Rod Carey may as well be known as the “Midwest Express.”

The new offensive line coach for NIU has made stops in various states in America’s heartland. Carey has coached in the Midwest throughout his 13-year collegiate coaching career, including stops at North Dakota, Illinois State, Wisconsin-Stout and Minnesota.

“I think it’s where you get jobs and the way you know people,” Carey said of coaching in the Midwest for so long. “So when you go up to the Midwest and you know people, it’s kind of where you get jobs.”

Coincidentally, Carey coached against the Huskies last season while he was the offensive line coach for North Dakota.

“When we got a chance to play [against NIU last year,] I didn’t really know anybody on coach [Jerry] Kill’s staff, but it’s always been a place I’ve known about and had great respect for,” Carey said. “I’m real fortunate to have gotten the job and feel fortunate to be on with coach [Dave] Doeren.”

Carey will get to work with a veteran offensive line that features two 2010 First Team All-MAC members, tackle Trevor Olson and center Scott Wedige.

Guard Joe Pawlak made All-MAC Second Team offense as well.

“[Carey’s] a great guy,” Wedige said. “He works really hard and knows his offensive line play. I’m really excited to get to know him in the spring.”

From their brief meetings, Wedige has gotten the early impression that Carey is going to push himself and his teammates hard in practice. Wedige said he feels that the NIU offensive line will be watching film a lot under Carey too.

“I think he’s going to be really hard on us and push us to the best we can be,” Wedige said. “I also think he’s going to be a great teacher and really teach us well in the film room.”

Carey’s philosophy is that having his players watch film will gives them an opportunity to see what they’re doing right and wrong with their techniques.

“We spend more time in there looking at probably the same play over, over and over again,” Carey said. “We talk about footwork and hand placement and [helmet] placement.”

With a talented group up front, Carey just wants to make Wedige and the other Huskies offensive lineman better and not have them regress from the major progress they made last season.

“I just hope I don’t screw it up, right?” Carey said.