When the Gregorian calendar flips from July 31 to August 1 each year, it’s the chief indication to every college football campus in the country that football season is near.
August is simply preparation time for the main event. Preseason rankings are released, players see their names etched into award watchlists, shoulder pad clicks resonate through the crispier air, and every coach and player reiterate the seemingly-rehearsed phrase that they are “focused on winning a conference championship this year.” But a conference championship doesn’t come for everybody, and most players never experience that thrill.
However, when 2022 fall camp initiated for the Northern Illinois Huskies, the idea of winning a conference championship wasn’t a dream or a lofty, unrealistic mission.