Super Bowl Sunday will be a homecoming for NIU wrestling standout Johnny Galloway.

With his hometown of Waterloo only a 10-minute drive away, the 165-pound sophomore is anxious to make the trip to Cedar Falls to face Northern Iowa.

“I know I will be very excited,” Galloway said. “I will get to go back to my home town and wrestle in front of all my family and friends, so that will be a good match to me.”

Galloway’s return to his home state will feature the No. 23 Huskies (11-3) against No. 13 Northern Iowa (4-7) at 2 p.m. Sunday. NIU opens the weekend by hosting Eastern Illinois (1-5) at 7:05 p.m. today at the Convocation Center.

It didn’t take long for Galloway to build a reputation as a top-tier wrestler. He won three straight state championships for Iowa City High, and a second-place finish at the NAIA national championships earned him All-American status at Lindenwood University in St. Louis last season.

The 20-year-old claims his prep and collegiate success is due to his youth wrestling days.

“I would attribute it to the club I was in,” Galloway said. “I was in a wrestling club since I was in second grade. They taught me all about my techniques.”

Now in his first season at NIU, Galloway earned the 165-pound starting spot and has produced a team-best 21-6 record with five pins.

Fellow first-year starter Chad Vandiver has been impressed by his teammate’s success in his first year at a Division I program.

“Johnny has been wrestling tough,” said the 125-pound freshman. “He’s so explosive, he can get you from anywhere and can take you down at anytime.”

NIU coach Dave Grant knew he was getting a quality young wrestler before the season even began.

“We knew he was good from the start,” Grant said. “He was a three-time Iowa state champion. He had great credentials, so of course we wanted him.”

Despite being a centerpiece on a youthful NIU squad, the Waterloo native would rather have attention be directed to the team over his individual accomplishments. Even though the Huskies won 11 straight meets at one point this season, Galloway insists the team has not yet peaked.

“The peak will be a MAC championship,” Galloway said, “and that’s what we want. Every match we’ve had so far has been a little stepping stone to get to St. Louis.”

After his successful freshman campaign at Lindenwood, the NIU sophomore would enjoy another homecoming in March at St. Louis – site of this year’s NCAA national championships.

“I see myself winning [a national title] this year,” Galloway said. “I have to have confidence that I am going to win every time I go out on the mat. I don’t see why I can’t win it this year.”