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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, After going 10 and 2 in the 2003 season and
3 missing a bowl game invitation, the Northern Illinois
4 University Huskies finished the 2004 season with an overall
5 record of 9 and 3, including a "stormy" December 30, 2004, win
6 over Troy University in the Silicon Valley Football Classic by
7 the score of 34 to 21; during the game, which was one of the
8 most complete team victories ever played, quarterback Josh
9 Haldi passed for 146 yards and ran for two touchdowns, running
10 back Garrett Wolfe rushed for his 21st touchdown, running back
11 A.J. Harris rushed for an additional 120 yards and another
12 touchdown, and kicker Chris Nendick added two field goals for
13 insurance; furthermore, the Huskies defense was able to shut
14 down the Troy offense so effectively after they had scored two
15 touchdowns in the first quarter of play that the Trojans looked
16 as if they were "stuck in the mud" as they were not able to
17 score until there was only 10:55 remaining in the fourth
18 quarter; and
 
19     WHEREAS, For the first time in school history, Northern
20 Illinois University football has cracked the major-college Top
21 30 barrier in back-to-back seasons; in the 2003 season, the
22 Huskies wound up at number 26 in the ESPN/USA Today ranking and
23 29th in the AP polls; at the conclusion of the 2004 season, the
24 NIU Huskies finished 29th in both the final Associated Press
25 and ESPN/USA Today national rankings that were released on
26 January 6, 2005; by reaching the Silicon Valley Football
27 Classic, NIU made its initial bowl appearance in 21 years since
28 California Bowl III, a 20 to 13 Huskies success versus Cal
29 State University Fullerton of the Pacific Coast Athletic
30 Association in 1983; and
 
31     WHEREAS, During 2004, Northern Illinois received votes for
32 14 of the 17 weeks in the ESPN/USA Today poll, reaching as high
33 as number 22 on the week of November 9 through 15, 2004; in the

 

 

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1 AP balloting, the Huskies earned votes 10 times during the
2 17-week season, going as high as 26th during the week of
3 November 2 through 8, 2004; and
 
4     WHEREAS, As evidence of the outstanding athletic program
5 that has been established by head coach Joe Novak, the Northern
6 Illinois University Huskies won a share of its third
7 Mid-American Conference West Division title (2001, 2002, and
8 2004) in the last four years; defeated GMAC Bowl champion
9 Bowling Green State University with a score of 34 to 17; plus
10 led the league in all-conference selections (12), loop players
11 of the week (10), all-MAC academic picks (five), and home
12 attendance (27,052 spectators per game average); and
 
13     WHEREAS, During the 2003 season, the unbeaten Huskies (7-0)
14 soared into the national limelight with triumphs over the
15 University of Maryland, University of Alabama, and Iowa State
16 University; Coach Novak's contingent ranked an unprecedented
17 10th in the first Bowl Championship Series standings, 12th in
18 the AP, and 14th in the ESPN/USA Today at mid-season;
19 furthermore, during the 2002 season, Northern Illinois posted
20 an 8 and 4 record and received votes in both major polls for
21 the first time since 1989; on November 18, 2002, the Huskies
22 reached the number 35 spot in the AP poll and number 38 in the
23 ESPN/USA Today version; and
 
24     WHEREAS, For the first time since the mid-1960s, Northern
25 Illinois has strung together five winning grid seasons (6 and 5
26 in 2000 and 2001, 8 and 4 in 2002, 10 and 2 in 2003, and 9 and 3
27 in 2004); historically, one has to go back to the highly
28 successful Howard Fletcher era to match such a Huskies streak
29 when (then) College Division Northern Illinois went 8 and 2
30 (1962), 10 and 0 (1963), 7 and 2 (1964), 9 and 1 (1965), and 8
31 and 2 (1966); therefore, be it
 
32     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE

 

 

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1 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
2 the 2004 Northern Illinois Huskies are to be congratulated on
3 their phenomenal season, their first bowl trip and victory in
4 the last 21 years, and for being the finest example of Illinois
5 collegiate athletics in the sport of college football; and be
6 it further
 
7     RESOLVED, That the 2004 Northern Illinois Huskies shall be
8 remembered for their outstanding accomplishments as a team, and
9 we recognize the 2004 Northern Illinois Huskie Football Roster
10 as follows: Josh Ballard from Park City, Utah; Garrett Wolfe
11 from Chicago; Andy Lothson from DeKalb; MacArthur White from
12 Waukegan; Phil Horvath from Naperville; Dossie Jennings from
13 University City, Missouri; Zach Ullrich from Winfield; Adam
14 Erickson from Rochelle; Dan Sheldon from Elgin; Brandon Beal
15 from Kirkwood, Missouri; Saul Ibarra from Elmwood Park; David
16 McDermott from Southfield, Michigan; Jason Kwasigroch from
17 Mundelein; Lionel Hickenbottom from Dolton; Josh Haldi from
18 Madison, Ohio; Alvah Hansbro from Madison, Wisconsin; Cole
19 Spencer from Powell, Ohio; Adriel Hansbro from Madison,
20 Wisconsin; Evans Adonis from Miami, Florida; Jarret Carter from
21 Florissant, Missouri; Joe Pomaranski from East Troy,
22 Wisconsin; Kyle King from Omaha, Nebraska; Shedrick Mossman
23 from Chicago; Mark Reiter from New Lenox; Britt Davis from
24 Broadview; Troy Cogdill from East Moline; Dan Nicholson from
25 Chicago; Robert Wallace from Chicago; Jeremy Pugh from Black
26 River Falls, Wisconsin; Jason Hawkins from Schaumburg; Devron
27 Francis from Jacksonville, Florida; A.J. Harris from Wheaton;
28 Tom Kelly from Elgin; Chris Nendick from Naperville; Anthony
29 Gallagher from Davidson, Michigan; Rob Lee from Port
30 Washington, Wisconsin; Andre Morris from Chicago; Deon Smith
31 from University Park; Cas Prime from Janesville, Wisconsin;
32 Kevin Woods from Farmington Hills, Michigan; Montell Clanton
33 from Rockford; Daniel Hilby from Rockford; Keenan Blalark from
34 Elgin; Ken West from Calumet City; Dustin Utschig from
35 Winneconne, Wisconsin; Matt Simon from Farmington, Minnesota;

 

 

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1 Bill Ikegwuonwu from Madison, Wisconsin; Brian Atkinson from
2 Chicago; Jon Hedges from Rockford; Adrian Davis from Kenosha,
3 Wisconsin; Antonio Tribble from Riverdale; Marlon Watson from
4 Bolingbrook; Joseph Hilby from Rockford; T. J. Griffin from
5 Carol Stream; Justin Johnson from Rochelle; Luke Athans from
6 Manhattan; Vincent Matthew from Miami, Florida; Jason Labus
7 from Chicago; Javan Lee from Michigan City, Indiana; Ray Smith
8 from Crown Point, Indiana; Brad Benson from Sycamore; Kursten
9 Strothman from Rochelle; Larry English from Aurora; Dallas
10 Bassett from Round Lake; Tim McCarthy from Neenah, Wisconsin;
11 Bob McLearen from Wheaton; Erek Benz from Park Ridge; Travis
12 Moore from Robbins; Dan Holzapfel from Coral Springs, Florida;
13 George Daglas from Palos Heights; Brent Blaschka from Verona,
14 Wisconsin; Jon Brost from Maple Grove, Minnesota; Matt Rogers
15 from Lockport; Doug Free from Manitowoc, Wisconsin; Zach
16 Holycross from Georgetown; Jon Ellison from Rockford; Brian Van
17 Acker from Crystal Lake; Jake VerStraete from Atkinson; Kevin
18 Serfort from Oak Creek, Wisconsin; Jake Ebenhoch from Sussex,
19 Wisconsin; Alex Krutsch from Schaumburg; Chris Acevedo from
20 Lyons; Matt McGhghy from Keokuk, Iowa; Arian Bagheri from
21 O'Fallon, Missouri; Adam Schlamp from Freeport; Matt Biondi
22 from Geneseo; Ryan Tuggle from Geneseo; Mark Orszula from
23 Lisle; Dan Keller from Racine, Wisconsin; Ben Lueck from
24 Oswego; Pat Raleigh from Evergreen Park; Marcus Perez from
25 Elkhart, Indiana; Edgar Rodriguez from Woodstock; Shatone
26 Powers from Broadview; Sam Hurd from San Antonio, Texas; Jason
27 Hutton from Chicago; Jake Nordin from Lake Lillian, Minnesota;
28 Brandon Davis from Broadview; Keafta Dokes from Hazel Crest;
29 Brad Cieslak from Long Grove; Martin Wilson from Lisle; David
30 Koronkiewicz from Goshen, Indiana; Adam Schroeder from Loves
31 Park; Zach Osburn from Holland, Michigan; Bryan Holicek from
32 Waupaca, Wisconsin; Robert Oruche from Bensenville; Quince
33 Holman from Woodridge; Grant Dungan from Elmhurst; Eric Pittman
34 from Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Craig Rusch from Hilbert,
35 Wisconsin; and be it further
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution shall be
2 presented to the 2004 Northern Illinois University Huskies
3 Football team as an expression of our esteem and with best
4 wishes for its continued success.