DeKALB — NIU’s very own Jordan Steckler signed a deal with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints Saturday as an undrafted rookie free agent, according to NIU Football’s Twitter account.

Steckler is a 6-foot-5, 305 pound offensive lineman from Two Rivers, Wisconsin. He will be graduating from NIU this spring with a degree in marketing. Steckler has played all four years at NIU as an offensive lineman and has many awards and honors under his belt.

During the 2019 season, Steckler started every game and played in almost every offensive snap as a senior. Steckler was NIU’s only 2019 first team All-Mid American Conference selection and earned the team’s Offensive Lineman of the Year honor.

With the blocking of Steckler and the offensive line, NIU averaged 5.2 yards per play on the year. Against the University of Ohio Bobcats on October 12, Steckler and the offensive line led NIU to 510 total yards of offense, which was the Huskies’ first over 500 yard game since 2017.

Steckler was a semifinalist for the William F. Campbell Trophy, the “Academic Heisman” and National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete award. Steckler was also an Academic All-MAC and MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete.