Gaz

[CatManTrue]

If I’m not mistaken, Harris shifted to DE his final season at NU, at least in part to get Durr on the field. He stood up a fair amount even as the starting DE, and was the starting MLB for the Oak super bowl team. Of course, I could be mistaken.

The 2001 team had a surplus of LB talent - including Durr, Billy Silva, and Kevin Bentley, a 4th round pick - and not many pass rushers. From what I recall, the move was made as Napo was an athletic freak and the coaching staff hoped he could provide a unique pass-rushing edge on defense.

Sadly, it didn’t quite work out that season - perhaps they should have tried a 3-4. However that year certainly didn’t hurt Napo’s draft stock.

 

[NUCat320]

I was really disappointed that Napo did that and always wondered if it was bad blood or he just really wanted to give his HS a shout out. At the time NU had very little presence in such high profile games.

He paid tribute to his tiny, impoverished hometown of Dixmoor, IL, (population ~3,600, per wiki, per cap income $13k, per wiki) rather than his internationally-known university with a billion-dollar endowment. Dixmoor is where he came from.

His love for his hometown has proven durable and deeply-held, as he now represents its interests in Springfield.