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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

O’Dell wins athletic director bid

By Jim Wozniak | October 29, 1987

Minnesota University Assistant Athletic Director Gerald O'Dell has been picked by NIU President John LaTourette to be NIU's permanent AD, three sources said Wednesday. O'Dell's hiring will be announced formally at a press conference today at 1:30 p.m....

WIU footballers to room in HSC

By Dave Tuley | October 27, 1987

The NIU football team will be taking a trip for the Nov. 7 Parents' Day game against Western Illinois. Coach Jerry Pettibone's troops will spend Friday night before the game in Rockford's Clock Tower Inn because the Western Illinois Leathernecks will...

Athletic director decision put on hold

By Jim Wozniak | October 26, 1987

Although he received the search committee's recommendation Friday, NIU President John LaTourette has decided to evaluate the situation further and wait about a week to 10 days to pick a new athletic director. LaTourette spent Sunday afternoon and night...

Special teams play holds Huskies back

By Dave Tuley | October 26, 1987

assistant sports editor The NIU football team's special teams were not so special in the Huskies' 21-20 loss to Cal State-Fullerton Saturday at Huskie Stadium. An NIU holding penalty on a CSUF punt, a blocked Huskie punt and a missed 22-yard field goal...

983 California Bowl rematch Saturday

By Dave Tuley | October 22, 1987

The NIU football team's 20-13 California Bowl win in 1983 over California State-Fullerton seems to be ancient history. Many things have changed at NIU since then with coach Bill Mallory leaving for Indiana, Lee Corso coming in and jumping ship after only...

O’Dell pitches for NIU AD job

By Jim Wozniak | October 22, 1987

Now comes the hard part. Now that Minnesota Assistant Athletic Director Gerald O'Dell has finished making his case for NIU's permanent AD spot, the search committee has the burden to decide the university's athletic future in the next few days. Committee...

Huskies want more support

By Dave Tuley | October 21, 1987

Attendance at home football games has been on the decline this year despite the team's winning record, and the 3-2-1 Huskies are concerned. Head coach Jerry Pettibone went as far as to call The Northern Star Tuesday and ask to address the students about...

Coaches critique 1st two candidates

By Jim Wozniak | October 21, 1987

After a day off from public forums, the athletic director scenario resumes today when Minnesota Assistant AD Gerald O'Dell has his chance to address NIU, but the interviews so far have not gone unnoticed. O'Dell's public forum is from 2-3:30 p.m. in Holmes...

Pettibone gives thoughts on Huskie sideline move

By Dan Moran | October 20, 1987

The NIU Huskies won Saturday. They beat the Southwest Missouri State Bears 27-21 and moved their record to 3-2-1. Keep that in mind when reading about Monday's weekly Huskie Club luncheon because head coach Jerry Pettibone spent most of his time there...

As AstroTurf ages, grass debate rages

By Chris Sigley | October 20, 1987

Is it real or is it AstroTurf? It is AstroTurf, and it needs to be replaced. The artificial playing field laid in 1980 in Huskie Stadium has served its purpose, but it is wearing thin. "We're in the process of looking at costs to have the turf redone,"...

Correct AD choice necessity to NIU athletics

October 20, 1987

The NIU athletic department has been given a major opportunity to improve itself, an opportunity which it should not waste. The university is deep in the process of choosing a new athletic director to head both men's and women's athletics. The decision...

NIU football notebook

By Dave Tuley | October 19, 1987

Random notes on tonight's intrasquad scrimmage and on the spring practice session:

Even the most casual football fan will notice one thing missing from tonight's game—there will be no kickoffs.

According to Head Coach Jerry Pettibone, the Huskies will be punting and placekicking, but kickoffs are being eliminated because they are "a high-injury situation."

Instead, teams will put the ball in play at their own 35-yard line at the start of each half and after scores.

Other aspects to make the game as realistic as possible include Big 10 officials and regulation time-keeping. Pettibone said the clock would run as in a regular game until the final quarter, where it may run without interruption "depending on the score of the game."

Wednesday's practice was to have been a light workout in shorts, but was canceled due to the heavy rainfall. However, the spring session generally enjoyed ideal weather conditons.

One Huskie who said the Midwest's version of spring does not agree with him is Drake Shead. The junior running back complained on one cloudy practice day of how fine the weather is in his native Plano, Texas ("Just a Plano boy," defensive tackle Rodney Akis called him).

"That would be a good story. I'm the only one around here from Texas, and this is cold up here," Shead said.

Sophomore Akis has an interesting souvenir for his efforts on the football field—two long scars paralleling his kneecap. The 5-foot-11-inch, 225-pounder from Chicago's King High School proudly displayed an elaborate brace, a more advanced model than the mandatory variety worn by each Huskie during practices.