Dec. 19, 2008

DeKALB, Ill. - Northern Illinois defensive end Larry English (Aurora, Ill./Marmion Academy) continues to add to his list of postseason accolades as the senior was named a third team All-American by Phil Steele's Magazine and earned recognition as the Mid-American Conference's Defensive Player of the Year from both The Sporting News and ESPN.com this week.

English, the two-time winner of the MAC's Vern Smith Leadership Award as the league's top player, will lead the 6-6 Huskies into the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. versus Louisiana Tech on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008. The game will be nationally televised beginning at 7:15 p.m. (Central) by ESPN.

English was a fourth-team All-America selection by Phil Steele's Magazine a year ago when he became the first Northern Illinois defensive player named to any All-America team since linebacker Gerald Nickelberry was an honorable mention choice by Football News in 1993.

English also was selected the league's Defensive Player of the Year by members of the MAC News Media Association, the first Huskie to win that honor since 1980, and he joined tailback Garrett Wolfe (2004-06) as just the second player in Northern Illinois history to earn first-team All-MAC honors three times.

The leader of a Northern Illinois defense that is ranked first in the MAC in total defense, scoring defense and pass defense, English enters the bowl match-up with 31.5 career quarterback sacks and 62 tackles for loss to go with eight forced fumbles and 236 career tackles. He is the nation's active career leader in sacks, sack yardage and tackle for loss yardage and is in the MAC all-time Top 10 in sacks and tackles for loss.

Tickets for English's final game in a Northern Illinois uniform at the bowl game in Shreveport are available through the NIU Athletics Ticket Office in the Convocation Center, on the phone at 815-752-6800 and on-line at www.niuhuskies.com. Detailed information on the bowl trip, hotel options and bowl packages, is also on-line and available through the Huskie Athletic Scholarship Fund office at 815-753-1923. Tickets can be purchased and donated to NIU students or military personnel in the Shreveport area and the proceeds will help offset the cost of the Huskies' bowl trip.

-- NIU --