99   Nabal Jefferson
	Class: Senior Hometown: Chicago, IL High School: Marist Height / Weight: 6-0 / 287 Position: DT Experience: 3L

Two-year starter and four-year contributor at noseguard made 144 tackles, 22.5 for loss, for NIU. Will go down as one of the most decorated football Scholar-Athletes ever at Northern Illinois.

2012: One of 15 winners of the 2012 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award. Second team Academic All-America honoree by CoSIDA after picking up first team Academic All-District recognition. Received the NFF Chicago Chapter's Mental Toughness Award. Recipient of an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Second leading tackler among NIU defensive linemen with 58 stops, including 24 solo tackles, from his noseguard position. Tallied 6.5 tackles for loss, a sack and tipped two passes. Started every game. Posted a career-high nine tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, against Kent State (11-30) in the MAC Championship game. Recorded seven tackles and knocked down a pass in the season opener against Iowa (9-1). Made eight stops, including five solo, at Army (9-15). Contributed six tackles versus Kansas (9-22). Tallied a pass break up and three stops at Ball State (10-6). Collected three tackles each against Toledo (11-14) and Eastern Michigan (11-23). Made four tackles, including a tackle for loss and a half sack against Buffalo. Posted a six-tackle performance, with a half sack, 2.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry at Akron (10-20). Registered two tackles at Western Michigan (10-27). His lone tackle versus CMU (9-29) went for a loss. Had two tackles in the Orange Bowl game versus Florida State. Named to the Academic All-MAC team. One of the Huskies' team captains for 2012.

2011: The Huskies' starting nose guard in 11 of 14 games. Played in every game and made 46 tackles, five of which went for a loss. Posted 33 tackles and five tackles for loss in the final seven games of the season, making at least three tackles in each game. Had at least one tackle in every game on the year. Recorded a career-high six tackles three times during the season. Had six stops at Buffalo (10-22) with a tackle for loss and recovered a fumble to set up NIU's first points. Earned Defensive Lineman of the Week honors versus the Bulls. Tied his career-high with six stops versus Toledo (11-1) and Ohio (12-2). Earned MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Week recognition following his performance in the conference title game against the Bobcats. Tallied five tackles with two tackles for loss in the bowl win versus Arkansas State (1-8). Picked off his first career pass and rumbled 25 yards into the endzone for the first points of the game against Kent State (10-8). Added a pair of tackles in the contest. Made four tackles each against Kansas (9-10) and Ball State (11-15). Other multi-tackle games came against Cal Poly (9-24), Central Michigan (10-1), Bowling Green (11-8) and Eastern Michigan (11-25).

2010: Saw action in all 14 games at defensive tackle behind starter D.J. Pirkle. Tied for third on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss and was fourth in quarterback sacks with 2.5. Collected 26 tackles, nine solo, and broke up a pass. Had his best game of the season versus Fresno State in the Humanitarian Bowl (12-18) with a career-high five tackes, three solo, two-and-a-half tackles for loss and a solo sack. Made two stops, including a tackle for loss, and broke up a pass against Miami (Ohio) in the 2010 MAC Championship game (12-3). Totaled two tackles, including a half tackle for loss, in the season opener at Iowa State (9-2). His two tackles in the Ball State game (11-20) included 1.5 tackles for loss and half a quarterback sack. Tallied three tackles, including a half tackle for loss, against Minnesota (9-25). Credited with three tackles, including a half sack, at Akron (10-2) and had three tackles, including a half tackle for loss, versus Buffalo (10-16). Tallied three tackles, two solo, at Eastern Michigan (11-26). Registered multiple tackles in eight games, including each of the last four and had at least part of a tackle for loss in eight contests. Made at least one stop in 11 contests. An Academic All-MAC selection by league faculty representatives.

2009: Made an appearance in 11 games as a true freshman noseguard. Totaled 14 tackles, with 3.5 for loss and 1.5 quarterback sacks in a back-up role. Made a season-high four tackles against Western Illinois (9-12). Credited with a pair of tackles for loss and a quarterback sack in the Akron game (10-31). Came back the next week with two stops and half a sack in the EMU game (11-5). Made a solo stop for a loss of six yards against the Eagles. Totaled two tackles each against Akron, Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan (11-27). Had at least one tackle in eight games.

High School: Named to the Chicago Tribune All-State second team and the Chicago Sun-Times All-Area Team. Also an all-area selection by the Southtown Star. EdgyTim (recruiting) named him to its 8A All-State squad. Recorded 167 total tackles, 14 sacks, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries, and was named the East Suburban Catholic Defensive Lineman of the Year during his senior season. Earned all-conference honors twice. Solidified the interior as the noseguard in a 3-4 defensive scheme, helping his team to a 9-3 record and the Illinois Class 8A quarterfinals as a senior. Totaled 78 tackles, with 32 solo, seven sacks, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries as a junior. Team won a share of the conference championship in both his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Personal: Born Feb. 10, 1991. VictoryScholar holds a 3.78 GPA in accountancy. Son of Carmelita Alvarez. Admires Michael Strahan and Jerome Bettis. Enjoys reading the newspaper. Will return to KPMG in Chicago as an intern this summer.