For injured NIU football quarterback Josh Haldi, his time on the sidelines since practice began on Friday has been difficult.

After getting surgery on his right thumb in January, he now is down to a protective brace he wears on his hand. Initially injuring his thumb the first game of last season, Haldi suffered through the pain throughout the year. The pain he has now doesn’t necessarily sting worse than during the season, but it’s a different kind of pain.

“It’s really been frustrating,” Haldi said. “Hopefully these next three weeks go by quick.”

Haldi thought he may be ready to come back for spring practices, but that thought was deflated when the doctor said he needed more rest and rehabilitation time.

Practices for the 6-foot-2, 200-pound rising junior go a lot slower when he’s relegated to the sidelines in street garb.

“When you’re out there in the huddles and stuff, that’s what makes football so fun,” Haldi said. “But it’s more important for me to play against Maryland rather than go out there now against our guys.”

For Haldi, and the other injured Huskies, they all tend to gravitate toward each other while unable to play.

“We all stick together, and everybody’s just frustrated,” Haldi said. “P.J. [Fleck] is obviously frustrated going through all of last year on the sidelines.”

Fleck, who began his senior year in 2002 as the starting wide receiver and punt returner, was granted a redshirt for the season after missing the majority of the year.

Now, the 5-foot-10, 181-pound Fleck is out with a shoulder injury.

“P.J.’s been having shoulder problems,” NIU coach Joe Novak said. “He got it scooped and had it cleaned up about a week ago. He hurt it lifting weights.”

Along with Haldi and Fleck, also sidelined are Travis Moore, Mark Orszula and Brad Cieslak.

Moore, a rising junior defensive end, had his knee scooped from a lingering injury from throughout last season, Novak said.

Rising junior tight end Brad Cieslak had ACL surgery and will be out for the rest of spring.

Offensive guard Mark Orszula still is recouping from having his right leg caught in a tractor over the summer.

“In our winter program, Mark did a lot of running then,” Novak said. “It’s gone much better than we anticipated, but we’ll wait until August to have contact on him.”

While Novak predicts all of the aforementioned Huskies will be ready for the season, condition and practices have been tough for the able-bodied Huskies without the sidelined players. However, this brings up an opportunity for other players to display their abilities.

“It’s always tough having your key guys out,” All-MAC cornerback Randee Drew said. “Now it’s time for freshmen and others to step up, earn a spot, showcase their skills and get in the rotation.”