One of the most impressive program-building stories in college football over the past decade is one that has flown so far under the national radar that it’s been skimming the treetops.

I have to admit, as a boy who grew up with a Big Ten team in my own backyard, I wouldn’t have really noticed had I not moved to the Sauk Valley area a dozen years ago.

See, the thing about the Northern Illinois Huskies is that fanfare hasn’t been at the forefront of their building project. It’s been more about getting the most out of the players they can successfully recruit, mining the talent-rich Chicago suburbs and other strong high school football programs throughout the state to bring together a strong collection of team-first guys who played with chips on their shoulders.