It’s 1983.

The final episode of “M*A*S*H” just aired, the United States invaded Grenada, Madonna released her first record – yes, that circular black thing – and if you owned a Cabbage Patch Kid, you were “rad.”

What most may not remember about that year is the NIU football team won its first bowl game – the California Bowl – in 18 years.

They did so behind quarterback Tim Tyrell, team MVP and MAC Most Outstanding Player.

“We sold out every game,” Tyrell said. “Every game students would charge the field after a win.”

Students did more than just charge the field. They tore down five goalposts during the season, including two in one game. All were dumped into the lagoon.

Tyrell led what he called a well-balanced offense that utilized his speed through the triple-option – where a quarterback is under center with a fullback and running back stacked directly behind him.

“We didn’t throw the ball much,” Tyrell said. “When we did, we ran a lot of play-action and plays where I could sprint out.”

The Huskies’ offense led the MAC with 26.7 points per game after they were picked in the preseason to finish sixth in the conference.

A 37-34 win at Kansas kicked off the season, but NIU was trounced by Wisconsin, 37-9, the following week.

“We scored first, but we fumbled later and lost our confidence,” Tyrell said. “But we knew we had the ability to play at that next level, and coaches Bill Mallory and Joe Novak kept us grounded.”

Tyrell, who wasn’t named a team captain, led the team to a 10-2 record after two years in the junior college ranks.

Part of the NIU All-Century team, Tyrell threw for 1,718 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his two years as a Huskie.

However, it wasn’t Tyrell’s arm that would get him a shot in the NFL. Current head coach Joe Novak, an assistant under Mallory, can attest to this.

“He wasn’t a very good passer at all,” Novak said. “He was a tremendous leader and competitor. The team would split into two groups and run the stadium ramps. Tim would come in the afternoon group and ask what the fastest time was in the morning, and always beat it.”

Receiving looks from the Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons, Tyrell was told he’d have to play cornerback, at least by the first three teams.

Atlanta offered Tyrell a shot at fullback, but he would be one of 10 backs invited to camp as a free agent. The 10 didn’t include the four running backs Atlanta already had on its roster.

“I literally thought my chances were a million to one,” Tyrell said. “With the short time you get in an NFL camp, it would’ve took way too long to adjust to defense. There wasn’t really even an open spot.”

Tyrell said his intensity and what Mallory and Novak taught him about living life after the “game” at NIU was what kept him going.

“We wore a suit and tie to games like the players do now, and were never allowed to eat with a hat on,” Tyrell said. “It’s how you carry yourself and make the most of your opportunity.”

Tyrell signed with Atlanta as a free agent for the league minimum of $65,000 a year and made his name by being what he calls a “ballistic” player on special teams.

“I was about 200 pounds,” Tyrell said. “But size didn’t matter. I had to throw my body around with reckless abandon. If I was going to make a mistake, it was going to be at full speed.”

Tyrell said he didn’t want to end his football career saying “would’ve, could’ve, should’ve.” However, his intensity on game day, and especially in practice, was not favored by the veterans on the squad.

“As you keep working you slowly become noticed,” Tyrell said. “But honestly, the older guys hated that I went full speed all the time.”

Tyrell also went on to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills. His NFL career ended in 1990.

Now a sales manager in Chicago for Any Junk Construction, which sends out cleanup crews to home development sites, Tyrell will sit around and wonder how he’s even still walking.

“It’s a short time, but when your break comes, you have to shine because the window of opportunity closes quickly,” Tyrell said. “I just loved the game and never looked back. I always felt capable of my abilities and never thought I wasn’t better than anyone else.”