Northern Illinois placed three football players on the
2009 All Mid-American Conference first team and eight Huskies were named to one of the three All-MAC teams announced by the league office Wednesday. The teams were selected by the MAC head coaches.

Huskie senior offensive linemen Eddie Adamski (Kildeer, Ill./Carmel HS) and Jason Onyebuagu (Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central HS) led the way for NIU on the All-MAC first team, just as they have led the way for the
Northern Illinois offense throughout the season. Adamski, a four-year
starter at center for NIU, and Onyebuagu, a three-year starting guard, powered the top rushing offense in the MAC as the Huskies average 202.4 rushing yards per game. In addition, the Huskie offensive line has allowed just 14 sacks on the season, the second-lowest total in the league.

Adamski and Onyebuagu were joined on the first team by junior running back Chad Spann (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central HS), who tied the NIU single season record for rushing touchdowns with 19 while gaining 945 yards on 159 carries to average 5.9 yards per rush. Spann joins a long list of NIU first team All-MAC tailbacks that includes Thomas Hammock (2000-01), Michael Turner (2002, 2003) and Garrett Wolfe (2004, 2005, 2006).

“J.O. [Onyebuagu] and Eddie have been around a long time and they have done a great job throughout their careers here,” said NIU Head Coach Jerry Kill. “It’s great to see them get recognized.

“Chad Spann has had a great year. He’s kind of a Cinderella story to come here originally as a walk-on and has remained kind of under the radar but he has shown this year that he’s ready to add his name to the list of great running backs here.”

Northern Illinois’ three first team selections were the most for the Huskies since 2006, while the eight overall players named is the highest total since 2005.

Two players - defensive linemen Brandon Bice (McCook, Ill./Lyons Township HS) and Jake Coffman (German Valley, Ill./Forreston HS) - from the Huskies’ top-rated Mid-American Conference defense were named All-MAC second team performers. Coffman, a 25-year-old junior who has started at both defensive end and nose guard in 2009, leads Northern Illinois with 7.5 quarterback sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss among his
36 tackles. He also recorded a safety and scored on a 79-yard
interception return in his first season as a starter. Bice’s 36
tackles include five sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss. The senior has forced four fumbles on the season.

“Jake Coffman kind of came out of nowhere and had a great season,”
Kill said. “Brandon Bice was extremely consistent for us. Those two did a great job, and could have been first-team choices. Our defense ranks first in total defense and second in scoring, so I definitely think there are a couple other guys on our defense that are deserving and could have been mentioned as well.”
NIU kicker Mike Salerno (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg HS) was the second-team All-MAC kicker for the second straight season after scoring
93 points on 18 field goals and 39 PATs. He led all league kickers in scoring and ranked third in field goals and was also the top kickoff man in the league in terms of distance with a 63.2 yard average on his kickoffs. The senior also served as the Huskies’ punter in the last half of the season.

“We asked a lot out of Mike and he gave us two very consistent years,” Kill said. “Hopefully he’ll get an opportunity at the next level.”

NIU sophomore Me’co Brown (Moss Point, Miss./Moss Point HS) and redshirt freshman Tommy Davis (East St. Louis, Ill./Althoff Catholic) were selected as third-team All-MAC players at running back and punt returner, respectively. Brown gained 645 yards on 148 carries with four touchdowns and had a pair of 100-yard rushing games, while Davis is averaging eight yards per punt return and 23.9 yards on kickoff returns this season.

For the first time in three years, a Northern Illinois player did not win the Vern Smith Leadership Award, presented annually to the MAC’s top player, as Central Michigan’s Dan LeFevour picked up that trophy and was also voted the league’s Offensive Player of the Year.

For a complete list of the All-MAC teams and specialty award winners, click here, or go to www.mac-sports.com.

-- NIU --

For more information, contact Donna Turner, NIU Athletics Media Relations, 815-753-9513 or 815-793-5474. Keep up with all the latest news on Northern Illinois sports, read “Huskie Happenings” daily on www.niuhuskies.com.