing spot for Spann is with his hometown team, the Indianapolis Colts. Head coach Jim Caldwell said on draft day that the team would be interested in Spann as a free agent if he didn’t get drafted.

Spann also received interest from Seattle, New York Giants, Carolina and Philadelphia.

Coming in as a freshman, Spann had to earn a scholarship from then-head coach Joe Novak as a walk-on player. Four years later, the Huskie running back was celebrating a MAC MVP award.

“When I first came [to NIU], I wasn’t thinking ‘I’m going to be the best player in the conference,'” Spann said. “I set realistic goals. That’s the kind of approach I’m going to take to the NFL. I’m not going in thinking I’m going to be a Pro Bowler as a rookie free agent…I’ve done it before, and I haven’t forgotten how to do it.”