James I. Frederick, starting left tackle for the 1901 Huskies, was back on campus Oct. 9, 1903, and the Huskies were nervous.
“He stated that he merely came in to see how we prospered in our school work,” the Norther, NIU’s first campus publication, reported. “But the boys all knew that he had been sent ahead to terrorize the ‘Cubs’ for the game on the following day.”
The following afternoon, a bright and clear Saturday, the returning “Grave Alumni” were bested by the fledgling Huskie “Cubs” with a score of 6–0. The Cubs, “although small in size and few in numbers,” proved themselves worthy to defend the honor of what was then the Northern Illinois State Normal School.