Coach Charlie Sadler has said before that his team’s biggest liability is depth.

The NIU football team lacks depth. They do have the skills to become winners, but if injuries plague the Huskies again this season, it could be another long dark autumn in DeKalb.

Ironically, Sadler has one postion in which depth is exuding.

The position is quarterback.

In this first of three in-depth articles of NIU QBs, the questions will be answered and the answers will be heard.

NIU has three quarterbacks that could presently lead this team.

Three???

Rob Rugai and new addition Scott Crabtree come readily to mind, but what about the ‘hidden one,’ Ron Reichert?

Reichert originates from Homewood-Flossmoor High School in the far south Chicago suburb of Flossmoor.

Back on April 25, he was 15 of 30 for 174 yards in the preseason intrasquad game that the NIU football team holds annually.

In his only public appearance, he seemed poised and surprisingly confident. One would think that, being extremely successful in high school, he would be cocky and choke.

Not the case.

At 6-0, 194 pounds, Reichert has the skills.

He led the entire Chicagoland area in passing with 2,292 yards and 31 touchdowns to his credit his senior year. He was named to four newspaper ‘First Teams’ in leading his 10-1 Vikings to the state playoffs. He set a playoff record with 405 yards versus Thornton, another perennial Chicagoland Top 20 powerhouse.

So, he is familiar with success and possible postseason play, but he does know his role.

“Last year, I basically hung around the other redshirts on the team,” Reichert conceded, “but this year I will probably be charting plays, giving insight to coach Sadler and the other coaches and learning what it takes to run this football team.”

He also has views of his predecessors: “Rob will start,” said Reichert. “He is mentally far ahead of Scott and myself. He doesn’t make mistakes and won’t do anything stupid. We help each other out, and I can help him because I know a little more about the coverages and the reads. But he has taught me the ropes.”

Of Crabtree: “He’s talented, confident; he knows the offense better, but experience will hurt him in a game against a more talented team.”

“If anyone should go down, though,” Reichert assured, “I will be ready.”