DeKALB | He’s one of the most famous athletes ever to come out of NIU. No, he never played football or was an All-American. Heck, he didn’t even set any school records.

In fact, Frank Rusnak never even played an official sport at NIU — he’s a poker player.

But don’t tell this NIU alumnus poker isn’t a rewarding sport, as Rusnak recently walked away from a World Poker Tour final table with roughly $245,000.

Rusnak navigated his way through a field of 931 players to become one of the final six, earning national television exposure in the process. The episodes featuring Rusnak will air June 6 on the Travel Channel.

Before the hype caught up with this burgeoning poker star, the Northern Star had a chance to talk with Rusnak, a former sports editor of this very newspaper.

Northern Star: How did your poker career start?

Frank Rusnak: I got into poker while at NIU. Marc Marin, my roommate [and fellow Northern Star alumnus], and a couple neighbors just got a game going one night. I had no idea how to play and lost all my money that night. But then I started to play on the Internet. I learned what a straight, full house and flush was, and here I am.

NS: So, you came into poker a few years ago knowing nothing about it?

FR: Exactly. I didn’t know a whole lot. I didn’t even watch poker on TV because I didn’t know the rules. Now it seems easy, but then I didn’t even give it the time of day. I would just flip to the next channel.

NS: Did you ever look up to a player and try to mimic a style?

FR: I look up to Jarrod Rice [a friend and the Northern Star’s current campus assistant editor]. He beat me twice heads-up (laughing).

No, I really don’t look up to anybody. I’ve played with most of the superstars the last half year, and they don’t intimidate me.

NS: Here’s the big question: Is poker a sport or a game?

FR: What’s the definition of a sport? I’ve never really thought about it.

I think poker is a sport of the mind. I mean, some of the fattest people win. But it’s a game of smarts, wits and out-thinking your opponent. It’s a sport of the mind, if you consider that sports takes wits. You’re playing against other guys, and it’s true that there’s an element of luck. But over time, chance is nullified and over a lifetime it’s 100 percent skill.

NS: Any plans to name a building at NIU with that $245,00 before Barsema takes them all?

FR: Let me get a couple more wins under my belt first.

NS: Then what’s the plan for your winnings?

FR: A combination of going into the bank and investing with the hopes of an early retirement, and back to the poker community. I’m going back to L.A. in February to play.

NS: What’s going on in February?

FR: It’s the Los Angeles Poker Classic, another World Poker Tour event. They say L.A. is the poker capital of the world, despite Vegas, and there’s plenty of dead money out there.

NS: So, what explanation did you give your employer (The Chicago Sun-Times) for needing the days off?

FR: Actually, I specifically didn’t tell anyone at work. Poker gets a bad stigma. People look at players as degenerates. Over the summer I told one of my bosses that I was taking two weeks off to play at the World Series of Poker. He gave me an ultimatum of my job or the poker event. I had already won a $10,000 seat though, so I called his bluff.

NS: Was the office as negative this time around?

FR: I didn’t have cell phone service in the Bahamas. As soon as my phone caught connection it about exploded. My voicemail box and text messages were full and my phone was making all these weird sounds. It turns out that everyone was following me and knew. The Sun-Times actually set up two full pages for me. They had this huge photo and design before they even talked to me. I guess it’s not so bad when you make a lot of money and get on TV.

Ben Gross is a sports reporter for the Northern Star.