Last season, Central Michigan received a pleasant surprise in the form of a 5-foot-6, 190-pound running back from Mirimar, Fla.

After the departure of the graduated Robbie Mixon in 2002, Chippewa freshman Jerry Seymour did what he could to help the CMU faithful adjust to a third back in as many seasons.

Like Mixon in 2002 and Terrence Jackson in 2001, Seymour, a true freshman, rushed for more than 1,000 yards to lead the Chippewas’ offense.

“You never expect that kind of success from a freshman,” said Adam Kieft, Central Michigan offensive tackle. “It was definitely a surprise and a bonus.”

Seymour finished the season with 1,117 yards and eight touchdowns in nine games for the Chippewas. His average of 124.11 yards per game was good enough for ninth in the nation and third in the MAC.

“My size and just being low to the ground are some of my strong points,” Seymour said. “I can hide behind the offensive lineman.”

On Saturday, he will make his first personal impression on the Huskies when CMU faces NIU at 3:05 p.m. at Huskie Stadium.

“Seymour does a great job of making you miss,” NIU coach Joe Novak said. “He’s not very big, but he is physical, like Garrett [Wolfe]. If it’s a matter of one guy in the open field, we’re going to have a heck of a time tackling him.”

His accomplishments made him the third Chippewa to win the MAC Freshman of the Year Award while he also was named to the Freshman All-American Team.

“He’s a special individual,” Kieft said. “To come in and do what he did speaks volume about the type of player he is.”

Last season, Seymour missed three games because of a leg injury. One of the games he missed was a 40-24 home loss at the hands of NIU.

Despite not facing him last season, Novak knows all about the back Kieft said is often compared to Barry Sanders.

“He’ll make people miss,” Novak said. “I don’t care how good you are. What you’ve got to try to do is get as many guys around you as you can. That’s just hustling to the football, which I like to think we do anyway. Maybe even overemphasize getting guys around the ball, so if he does make somebody miss you’ve got other folks there to make a play on him. But if it’s one-on-one, he’s going to win that battle a lot.”

Seymour is comparable in size to the 5-foot-7, 171-pound Wolfe. The two are also atop the MAC for rushing, with Seymour leading the way with 562 yards in five games.

“[Seymour] is a great back, but by having Garrett Wolfe on our team, it has helped prepare us,” NIU defensive end Travis Moore said. “They’re both slashers, quick, low to the ground, small, and if you don’t wrap them up, they’ll make you miss.”

Wolfe has 13 touchdowns on the season, while Seymour has just one.

“Being a running back in the MAC is what motivates me,” Seymour said. “Being in the MAC, you don’t get that respect, so it’s just that chip on my shoulder.”