Aug. 4, 2009

 

CHICAGO – The Northern Illinois Huskies held their annual football media day in Chicago yesterday at Harry Caray’s Restaurant and in between interviews www.niuhuskies.com was able to catch up with a trio of seniors in linebacker Cory Hanson (Minneapolis, Minn./De La Salle), offensive lineman Jason Onyebuagu (Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central), and kicker Mike Salerno (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg/Winona State). The following are quotes from the trio on their summers and getting ready for camp.

Hanson on being in Chicago for media day:

“It’s definitely fun. Being at NIU gives you the privilege to visit a city like this. I’m not from Chicago so anytime I get to come here, see the buildings, and have this type of experience is great for me.”

Hanson on what he is looking forward to with camp only a few days away:

“I’m a senior so I am really looking forward to kicking off my senior season. I know it’s going to be fun. When you’re young you kind of dread camp because you are away from family, but I’m to the point where I’m looking forward to improving everyday with the team and getting ready for Wisconsin.”

Hanson on what advice he would offer to the newcomers entering camp for the first time:

“I always try to give advice when I can because of the experiences that I’ve had being here for five years. I know a little bit about the university so I try to pass on as much knowledge as I can to the new guys.”

Hanson on his athletic talents outside of football:

“In high school I played a little bit of everything. I even played soccer in eighth grade because I couldn’t play for the high school football team yet. My best sport besides football was probably baseball. It came pretty naturally to me, but I just couldn’t handle baseball practice, I liked to play in the games though. I played centerfield and batted leadoff and sometimes third, too. I stole bases and did a little bit of everything. I was a pretty good baseball player.”

Hanson on who has the best athletic talent on the team outside of football:

“Besides me, I’d have to say either Patrick George (Chicago, Ill./Gordon Tech) or Landon Cox (Calumet City, Ill./Thornton Fractional North). Those two can do some pretty good things off the football field. There’s a lot though. We have a lot of good athletes on this team.”

Onyebuagu on what he has been up to this summer:

“This summer I have been working out, working hard, and trying to get better as an athlete. I have been relaxing a bit with some of my teammates trying to live the college football life. I was on campus for most of the summer, but I did go home on a couple weekends. Getting to see my family is always fun.”

Onyebuagu on any last things he wants to do before camp starts and his summer ends:

“Nothing major. I went back home to Indianapolis last weekend. I got to see my mom and my family before I hit the grind. It’s my senior year so I know what camp is like and what you have to do to maintain and get through it. I guess the thing I need to do is clean my room and get some stuff organized before I don’t have any time to do it during the season.”

Onyebuagu on what advice he would give to the newcomers entering camp:

“I would say take it one day at a time. Being a young player, things will always be different from what you did in high school. It’s never going to be the same. If it is, you’re lucky, but don’t try to do too much. Do what you’re told, and learn. Just play football because at the end of the day that’s all it really is. When you get your opportunities make the best of them and do whatever you can to help the football team.”

Salerno on whether or not he attempts trick kicks in his free time:

“Every once in a while I do in my free time. Actually, I can drop kick pretty well and our new punter Josh Wilber (Phoenix, Ariz./Barry Goldwater/Phoenix College) can, too. So we like to joke around and have competitions with that. Another game I do on my free time is I start kicking from the sideline and gradually moving the ball to steeper angles while trying to get it through the uprights. It definitely helps with accuracy and it’s fun at the same time. Sometimes we also set up a garbage can across the field and try to punt the ball into it. That correlates to a coffin corner type of kick.”

Salerno on what he has been doing over the summer to improve his game:

“This summer I took all of my classes in the May term, which is only four weeks. So I’ve had the rest of the summer to stay in DeKalb to work out, and I also did a running program. And of course, I have been kicking a lot. I have been working with snapper Nolan Owen (Canyon Lake, Calif./Temescal Canyon) and Ryan Morris (Carol Stream, Ill./West Chicago), who will probably be holding for me. We could be ahead of the game before preseason comes.”

-NIU-