Late into the NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears drafted Garrett Wolfe, solidifying his place as the top NIU athlete of not only for this year, but perhaps in history.

“I’ve been a coach for a long time,” said head coach Joe Novak. “But Wolfe is one of the top five players I’ve ever coached. He’s a natural football player. Things come very easy for him.”

Don’t be surprised if Wolfe is more than just a kick returner opposite of Devin Hester, Novak said. “I think the Bears liked the fact that he caught the ball so well. They’re not going to draft a player in the third round just to return kicks. They already have Devin Hester.”

Though few things about Wolfe could ever be considered soft, Bears head coach Lovie Smith saw first-hand Friday Wolfe’s soft hands. “He made some great catches today,” Smith said on the Bears’ Web site. “We knew that he was a quick player. We got a chance to see him in the open field, making a couple guys miss. Garrett Wolfe is a good player. He should be able to help us a little bit this year.”

Wolfe caught 28 passes in 2006, and in only his sophomore season, he caught three TDs.

The 5’7″, 177-pound tailback was the second-highest NIU player picked in the NFL draft. Wolfe was drafted 93rd overall, while LeShon Johnson was drafted 84th overall to Bears’ rival Green Bay Packers. Wolfe will likely be used as a change-of-pace back, backing up Cedric Benson.

The Bears were one of several teams that showed a considerable interest in drafting Wolfe. Novak said the possibility of another team drafting the NCAA’s top rusher this past season may have inspired the Bears to pick up Wolfe when they could. Wolfe gained 1,928 yards and holds the NCAA record for yards per carry, 6.4.

Wolfe arrived at Halas Hall last Thursday for physicals, equipment fitting, and photo ops, and met coaches for mini camp, according the Bears’ Web site.

As a rusher, Wolfe’s most memorable moments included a 325-yard performance against Eastern Michigan in his sophomore season, back-to-back 270-yard games against Western Michigan – in which he reached the end zone five times – and Akron in 2005. Against the NCAA national championship runner-up Ohio State, Wolfe amassed 172 yards on the ground and caught five passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. OSU was the No. 1 team in the nation at that time.

Novak said he wasn’t sure how much of an impact Wolfe will have on recruiting, but said Wolfe has set a good example for present and future NIU football players.

“He’s a great representative,” Novak said. “When his playing days are over, I’d like to see him back at NIU. He’s a great speaker, is picking up his degree this week, and is a positive alumni of NIU.”