NIU wide receiver Shatone Powers had entertained the thought of playing two sports at NIU.

When Powers came in as a freshman, NIU basketball coach Rob Judson and NIU football coach Joe Novak had an arrangement that would have allowed Powers to play both football and basketball. It also would have made him the first two-sport athlete since Vaurice Patterson in1996.

But Powers couldn’t keep up his end of the bargain and played only football the past three years.

That is, up until Wednesday.

Northern Star: So when did you get the call to play basketball?

Shatone Powers: Coach Judson talked to Coach Novak last week because the basketball team has had some bad breaks with injuries. And because I’m a senior Coach Novak thought I could handle playing both sports.

NS: So what’s it like actually getting to play two sports?

SP: It’s a lot different. I mean, my first practice for basketball we played four-on-four full court for the first half of practice. I have to get my basketball legs back, but it was a lot of fun.

NS: How much different are the basketball practices compared to football?

SP: Well I don’t know how basketball will be, but I know football is fun for the first couple of practices and then it gets real tough.

NS: Tonight you actually looked like you were going into the game and then you went and sat back on the bench. What happened there?

SP: [Laughs] Well, I was getting really excited on the bench and Coach Judson was saying he was thinking of putting me in. Then he yelled, ‘Go get Mike [McKinney]’ and so I jumped up to go get him, but then I realized he was telling somebody else to go into the game.

NS: What will it be like when you do get into your first game?

SP: I know it’s going to be a lot faster. I know that from football. But the main thing is that the team has made me feel real welcome. So I know that everything is going to be all right.

NS: Is there anyone in particular who has helped ease the transition?

SP: Coach [Donald] Whiteside has been shaping me up. We’ve been doing one-on-one drills. And he’s been teaching me how to shoot, because no one ever taught me how to shoot in high school.

NS: What if you had to pick one sport?

SP: If I had to pick I’d probably go with football. But that’s only because I have been playing it for seven years and it has done so many good things for me in college.