Editor’s note: From the bleachers is a weekly column to run every Wednesday. Done by Colin Decair, deemed one of the biggest NIU sports observers, he is separated from the Northern Star sports staff. His goal is to give a fan’s view of all major happenings on campus relating with athletics. Columns, unlike regular articles, are the author’s opinion.

In this day and age, the face of athletics has become less about the purity of competition and more about the almighty dollar. Professionals care less about the pride of a title, instead looking for a better-paying contract.

Now you see college athletes suing pro leagues for not allowing early entry into a draft. National pride has even been put on the back burner because a few NBA All-Stars didn’t want to miss their summer tee-times.

Hope is not lost, though. NIU’s Josh Haldi has yet to succumb to the glitz and glamour that national media attention has to offer. The Madison, Ohio native has gone from small-town high school star to the smartest QB in the Mid-American Conference in a span of only two years.

For most players of Haldi’s stature, quenching a fan’s thirst for knowledge is no longer a priority. More and more often you’ll find little kids with a broken heart because their favorite player was too important to give them a high five.

Armed with both ability and great knowledge of the game, Haldi’s no-mistake offensive style has the quarterback a mere 2,135 passing yards away from surpassing long-time Huskie great George Bork’s 41-year-old record. None of this has caused a loss of appreciation for Haldi’s fans.

Soon after NIU’s 23-22 victory over Southern Illinois on Saturday, Haldi was seen mingling with the fans, giving back to the community that has made him its golden boy. He had more than enough time to sign programs, hats and even hoodies of several young Huskies fans. No. 10 also left one member of the NIU Pup Club awestruck as he and Haldi tossed a Nerf football back and forth.

After bringing a smile to several children’s faces, he found time to talk Huskies football with some NIU students and their families while tailgating. He never once shied away from any questions asked. It didn’t matter whether the fans asked him about the stress fracture in his foot or if he’d be back in time for conference play, questions he has without a doubt heard a million times in the last two weeks. He just smiled and answered.

That Saturday, no child went home disappointed and no football fan’s thirst for knowledge went unquenched. In a world where money is making athlete’s decisions, it is good to see that there are still athletes who find the thrill of the game a priority.

Both on and off the field, no word describes Haldi better than “class.”