NIU didn’t have anyone playing in Sunday’s Super Bowl, but next year we may again have Huskies in the mecca of all football games.

The last time an NIU player was in the Super Bowl was 1992, when Clarence Vaughn was victorious with the Washington Redskins.

NIU was close this year. Justin McCareins and Darrell Hill of the Tennessee Titans, Ryan Diem of the Indianapolis Colts and Hollis Thomas of the Philadelphia Eagles all made it deep into the playoffs.

These three teams are perennial powerhouses and staples for the playoffs for years to come, so their chances remain.

There should have been two alumni in the big game, but Peyton Manning decided to revisit his old ways against New England in the AFC conference championship and had his worst game of the season. That hurt Diem, preventing him from making a trip to Houston.

And the Eagles would have been Super Bowl-bound had Chicago product Donovan McNabb not been injured. But even if they did make it past the Panthers, Thomas wouldn’t have played, because of a torn left bicep muscle that ended his season.

McCareins and Hill should feel proud because their Titans teammates were eliminated 17-14 by the eventual Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots.

That is the now, but the future looks brighter.

The Huskies will have a better shot of having some representation at next year’s Super Bowl, mainly because some of the current Huskies will be in the league.

Many experts place tailback Michael “The Burner” Turner going anywhere from the second to the fifth round. According to Scouts Inc., Turner will be gone before the third round is finished.

A running back with his size (237 pounds), speed (4.41 in the 40) and quickness to turn the corner, should be a factor for teams next season.

Halfway through last season, linebacker Nick Duffy broke his right fibula while leading the Huskies in tackles. NFLdraftcountdown.com states that Duffy will be a quality backup and an excellent special teams player.

Even though his leg was broken, he should get a shot to showcase his talents at the next level, and someone will take a shot on him.

Steve Azar, the MAC’s all-time leader in kick-scoring points, will be on a roster at the start of next season.

A good kicker is important – look at how many games are won or lost by them.

Tell me, could you see Azar kicking the ball out of bounds on a kickoff with a minute left in the biggest game of his life?

Certainly not. Look what happened in Sunday’s game when John Kasay did: His team ended up losing. So, don’t try to say placekickers aren’t important.

The probability of NIU having another player in the Super Bowl in the near future isn’t too far off. With Randee Drew, Leonard Cooksey, Todd Ghilani, P.J. Fleck, Akil Grant and Vinson Reynolds all having agents, it could become a reality much sooner than many think.