DeKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois University safety Jimmie Ward became the second Huskie player ever to be selected in the first round of the National Football League Draft when he was chosen with the 30th pick in the first round by the San Francisco 49ers Thursday night.
Ward is the Huskies’ second highest draft choice all-time, behind only Larry English, who was chosen by the San Diego Chargers with the No. 16 overall pick in 2008.
“It’s big-time,” said an excited NIU Head Coach Rod Carey of Ward’s selection. “What a thrill for Jimmie. What an accomplishment, to become just the second first-rounder ever out of NIU. I am so happy for him and his family, you can’t even imagine. I am thrilled for NIU as well and what this says about our program.”
Ward made 320 tackles, defended 37 passes and intercepted 11 during a stellar Huskie career that spanned 55 games. As a senior, he earned first team All-America honors from USA Today and SI.com after leading NIU in tackles with 95. He ranked seventh in the country and led the Mid-American Conference with seven interceptions in 2013, and added 10 pass break-ups and 2.5 tackles for loss.
His fourth-quarter interception in a tie game at Iowa with 1:24 to play set up the Huskies’ game-winning field goal, while his 61-yard interception return for a touchdown helped NIU to a 55-24 win at Purdue. He made a career-high 14 tackles in the 2013 Discover Orange Bowl versus Florida State as NIU became the first Mid-American Conference team to ever play in a Bowl Championship Series game. Ward is a member of the winningest senior class in school history that won a pair of MAC titles, played in four consecutive MAC Championship games and posted a 46-10 record over the last four seasons.
Carey said Ward’s development into a first-round selection is another indication of the strength of the NIU football program.
“I think this selection makes a statement about the NIU program, it’s not about a team or a single year or a single game,” Carey said. “It’s another statement about where we are as a program. Coach Kill recruited Jimmie, Coach Doeren and I coached him along with Coach Niemann, who did a great job developing him. I think this [first round selection] speaks volumes to where NIU is on the national stage and where we continue to be.”
He is one of three players – and the first defender - ever to be named a first-team All-American at NIU, and was a two-time first-team All-MAC honoree and Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist. Ward also holds the NIU school record for blocked punts, which he set as a freshman, and blocked four punts in his Huskie career. He made at least one tackle in every collegiate game he played.
Carey said Ward’s game elevated when he assumed a leadership role for the Huskies.
“Jimmie became a leader and that leadership defined his play as a senior,” Carey said. “His play as a senior was off the charts. He was obviously the best defensive back in the MAC his senior year and that leadership is what drove him to reach this level.”
With his NIU playing career complete, Ward made an impression during 2014 Reese’s Senior Bowl Week in his hometown of Mobile, Ala., and followed that with an impressive performance at the NIU Pro Day in March. Ward measured in at 5-10 ½ inches and 197 pounds, ran the 40 yard dash in 4.45 seconds, had a 38-inch vertical jump and a broad jump of 10 ½ feet.
Ward is the second defensive back ever drafted out of NIU and is the 34th Huskie ever to be chosen in the NFL Draft. The last NIU player to be drafted was quarterback Chandler Harnish, who was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the last pick of the 2012 draft.
Ward is the third Huskie player ever to be drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, and the first since punter Tom Wittum in 1972. Wittum became a Pro Bowl punter for the 49ers in 1973 and 1974. To see more on Ward and the Huskies' draft history, visit NIU NFL Draft Central.
Baseball
Morris 10
Rochelle 2 (6-16), (1-11)
**Morris: Take 2 out of 3 in the series
**13 hits yesterday
**Dylan Hopkins: Losing pitcher (1-3)
**Rochelle: 4 hits in the game
**Aaron Mehrings: Double and Single
**Dylan Hopkins: RBI Double
**Rochelle: 4 errors in the game
**Rochelle: At Rockford Jefferson Saturday for 2 games
Kaneland 2 Sycamore 1
Yorkville 4 DeKalb 3
Oregon 4 Stillman Valley 1
**Matt Murray (Oregon); Fires a 2-hitter (10 Strikeouts)
Byron 12 Winnebago 2 (5)
Freeport Aquin 3 Forreston 1 (12-10)
Milledgeville 9 AFC 6
Genoa-Kingston 6 Marengo 5
Rock Falls 14 Mendota 4
Sterling Newman 15 Riverdale 4 (5)
Rockford Christen 5 Harvard 4
Dakota 12 South Beloit 11
Girls Softball
Kaneland 21
Rochelle 1 (5) (2-15), (0-8)
**Rochelle: 10th straight loss
**Kaneland: Led 14-0 after 2 innings
**9-run 2nd inning
**Tracy Ellis (RTHS): Losing pitcher (2-14)
**Kendra Buchholz (RTHS): RBI Double
**Scored Ellis who had single
**Rochelle: 2 hits in the game
**Rochelle: At home Saturday for 2 games with Dixon
DeKalb 14 Sycamore 0
Yorkville 2 Morris 1
Sterling 7 LaSalle-Peru 6
Stillman Valley 3 Winnebago 0
**Payton Abbott (SV): Fired a perfect game no-hitter (15 strikeouts)
Mendota 3 Oregon 1
Byron 18 Rockford Lutheran 1 (5)
Freeport Aquin 10 Forreston-Polo 7
Genoa-Kingston 13 Harvard 1
Marengo 3 Burlington Central 1
North Boone 20 Rockford Christian 3
Hebron 14 Kirkland-Hiawatha 4 (6)
Girls Track
Big Northern Conference Meet (Rock Falls)
1) Burlington Central: 91 pts (7th straight year)
2) Oregon: 85 pts
3) Byron: 69 pts
8) Winnebago: 32 pts
**Oregon: 1st Place: Sarah Lauer Triple Jump
Shannon Cullen Shot Put
Kelsey Pudlas Pole Vault
Cydney Long 100 Hurdles
**Byron: 1st Place: Kelsey Hildreth 1600 and 3200
400, 1600, 800 Relays
**Winnebago: 1st Place: Allison Klosinski Discus
Boys Track
At Stillman Valley
1) Polo-Forreston: 115 pts (Won 10 Events)
2) Genoa-Kingston: 71 pts
3) Lena-Winslow: 42 pts
4) Stillman Valley: 26 pts
**1st Place: Seth Van Briesen Long Jump
Boys Tennis
Varsity
DeKalb 4
Rochelle 1 (2-14)
**Rochelle winner: #1 Singles: Brendan O'Rorke 6-1, 6-4
**Rochelle: At Freeport Invitational Saturday
Soph-Frosh
DeKalb 5
Rochelle 0
Girls Soccer
DeKalb 2
Rochelle 0 (2-15), (0-9)
**DeKalb: 3rd win over Rochelle this season
**Led 2-0 at Half Time
**Out shot Rochelle 18-5
**Rochelle: At Yorkville on Tuesday
Stillman Valley 7 (15-0) Sterling 1
**Abby Timm (SV): 3 Goals
Kaneland 3 Yorkville 0
Dixon 6 Ottawa 0
Little League
"WRHL Game of the Week" (Joe Donor Memorial Field)
Kiwanis Club 3 (5-1)
Firemen 2 (7) (3-3)
**Kiwanis Club: Scored single runs in the 6th and 7th innings for the win
