Feb. 17, 2006

DeKalb, IL --- You figure, eventually, former Northern Illinois University and current New York Jets wide receiver Justin McCareins will go through a few more of these Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.

Two weeks ago, McCareins was enshrined into the Naperville North High School's Athletic Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural or charter induction class. According to the by-laws of the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame, "JMac"---as McCareins was known to his teammates when he played for head coach Joe Novak---would be eligible for his "second" Huskie Hall of Fame in 2010. Obviously, Naperville North's mascot or nickname is also the "Huskies."

"Two Huskie Halls of Fame," mused current Naperville North head boys' basketball coach Mark Lindo, who doubles as the football color analyst on the Northern Illinois Huskie Radio Network. "Justin was honored to be selected in this inaugural class for us. You could tell that it certainly meant a great deal to him and his family. He had a great time at the induction and was signing autographs for everybody. And, you know, what a class individual he is."

A three-sport standout at Naperville North, McCareins will start his sixth National Football League season this September with the New York Jets. In 2005, he caught at least one pass in 15 of the Jets' 16 regular-season contests and finished the year second in team receiving with 43 catches for 713 yards and two touchdowns. The year before, McCareins made a personal NFL-best 56 receptions for 770 yards and four TDs. With the Tennessee Titans in 2003, he pulled in 47 passes for 813 yards and seven TDs.

Picked in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft by Tennessee, McCareins completed his Northern Illinois career as the school's receiving Triple Crown champion with school career records in catches (204), reception yardage (2,991), and receiving TDs (29) during 1997-2000. As a senior, No. 85 was named Honorable Mention Football News All-America, Mid-American Conference Special Teams Player of the Year, First-Team All-MAC, plus team offensive Most Valuable Player and team quint-captain.

The then 6-foot-2, 205-pounder ranked in five Top 40 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1-A individual statistical categories---No. 3 nationally in punt returns (19.1 ypr.), No. 4 in receiving yards (106.2 ypg.), No. 4 in all-purpose yards (183.1 ypg.), No. 19 in receptions (6.0 pg.), and No. 35 in kickoff returns (22.8 ypr.)---during his final Huskie campaign. In 2000, McCareins caught a season-best 11 passes for 184 yards vs. No. 20-rated Auburn and set a school, MAC, and NCAA record with a 99-yard TD catch vs. Ball State. As a senior, he made 66 catches for 1,168 yards and 11 TDs.

In October, 2005, the Chicago Sun-Times named McCareins and former Northern Illinois teammate and offensive tackle Ryan Diem (Carol Stream / Glenbard North) to the 2005 Area All-NFL Team. Diem is a starter with the Indianapolis Colts. Both McCareins and Diem were six-figure leadership donors for the new Huskie Stadium end zone facility---the Academic and Athletic Performance Center.

As a prep, McCareins lettered in football (3), basketball (2), and track (2) at Naperville North. A two-sport First-Team All-DuPage Valley Conference pick on the gridiron and the hardwood, he won Special Mention Champaign News-Gazette and Chicago Tribune All-State in the fall as a senior.

Among the 20 inaugural Naperville North HOF inductees was another "double" Huskie----men's soccer defender Jay Konrad who earned four Northern Illinois monograms during 1991-94 and picked up First-Team All-Mid-Continent Conference honors twice (1992, 1993). As a senior at NNHS, Konrad won All-Midwest and All-America accolades. His Hall of Fame induction presenter was former NIU head soccer boss Dave Bucher (1969-79).

(For futher information, please contact Mike Korcek) -NIU-