Sophomore Guard Rydell Brookshas been expelled from Akron. Brooks hadn't even played a game for the Zips yet, as he was a transfer from Niagara and sat out last year. He wasn't even on scholarship.
After a routine traffic stop, he thought it would be smart to just start open fire on police officers. Luckily the officers were not hit and Brooks was arrested after a short pursuit on foot. He has a $1 Million bond in jail right now. Five guns, two ski masks and gloves were found inside the minivan.
He is facing charges for:
Attempted murder
Felonious assault
Carrying a concealed weapon
Driving on a suspended license
Having excessively tinted windows
You can check out his mug shot if you'd like, but be forewarned he might haunt your dreams.
Marshall was hammered after a night of drinking with friends, walked into the wrong dorm room and plopped down, thinking he was in his own bed, the attorney said.
“He flopped down on this girl, and she started screaming and kicking and hitting him,” Peeler said.
Ford told an officer that “both times the white male just stated, ‘My bad, wrong room,’ and left closing the door behind him,” a Miami University police report said.
Marshall had 14 beers and 2 potent mixed drinks. But then of course that's probably just a lot less to a college offensive lineman. Here is the woman's story.
It's quite the interesting story. Some things are fishy but realistically this could have happened to any enormous drunk offensive lineman.
Lately, I've been going through all the links on the right side of the page. Adding, deleting and re-labeling. Doesn't sound too exciting, but this allows you and I access to information about the MAC conference and other blogs a lot quicker and more efficiently.
It's surprisingly time-consuming. Check out the MAC Team "Enemy Links" for probably the most definitive links and resources to every MAC team out there that you can find on the internet. Just add these suckers to your favorites and you have the MAC in the palm of your hands.
Links for every MAC team:
Official Athletic Site School Newspaper Local Newspapers Fan-Created Websites Scout/Rivals Sites Message Boards
Also the "MAC Blog List" has been updated and lists which blog has been updated the most recently now.
It's only June and I just wish it was August again. Sigh...
If you're going to pick up one preseason magazine, I beg you to choose Phil Steele's 2008 College Football Preview. Steele has the definitive pre-season mags that are the most accurate and stocked full of information every single year. I picked the mag up today with Colt McCoy on the cover since I live in Texas. It felt like waking up on Christmas and opening a present going in to that Barnes & Noble and grabbing this year's college football bible. This one:
Now on to the stuff pertaining to Northern. Phil believes that with 20 starters returning that we will once again bowl eligibility, effectively making Jerry Kill look like a genius. NIU can definitely be one of the surprise teams in the MAC this year.
Positional Rankings for NIU Players Justin Anderson - #54 RB Jon Brost - #45 T Larry English - #26 DE Tim McCarthy - #44 ILB Alex Kube - #34 SS
2008's Most Improved Teams Factored in are the -17 turnovers (#3 in the nation) and the 3 net close losses that we had last year. Not to the mention the 38 starts we lost last year from players injured or suspended (#6 in the nation)
NIU - #3
Phil Steele's 2008 All-MAC 1st Team: RB Justin Anderson & DE Larry English 2nd Team: G Jason Onyebuagu, T Jon Brost, DT Craig Rusch, LB Tim McCarthy & SS Alex Kube 3rd Team: WR Matt Simon & FS Bradley Pruitt 4th Team: TE Reed Cunningham, DT Alex Krutsch HM: WR Britt Davis & P Andy Dittbenner
MAC West Projection 1. CMU 2. WMU 3. Ball St 4. NIU 5. Toledo 6. EMU
MAC East 1. Bowling Green 2. Miami OH 3. Kent St 4. Buffalo 6. Ohio 6. Akron
NIU's MAC Unit Rankings QB RB REC OL DL LB DB ST CH NIU 9 3 6 2 2 4 7 12 11
NIU 2008 Recruit PS Rankings OL Logan Pegram - #168 DL Adam Coleman - #164 LB Kevin Sabock - #160 RB Meco Brown - #202 DL Brian Lawson - #256 DB Kiaree Daniels - #461 JC LB Darnell Bolding - #461 JC QB Brandon Rogers - #212 WR Chase Mejia - #320 DL Maurice Coon - #430 TE Dan Edem - #132 WR Tommy Davis - #391 RB DB Jody VanLaanen - #456 DL Jason Schepler - #464 DL Bristan Kelley - #180 TE MAC Conference Recruiting Rankings (Finally someone doesn't have us last!) 1. Miami OH 2. Temple 3. Toledo 4. Ohio 5. W Michigan 6. C Michigan 7. Ball St 8. Akron 9. N Illinois 10. Kent St 11. Buffalo 12. Bowling Green 13. E Michigan
Team Experience Rankings 9. BGSU 10. NIU 15. WMU 19. Ohio 23. Temple 40. Akron 56. Ball St 62. Buffalo 62. Kent St 94. EMU 99. CMU 104. Miami OH 108. Toledo
Power Poll Rankings 57. Western Michigan 59. Central Michigan 63. Ball St. 72. Bowling Green 76. Miami OH 79. N Illinois 82. Kent St 84. Temple 90. Toledo 92. Buffalo 104. Eastern Michigan 110. Ohio 111. Akron
2008's Toughest Schedules 72. Ohio 75. Toledo 79. Buffalo 83. C Michigan 87. Northern Illinois 91. E Michigan 93. Temple 96. Akron 101. Bowling Green 105. Miami OH 106. W Michigan 111. Kent St 112. Ball St
That was just a smidgen of the information available in Phil Steele's preview. Go pick it up. You will be satisfied if you do.
This Boston Globe article is mostly fluff, but a few of these quotes are pretty interesting:
Stroup said he had been told by several scouts that he was going to be picked somewhere in the top 10 rounds, or shortly thereafter, but the phone didn't ring.
He expected it was because he asked for too much money in the beginning, $250,000.
Stroup said he has a fastball that sits in the low 90s, but reaches 95, as well as a knuckle-curve, a changeup, and a splitter.
I'm assuming he stll attends Northern, since I doubt he gets the money he wants being picked 1,504th. This article says that he has to attend NIU for 3 years before regaining his draft eligibility. The 5th ranked recruit in IL could always go the JUCO route to be eligible earlier. Stroup makes our recruiting class ranked 1st in the MAC and 63rd in the nation. Good luck to Kyle on whatever choice he may make.
There's something I've respected Joe Novak (and hopefully Jerry Kill now) and the Northern Illinois football program for, and it's not letting players get in to off the field troubles. Not so is the case at other college programs doing whatever they can to get ahead recruiting questionable character players with high upside (*cough* DU of I *cough).
At the pro level it gets worse for Cedric Benson. Boating while intoxicated...driving while intoxicated...the man does it all. He's staying this off-season too much here in my current town of Austin, TX trying to re-live his college days I guess.
Well now Cedric's released and any thought of Garrett Wolfe being cut from the bears gets diminished a little bit. Lovie Smith still has an infatuation with Adrian Peterson (no, not that one) and also 2nd round pick Matt Forte out of Tulane is getting the pub for the main guy running the ball for the Bears.
It still confuses me to this day why the Bears picked Wolfe so early (3rd round) and used him so sparingly last year. I hope the running back lacking in size but not heart gets a few more chances with Benson out of town.
"I am very happy for both Bobby and Trevor and it bodes well for Northern Illinois to have two players chosen in the draft this season," said Mathey. "It is a great honor for Bobby to be picked in the 16th round. He is a gifted athlete with the skills that scouts look for - speed, defense and the ability to hit for power - and he has done very well against some highly drafted pitchers. It was nice to see Trevor come back after being drafted last year, be our main guy on the mound, and improve his position in this year's draft. I think he has the chance to have a pretty good pro career."
On Bobby:
"Bobby has a high ceiling and a chance to do some things professionally," said Mathey. "At the same time, as a junior, he has some leverage in negotiations because if he comes back he can add to his number and be drafted even higher
"The Orioles called me in round 10 and said they were going to take me, then after not being picked in the next five rounds, I started to get a bit discouraged," said Stevens. "I got another call at the beginning of the 16th round and then four picks later I saw my name on the draft list. I was relieved and excited when it was all done."
That would be great if Bobby came back, but Feeney is a senior:"It's an honor to be picked up by the Detroit Tigers," said Feeney. "I am excited to get ready to start my pro career with the Tigers organization and continue on playing the game I have grown up loving to play."
“I had to wait for it but it was definitely unbelievable to see my name on the internet draft board,” Stevens, drafted No. 476 said. “Having my name called was the greatest feeling in the world. It was a dream come true.”
Stevens said he is 99 percent sure he will forgo his senior year and turn professional. He wants to improve his consistency and hopes the success he encountered on the field for the Huskies in 2008 will translate into a good start to his professional career.
If he indeed signs with the Orioles, Stevens said he has a personal goal to progress from Rookie Ball to Class A by the end of the summer to get a gauge on what he needs to work on over the winter to continue to improve. “I want to be more level-headed,” Stevens said. “I want to keep an even keel out there because I've learned in this game there are lots of up's and down's.”
“Every time Trevor went out it was on a Friday against the other team's best pitcher,” Mathey said. “As a junior, he was a five-, six- or seven-inning pitcher. This year he worked as an eight- or nine-inning pitcher. He showed he could hold onto a game and gave us a chance to win every time out.”
The transition to facing hitters with wood bats will also benefit Feeney, which Mathey said should allow the Channahon native to work the inner half of the plate with an increased frequency.
Although he doesn't project into a pitcher that can put up big strikeout numbers, with a heavy sinker, Feeney uses three pitches to keep hitters off balance.
“Professional hitters can get their barrels out to a ball on the outer half,” Mathey said. “Trevor has to continue to get stronger, which should help his velocity and stamina and allow him to be more assertive and pitch inside and jam some hitters.”
Feeney will be reporting to a Tigers Mini-Camp in Lakeland, FL next week and expects to be assigned sometime this summer to a minor league team.
In other Huskie baseball alumni news, LHP Reliever Matt Germanhas been named to the Florida State League's All-Star team. That is a great honor to the only current Huskie in the afficliated minor leagues. German is currently playing for the Clearwater Threshers which is Advanced A ball. You can follow his minor league career either here or here.
"Our hitters did a good job against a first team all-MAC pitcher and we battled back and had some chances in this game," said head coach Ed Mathey. "We didn't capitalize on our opportunity in the sixth inning. Kent State is a good hitting team and they were up for the challenge tonight."
Top Performers:
1B Dave Reynolds - 2 for 3, HR, RBI, R, BB, E LF Anthony Maziur - 2 for 4, RBI, R, 2 SB CF Pat Minogue - 2 for 3, HR, RBI, R, BB LHP Brandon Copp - 1.1 IP, 4 K's
"It was a great finish and keeps us playing," said head coach Ed Mathey. "Our goal entering the ninth was to bring the tying run to the plate. Anthony [Maziur] and Bobby [Stevens] did a nice job getting on and we had a big at-bat from Jordin [Hood]. Then Danny [Reed] had a nice piece of hitting that brought home the winning run."
Top Performers:
3B Jordin Hood - 2 for 4, 2B, 2 RBI, R, BB, SB SS Bobby Stevens - 2 for 4, R, SO, HBP, SB RF Danny Reed - 2 for 5, GW RBI, 2 SO 1B Dave Reynolds - 1 for 4, HR, RBI, R, BB, SO
I don't know how Kent State didn't win the MAC, because their offense is absolutely dominant, while their pitching is good enough to keep them in games especially against us. One of these years we'll have a good enough team to match up with the best in the MAC, except this year wasn't the one.
Top Performers:
DH Justin Behm - 1 for 3, HR, 3 RBI, R 1B Dave Reynolds - 1 for 2, BB RHP Dan Atkenson - 5.1 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 3 K's
Milestones Met
RF Danny Reedwas named All-MAC Tournament after hitting .462, while slugging for 1.077. Ridiculous stats. Surprisingly, he didn't lead in either of those categories but was 3rd and 2nd respectively.
SS Bobby Stevens was hit by a record 27th pitch of the season, while setting the career record with 45 HBPs in his time at NIU.
NIU set a single-season record with a .963 fielding percentage surpassing the '59 and '07 seasons.
C/DH Justin Behm moved in to the 10th place on NIU's all-time HR list with his 17th dinger
Last night was an excellent game with the Huskies coming back from a 0-6 deficit to storm back and win the game with a barrage of power. Big props to the bullpen (Copp & Atkenson) for pitching 3 scoreless innings at the end of the game. Starting pitcher RHP Trevor Feeney had a tough 3rd inning giving up 5 runs, but brought it especially in the 4th and 5th.
Top Performers:
DH Justin Behm - 3 for 4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB LF Jeff Thomas - 1 for 3, HR, 2 HBP, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB, CS 1B Dave Reynolds - 2 for 4, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB, SB, SO
-These two pitchers squared off in game 1 of the regular season series. The Huskies won that game 4-1 thanks to Trevor Feeney's gem. The senior righthander went 8 innings giving up only 1 run on 5 hits. Pritchard had a decent yet shaky outing going 5 innings and giving up 3 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks. Jeff Thomas and Danny Reed each collected 2 hits off Pritchard.
Analysis -NIU went 2-0 against Ball State this season, winning 4-1 and 7-6.
-Jordin Hood was 3-3 in game 2 of the series with 2 homeruns.
-Ball State is struggling coming into the MAC Tournament. They have lost 6 out of their last 7 games. NIU has won 5 of their last 6.
-Game 1 in a double elimination tournament is very crucial. Lose and it's very tough road back to the winners bracket.
Hello everybody. It's been a while (4 posts in April!), but your favorite NIU blogger is back with a vengeance. I just want it to be football season again!
Since the last time I've posted, the baseball team has continued to have success and spring practice culminated with a spring game for the football team to showcase their talents.
Since then, we've obtained a new AD (more on him later) for NIU and a new writer for this site. I'd like to welcome Nick aka 7 aka G-Force to write for this site. He adds a little more flavor and will pick up my slack when school and other commitments get in the way.
You have to feel kinda bad for the football team this year throughout the spring practicing outside. The weather has been a complete turn of a roulette wheel with most of the days ending up either very cold or rainy. By the time the spring game was about to start, it was windier than it ever was in Dekalb all year. I definitely knew that the main focus of the game will be to figure out some of our running game.
It wasn't much of a game or scrimmage. Score wasn't kept, but there were people that did score. I guess that's the best they could have done with such a depleated roster because of injuries. It was just one offense against one defense with a lot of people switching in. It wasn't terribly exciting, but then again what spring games are that interesting?
QB Controversy
The star of the spring game was clearly redshirt freshman QB DeMarcus Grady, who rushed for 118 yds on 8 carries. He also threw 4 for 7 with 36 yds and a TD. This is foreshadowing for what Grady is going to be used for during the season. Either Dan Nicholson or Chandler Harnish is going to start the regular season. More than likely if Dan N is healthy the job is going to be his. Harnish does have entire spring under his wings running the offense more efficiently than anybody, so he currently has the upper hand.
Let's just face it. Kill is going to be running the spread offense and Ryan Morris is just not suited for the job. I would say from what I've seen is that Harnish is more suited to run the spread than Nicholson, who is not as mobile as the Indiana native. Morris may have the most experience because he's been here the longest, but he sure isn't as talented. Grady is a little slow to adjust to the college game because he mostly just ran the ball in high school.
If freshman QB Brandon Rogers is going to make an impact...well I'm pretty sure he's gonna redshirt this year for the success of the future of our program. If not that, then he is a mid-season emergency QB which we don't want to see happen.
Harnish moved around really well, except one of his passes was right to the defense. DeMarcus of course moved around great as well.
Both the Daily Chronicle and the Northern Star have all their money on Dan Nicholson being the starter and I'll have to go on ahead and agree with what they're trying to say. He'll get his chance with all these freshmen biting at his heels come summer/fall.
Does anybody understand this quote?:
The most interesting thought is what to do with Grady. The coaches made it abundantly clear that they won't be switching his position and they won't be rotating quarterbacks.
“Will I package some people? You bet,” head coach Jerry Kill said. “Maybe we'll see two quarterbacks in a game. We'll see how everything progresses.”
OK. So you're not going to rotate the QB's, but we might see 2 QB's in the same game???
I actually have a better version of this run and others, but I was a little too lazy and video-illiterate to post it...
The Rest
Running backs Justin Anderson, David Bryant and Chad Spann all looked like they were in mid-season form. I'm excited about what they have to offer along with Montell Clanton coming back. Alan Smith and Rickey Crider are darkhorses.
Our offense looked horrible. Of course this was going to be expected somewhat with the experience of our defense and the fact that throwing against this severe 35 mph was insane. Walk-on TEJack Marks had a decent outing pulling in a TD from Grady and another catch for 35 yds total. K Mike Salerno looked good cleaning up for Chris Nendick in the kicking game. He did kick with the wind from 40 yds twice, but it was impressive nonetheless.
WR Chase Mejia looked bad throughout the beginning of the spring game. He dropped passes and wasn't running the right routes. I'm happy he was able to turn around and make some good plays towards the end of the spring game. Not bad for a true freshman! LB Tim McCarthy was back from injury and playing like it was nothing. Can't wait for him to be back on the field.
As for what kind of plays we were running, it was nothing but 4-wide, trips to one side spread out stuff. There was no 2-back power offensive game of any sort throughout the spring game. I found this interesting, because I felt disappointed not getting to see most of the offense be set into motion. The defense looked very fast and ready to take people down.
