Susan English fondly remembers a promotional deal on children jeans during the ’90s.

Sears knew kids were rough on their clothes. It’s just in the nature of a child – they’re really not thinking about their clothing, they’re thinking about having fun.

So to help parents on tight budgets, the mega-store offered this deal: if your child ripped their pair of jeans, and needed a new pair in the same size, they would give you a replacement pair of jeans for free.

Susan English jumped on this bargain for her young son. And that child, Larry English, made full use of the promotional deal.

“He had 28 pairs of pants that he teared from football,” English’s mother said. “They used to ask me, ‘how could a child tear that many pants?'”

The way the current NIU defensive end tore that many pairs of pants was by playing football with his friends – on asphalt. No wonder Huskie head coach Jerry Kill thinks English is one of the most dedicated football players he’s ever coached.

“[English’s] purpose is to get better and to be the best he can be,” the first-year coach said. “To me, it’s about being the best you can be, and Larry does that as well anybody on our team and as well as anyone that I’ve coached.”

It was the mother of the Bronko Nagurski Watch List nominee who instilled a strong work ethic in English and his sister. Susan taught them to be thankful for the gifts God gave them, as she had seen it in action all through her life: especially in football.

Her family was first introduced to football through English’s grandfather, who played semi-professionally about 60 years ago. Football stayed in the family with her older brother Charles Richardson, English’s uncle. In the early ’70s, Richardson played fullback for the University of Wisconsin.

Finally there’s English’s cousin Eric Barnes. The standout at Purdue was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1958 and stayed in the Windy City until 1960. He played for the New York Giants from 1961 to 1964, and was then traded to the Cleveland Browns, where he would end his career in 1971. Over his 13-year career Barnes was named All-Pro with each team.

However, English wasn’t just born into a football family – his family is a football family.

“My family plans all year for the weekend get-a-ways, the away games and stuff like that,” the 2007 MAC MVP said. “They really look forward to it.”

And looking forward to games is putting it lightly. For the English family, every trip is planned to the exact minute. If Susan is late to pick up her retired father by just a couple seconds, she’ll get an earful – jokingly of course.

But the journey to games is only half the fun. Although English doesn’t look up to the stands after he records a tackle for a loss or a sack, which he has 43 and 24.5 respectively in his NIU career, he hears the roar of his personal cheering section.

“Sometimes I actually hear them during the games,” the Aurora, IL., native said. “There’s been a couple games where it seems they’re about the only people in the stands so I can hear them. It’s good to have the support.”

Support is what Susan wants to give her child, and all the NIU players. Last year English’s mother had 26 friends and family at the Navy game in Maryland. Susan said she has been contacted by 35 people so far looking for tickets for this week.

“I was just teasing [Larry],” she said. “There’s been about 35 people that called about tickets. I had to call Eric Schultz [Director of the Convocation Center Ticket Office] to find out how all these people could get tickets.”

But in all honesty, it doesn’t matter how many friends or family members can come to the game for this mother. Cold or warm, sunny or rainy, win or lose, she’ll be out there.

“I will be honest. I lose my voice from the first game of August to the end of the season,” the mother said. “It’s worth it.”

In reality, it’s always been worth it for this mother – even if she did have to go to Sears 28 times to get Larry a new pair of jeans.