Sunday Slam: Barrington's Van Ness Latest From MSL to NFL
A Look at the Exclusive Group of Players
Green Bay Packers rookie linebacker Lukas Van Ness, a 2020 graduate of Barrington, joined some select company when he came into the 2023 NFL season opener against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Van Ness became the latest player from the Mid-Suburban League to play in a regular-season NFL game and celebrated with his first sack and a 38-20 victory.
Here is a look at all the players from the MSL (in alphabetical order) who are listed as having played in an NFL regular-season game by Pro Football Reference. The list includes players from MSL core schools such as Arlington, Barrington and Palatine before they joined the league or before the league was formed. Players who played in games during the 1987 NFL players strike are included as those games were official and counted in the standings.
Aric Anderson - Fremd
Pos: LB Ht: 6-2 Wt: 220 College: Millikin Draft: None
NFL Experience: Green Bay Packers (1987)
NFL: Anderson was working for a moving company when he got a shot to play during the ‘87 players strike. He saw action on special teams in 3 games as the Packers went 2-1 and beat the Eagles for their first Lambeau Field win in two years. Packers went 5-9-1 in legendary Forrest Gregg’s final season as head coach. Anderson was in the Dolphins’ training camp in ‘88 and played five years of Arena football.
College: Played four years on varsity at Millikin and was an all-CCIW pick at DE as a senior. Started at LB as a sophomore and junior after seeing varsity playing time as a FB-TE as a freshman.
High school: Anderson was an all-MSL outside linebacker as a senior as Fremd went 7-2 but missed the playoffs as it finished second to Barrington in the MSL North.
Marv Berschet - Arlington
Pos: C-OG Ht: 6-2 Wt: 220 College: Illinois Draft: 16th round, 1952 (Washington)
NFL Experience: Washington (1954-55)
NFL: “Moose” originally said he “wasn’t interested in pro football” but was drafted and after a year with the Air Force in the Korean War gave the NFL a shot with Washington. He played in 16 games and made 10 starts at guard over two seasons before following his original plan of becoming a successful farmer in Ohio. He passed away in 2011 at 81.
College: Berschet had not played a snap at Illinois and started the 1951 season as a third-string lineman. He moved into the starting lineup early in a 9-0-1 season where the Illini won the Western Conference (Big Ten) and finished the season ranked fourth in the nation by the Associated Press. Berschet was part of the first nationally televised college football game when Illinois pounded Stanford 40-7 in the Rose Bowl. He also captained the track and field team.
High School: The two-year letterman at Arlington was part of history as a senior in 1947 when the school opened the season with its first night game against Barrington. Berschet played left tackle as the Cardinals went 6-1-1 and finished second to Lake Forest in the Northeast Conference. At 205 pounds, Berschet was the heaviest player of the first-team all-NEC selections and it was written that “a Lake Forest player stated that Berschet was the only tackle they met whom they could not handle.”
Doug Betters - Arlington
Pos: DE Ht: 6-7 Wt: 262 Colleges: Montana, Nevada Draft: 6th Round, 1978 (Miami)
NFL Experience: Miami Dolphins (1978-87)
NFL: Betters thrived under legendary head coach Don Shula in the Dolphins “Killer B’s” defense with 64.5 sacks in 146 games. He played in two Super Bowls, was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor and named to their Silver and Golden Anniversary teams in 1991 and 2016 respectively. He had a monster year in 1983 as the AP Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Pro with 16 sacks and 4 fumble recoveries and in 1984 he had 14 sacks. Betters returned to Montana after retirement and was paralyzed in a skiing accident in 1998. He started Doug Betters For The Children, a non-profit foundation which has helped thousands of Montana children with financial assistance for medical-related travel.
College: The late bloomer initially went to Montana as a TE, was moved to OT and after three games switched to defense. After a coaching change at the end of his junior year, Betters transferred to Nevada-Reno and became a Division-II second-team All-America selection.
High school: Betters was a two-way starting lineman and didn’t make the all-MSL team, although head coach Chuck Haines called him “the best defensive player on the team.” His teammates included future MLB outfielder George Vukovich at RB and future Northwestern QB Ward Schell.
Randy Clark - Prospect
Pos: OL Ht: 6-3 Wt: 260 College: Northern Illinois Draft: 8th round, 1980 (Bears)
NFL Experience: St. Louis Cardinals (1980-86), Atlanta Falcons (1987)
NFL: The dream of playing in the NFL for his hometown team didn’t happen for Clark as he was cut in training camp after being drafted by Jim Finks. Chicago’s old South Side team, the St. Louis Cardinals, picked up Clark and he played 91 games on the O-line for them before wrapping up his career with 3 games with the Falcons. Early in his career Clark played on the line with Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf and found a home at center. His 54 consecutive starts incuded a second-team All-Pro selection by the Newspaper Enterprise Association in 1984 in an explosive “Big Red” offense led by QB Neil Lomax, RB O.J. Anderson and WR Roy Green. He was also a long snapper.
College: Clark was inducted into the NIU Hall of Fame in 1987 after a stellar career where he was first-team all-Mid-American Conference at center in 1978 and tackle in 1979. He also earned honorable mention AP All-America honors in his final season. Clark was named to the first team of the All-Century squad commemorating NIU’s Centennial in 1999.
High School: Clark was a Herald all-area offensive lineman as a Prospect senior after standing out on both sides of the ball and helping Prospect lead the MSL in rushing in 1974. Clark graded out at 90 percent at DT. “He has all the tools to become a big-school offensive lineman,” said Prospect coach Dave Keefe.
Steve Conley - Arlington
Pos: LB-RB Ht: Wt: College: Kansas Draft: 7th round, 1972 (Cincinnati Bengals)
NFL Experience: Cincinnati Bengals (1972), St. Louis Cardinals (1972)
NFL: Teams seemed to have a dilemma of where to use the versatile Conley as Hall of Fame coach Paul Brown drafted him as a LB for the Bengals but moved him to RB. In his only game with the team he got 3 carries for 8 yards and recovered a fumble on special teams in a win over Houston. He was let go and picked up by St. Louis, where he played 7 games at LB. Conley was a LB-TE with Hamilton in the Canadian Football League and caught 5 passes for 47 yards with a TD. In 1974-75, he went to the ill-fated World Football League and played LB-TE-FB for Birmingham, the Hawaiians, San Antonio and Philadelphia.
College: Conley went the junior college route for a year to Arizona Western as a RB-DB-LB before heading to Kansas as a RB. He started his last two seasons and finished with 1,064 career yards rushing and 10 TDs rushing and receiving. As a junior, Conley rushed for 535 yards while future Pro Football Hall of Famer John Riggins gained 1,131.
High school: The two-year starter was all-MSL as a senior in 1966 as Arlington made a 7-0-1 splash in its first year in the league. Conley rushed for 596 yards, caught 24 passes for 372 and had 6 TDs. He rushed for 343 yards and 2 TDs as a junior as Arlington went 5-3 in its final season in the West Suburban Conference.
Creig Federico - Conant
Pos: DB Ht: 6-2 Wt: 205 Colleges: Iowa Central CC, Illinois State Draft: Undrafted
NFL Experience: Detroit Lions (1987)
NFL: Federico got a chance to play with Detroit during the 1987 strike, started in 2 of 3 games and had a sack in a 19-16 OT win at Green Bay. He also played Arena football with Pittsburgh in 1987-88. He has worked as a strength and conditioning coach for local colleges such as Lewis, North Central an Dominican.
College: After starting out at Iowa Central, Federico became a jack-of-all-trades at ISU as he played three different positions - TE, FB and WR and was a special teams standout - in three seasons. That helped him earn the program’s citizenship award as a senior in 1985 when he caught a TD pass to help beat Drake. As a junior, Federico rushed for 231 yards and 2 TDs and caught 23 passes.
High school: Federico’s hopes for a big senior season nearly ended in tragedy during the summer of 1980 when lost part of his right index finger in a lawn mower accident. But he came back to become the leading receiver as John Ayres’ Conant team won its first MSL South title, advanced to the Class 5A semifinals in its first playoff appearance and went 11-1 for a single-season victory record that was matched in 1990 but hasn’t been surpassed. Federico caught 2 TDs, including the game-winner with 2:14 to play, in a quarterfinal comeback from a 14-point deficit against Willowbrook.
Gary Fencik - Barrington
Pos: FS Ht: 6-1 Wt: 194 College: Yale Draft: 10th round, 1976 (Miami Dolphins)
NFL Experience: Chicago Bears (1976-87)
NFL: The hard-hitting Fencik will be forever remembered in Chicago as one of the key cogs with 5 interceptions for the 1985 Super Bowl champion Bears’ “46” defense that many observers believe is the best in NFL history. He was also part of the iconic “Super Bowl Shuffle” video that is fondly recalled. Not bad for a guy who played WR at Yale, was drafted to play defensive back by the Dolphins but cut after he ruptured a lung in the preseason and then didn’t start any of the 13 games he played as a rookie in 1976. An injury to Doug Plank opened the door for Fencik to become a fixture in the starting lineup through the 1986 season as he played 164 career games (140 starts).
Fencik still holds the Bears’ career interception record with 38 (which ranks 91st in NFL history) and forced 12 fumbles. He teamed with Plank early in his career to form a safety duo that had receivers’ heads on a swivel and at times seemingly ready to fall off from their devastating hits that would bring hefty fines and suspensions today. Fencik went to two Pro Bowls (1980-81), was first-team All-Pro in 1981 when his 6 interceptions included his only TD return of his career, and was second-team All-Pro in 1985. Fencik was voted one of the 100 Greatest Bears of All Time.
College: At Yale, Fencik was trying to avoid the players he came after in the NFL as a top wide receiver. He caught 86 passes for 1,435 yards and 7 TDs in his three-year career and as a senior led the Ivy League in receiving yards with 729 on 42 catches.
High school: Fencik also played receiver for Barrington, which went 7-1 in his junior and senior seasons of 1970-71.
Greg Fitzgerald - Hoffman Estates
Pos: DT Ht: 6-4 Wt: 265 Colleges: Harper College, Iowa Draft: Undrafted
NFL Experience: Chicago Bears (1987)
NFL: Fitzgerald had come back to coach at Harper, was working as a real estate appraiser and playing semi-pro football when he got his chance to play for the Bears during the ‘87 strike. Fitzgerald assisted on 2 tackles in 3 games. He also had a tryout with the San Diego Chargers and signed with the New Jersey Generals of the USFL after college but never played because the league folded.
College: Two years at Harper led to bigger and better opportunities for Fitzgerald. He was second-team all-conference as a freshman and then gained 30 pounds to become an NJCAA All-America nose guard as a sophomore. He received more than 30 scholarship offers and he chose Iowa and Hayden Fry over Illinois and Mike White.
High school: Fitzgerald was a two-year starter at Hoffman and part of the program’s transition during Jim Rucks’ first year in charge in 1980. Fitzgerald was also a basketball standout.
Jeff Francis - Prospect
Pos: QB Ht: 6-4 Wt: 225 College: Tennessee Draft: 6th round, 1989 (LA Raiders)
NFL Experience: Cleveland Browns (1990)
NFL: Francis’ only game experience came in Week 15 in 1990 as the Browns lost 35-0 to the Steelers. Francis came on in relief of Mike Pagel and completed both of his pass attempts for 26 yards. He came to the Browns via the Raiders and also went to training camp with the Colts.
College: Francis played four years at Tennessee and was a three-year starter for legendary coach Johnny Majors. He led the Vols to a Peach Bowl victory over Indiana as a senior and led the program in career passing yards at the time with 5,867. That record is now held by a quarterback by the name of Peyton Manning. Francis also threw 31 career TDs. He chose Tennessee over suitors that included Illinois and UCLA.
High school: The three-sport standout at Prospect was the MSL career leader in passing yardage at 2,275 when he graduated in 1984. As a senior, Francis threw for 1,374 yards and 11 TDs, was Daily Herald All-Area and MSL South Player of the Year and received all-state recognition from the Champaign News-Gazette. He was also an all-area basketball player and pitcher in baseball.
Jimmy Garoppolo - Rolling Meadows
Pos: QB Ht: 6-2 Wt: 225 College: Eastern Illinois Draft: 2nd round, 2014 (New England Patriots)
NFL Experience: New England Patriots (2014-17), San Francisco 49ers (2017-22), Las Vegas Raiders (2023)
NFL: Jimmy G begins a new chapter in his 10th NFL season with the Las Vegas Raiders, where he is reunited with head coach Josh McDaniels, his offensive coordinator in New England. He’s been written off numerous times but continues to succeed with 87 career TD passes against only 42 interceptions in 74 games. Last year, the 49ers tried to replace him with Trey Lance, who got hurt in Week 2. Garoppolo stepped in and had 16 TDs and 4 INTs when a broken foot ended his season.
Odd-numbered years have also been good to Garoppolo. In 2019, he threw for 3,978 yards and 27 TDs as the 49ers lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl (where he had 219 yards and a TD). In 2021, Garoppolo threw for 3,810 yards and 20 TDs as the 49ers nearly made it to the Super Bowl again, losing 20-17 to the Rams in the NFC Championship game despite his 232 yards and 2 TDs passing. He was viewed as the heir apparent to the ageless Tom Brady when he was drafted by Bill Belichick but Garoppolo threw only 94 passes until his trade to the 49ers during the 2017 season.
College: Garoppolo was the classic story of making the most of an opportunity after getting no FBS Division I offers. Garoppolo went to Eastern Illinois and his career in Charleston took off as he threw for 13,156 yards and 118 TDs in four seasons. As a senior he threw for 5,050 yards and 53 TDs and won the Walter Payton Award as the top player in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
High school: Garoppolo was a two-year starter at QB and as a senior threw for 1,888 yards and 16 TDs and rushed for 563 yards and 7 TDs to lead Rolling Meadows to an MSL East title. He earned Daily Herald all-area honors but did not receive as much attention as other quarterbacks in the Chicago area and the state. He also played two years of varsity basketball.
Andre Holmes - Conant
Pos: WR Ht: 6-4 Wt: 210 College: Hillsdale College Draft: Undrafted
NFL Experience: Dallas Cowboys (2012), Oakland Raiders (2013-16), Buffalo Bills (2017-18), Denver Broncos (2018)
NFL: Holmes was originally signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and was on the Cowboys and Patriots practice squads before finally seeing NFL game action in 2012. Holmes caught 128 passes for 1,744 yards and 15 TDs in his career. His best year was in 2014 with the Raiders when he started 13 games and caught 47 passes for 693 yards and 4 touchdowns. In a 2017 playoff loss he caught 4 passes for 50 yards and a TD. Holmes is in his second season as an assistant coach at Kenosha (Wis.) Christian Life High School.
College: Holmes only scholarship offer for football was to DIvision II Hillsdale College in Michigan and as a senior he caught 104 passes.
High school: Holmes was a three-sport athlete but was better-known for basketball, as his dad Kevin played at DePaul, and for track and field as a state medal-winning long jumper.
Paul Justin - Schaumburg
Pos: QB Ht: 6-4 Wt: 211 College: Arizona State Draft: 7th round, 1991 (Chicago Bears)
NFL Experience: Indianapolis Colts (1995-97), Cincinnati Bengals (1998), St. Louis Rams (1999)
NFL: Justin was cut by the Bears and Colts, played arena football and was the World Bowl MVP as Frankfurt won the NFL Europe title in 1995. He returned to the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts in 1995 and finally saw his first regular-season action. In 1997 he played 8 games and made 4 starts and threw for 1,046 yards and 5 TDs. He went to Cincinnati in 1998 and saw his final NFL action in 1999 when he was 9-for-14 passing for 91 yards in relief roles for Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and the Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams. Justin played 34 games and threw for 2,614 yards with 8 TDs and 10 INTs.
College: Justin became the Arizona State starter midway through his sophomore year. As a junior he threw for a school-record 534 yards in an upset of No. 23 Washington State but an injury- and illness-plagued senior year dropped him to the seventh round.
High school: Justin was an all-area pick in 1985 as he started the “Air Cerasani” offensive takeoff under the late Tom Cerasani by throwing for 2,000 yards and 16 TDs. He led Schaumburg to its first two playoff victories.
Kurt Kittner - Schaumburg
Pos: QB Ht: 6-2 Wt: 221 College: Illinois Draft: 5th round, 2002 (Atlanta Falcons)
NFL Experience: Atlanta Falcons (2003)
NFL: Kittner played in 7 games (4 starts) with the 2003 Falcons and threw for 371 yards with 2 TDs and 6 INTs. He was the NFL Europe World Bowl MVP after leading Amsterdam to a title in 2005 and was a backup quarterback for the Bears for much of the 2005 season but didn’t see any action before he was released.
College: Kittner was the key to the rebuilding of the Illini under Ron Turner and became a four-year starter with the school’s career record of 70 TD passes. The Illini were 0-11 before Kittner arrived but two years later he threw for 22 TDs and just 4 interceptions and was the MVP of the MicronPC Bowl. Two years later he led the program to the 2001 Big Ten title. He was also a radio analyst for Illinois.
High school: One of the best pure pocket passers from Illinois, Kittner threw for 449 yards in a memorable loss to Barrington and Dan Pohlman as a Schaumburg senior, which was fifth in state history at the time. Kittner was on the way to putting up huge numbers in “Air Cerasani” when he tore a tendon in his thumb a week later in the fourth game after hitting his throwing hand on a helmet during a pass. But he showed his toughness by coming back to finish an all-area season on defense and special teams.
Tim Lashar - Barrington
Pos: K Ht: 5-9 Wt: 160 College: Oklahoma Draft: Undrafted
NFL Experience: Chicago Bears (1987)
NFL: Lashar joined the Bears during the ‘87 strike and was 3-for-4 on field goals and 10-for-10 on extra points. He was cut from the LA Rams in training camp earlier in ‘87 and the Bears brought him back to camp in ‘88. He returned to Norman, Oklahoma and owns a heating and air conditioning business and is active in the community.
College: Lashar walked on at Oklahoma and became an all-Big 8 Conference kicker and the Orange Bowl MVP with 4 field goals as the Sooners won the 1985 national title. He set an NCAA record for consecutive extra points made in a season with 66 in 1986.
High school: Lashar was a kicker and also played tennis at Barrington before moving to suburban Dallas for his senior year. His 47-yard field goal against Schaumburg in 1980 is one of the longest in MSL history and he hit a game-winning extra point against Hersey in OT. Lashar also teamed with Bill Sheehan to finish third at No. 3 doubles as Barrington won the 1981 MSL tennis title. Missed more than half of his senior year at Plano (Texas) with a groin injury.
Tom McManus - Wheeling
Pos: LB Ht: 6-2 Wt: 252 College: Boston College Draft: Undrafted
NFL Experience: Jacksonville Jaguars (1995-99)
NFL: McManus is an amazing success story as he was cut in training camp in 1993 by New Orleans and spent two years as a bartender in Chicago and salesman in Boston before Tom Coughlin and Steve Szabo, his former Boston College coaches, took over in Jacksonville and gave McManus a shot.
McManus was ready and took full advantage. He made the team in 1995 and in 1996 started 11 games and all 3 playoff games as Jacksonville lost to New England in the AFC championship. He missed all of 1997 with torn ligaments in his right knee but came back to play all 16 games in 1998. A foot injury limited him to his final 2 NFL games in 1999. He went on to become a successful sports talk host in Jacksonville, a motivational speaker and wrote a book about his father’s 1995 death from cancer.
College: The hard-hitting McManus had a Hall of fame career at Boston College for Coughlin and was a third-team All-America selecton as a senior.
High school: McManus was an all-state and Daily Herald all-area linebacker as as senior with 82 tackles, 3 interceptions and 6 sacks. He was inducted into the Wheeling Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.
Scotty Miller - Barrington
Pos: WR Ht: 5-9 Wt: 174 College: Bowling Green Draft: 6th round, 2019 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFL Experience: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019-22), Atlanta Falcons (2023)
NFL: Miller signed with the Falcons in the offseason and had 74 catches for 924 yards and 4 TDs in four years with Tampa Bay while winning a Super Bowl. He blossomed in his second season with the arrival of Tom Brady from New England and caught 33 passes for 501 yards and 3 TDs in 2020. He also had a TD catch in the NFC title game. He caught 23 passes for 185 yards in 2022.
College: Miller didn’t have an FBS scholarship offer until the playoffs of his senior year at Barrington but became a three-time all-Mid-American Conference pick at Bowling Green with 215 catches for 2,867 yards and 23 TDs. Had 71 catches for 1,148 yards and 9 TDs as a senior and 74 for 986 and 10 TDs as a sophomore.
High school: The speedy Miller starred at Barrington and was the Daily Herald’s Cook County All-Area captain and an all-state pick as a senior after scoring 17 TDs, catching 40 passes for 768 yards and 11 TDs and breaking up 16 passes in the secondary. Led the Broncos to a pair of 10-2 state quarterfinal seasons and had 10 TDs as a junior. Won six state track medals and finished third in the Class 3A 100 meters.
Guy Murdock - Barrington
Pos: C Ht: 6-2 Wt: 245 College: Michigan Draft: 16th round, 1972 (Houston Oilers)
NFL Experience: Houston Oilers (1972)
NFL: Overcame long odds to play all 14 games (4 starts) at center and make the United Press International’s All-Rookie Team as the Oilers finished 1-13. Murdock was cut before the 1973 season but got another shot at pro football in the upstart World Football League with the Chicago Fire in 1974. The team MVP blocked for players such as former Northern Illinois star and future NFL running back Mark Kellar. The Fire were extinguished after a year and Murdock stayed on as the Winds became Chicago’s WFL franchise in 1975, but they folded after just five games and the doomed league was out of business a month later. Murdock stayed in the area and became a successful businessman.
College: Murdock became an instrumental part of Michigan’s rise to a national power under Bo Schembechler. He started in Schembechler’s first three seasons and was a two-time first-team all-Big Ten pick as the Wolverines went 28-5 and lost to Stanford and Jim Plunkett 13-12 in the 1972 Rose Bowl.
High school: Murdock was the first of five NFL players from Barrington and he also played basketball.
Tom Nelson - Hersey
Pos: DB Ht: 5-11 Wt: 200 College: Illinois State Draft: Undrafted
NFL Experience: Cincinnati Bengals (2009-10), Philadelphia Eagles (2011)
NFL: Nelson signed with the Bengals as a free agent and gained attention in their 2009 training camp on the HBO series “Hard Knocks,” made the team, started 3 games and had 25 tackles and an interception. His 24-game NFL career included stints with the Bengals in 2010 and Eagles in 2011 and he was also in camps with the Bears, Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens. Nelson started TNT (Tom Nelson Training) in Mount Prospect and returned to Hersey to coach. He took over the program in 2022 as the Huskies won the Mid-Suburban East and finished 10-1.
College: Nelson went to Illinois State to play defensive back and was a three-time all-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection and MVFC freshman of the year in 2005 with 81 tackles and a 15.6-yard average on punt returns.
High school: The electrifying Daily Herald All-Area quarterback led Hersey to the playoffs and a 7-3 finish. In his first full season at QB he threw for 1,034 yards and 8 TDs, rushed for 879 and 9 TDs, returned kicks and punts and played in the secondary.
Art Plunkett - Arlington
Pos: OT Ht: 6-7 Wt: 269 College: UNLV Draft: 8th round, 1981 (LA Rams)
NFL Experience: St. Louis Cardinals (1981-84), New England Patriots (1985, 1987)
NFL: Plunkett didn’t make the Rams in 1981 but played 71 games with 5 starts over six seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and New England Patriots. He was a backup to O-line greats John Hannah and Julius Adams and a regular on special teams on the Patriots’ Super Bowl XX team that lost to the Bears. Plunkett became a high school football coach and athletic director in Las Vegas.
College: Plunkett was a four-year letterwinner at Nevada-Las Vegas and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1994. UNLV transitioned to Division I after his freshman year went 32-10-2 during his career while playing an independent schedule.
High school: You won’t find Plunkett on any all-MSL or all-area lists because his family moved to Salt Lake City after his sophomore year at Arlington. Plunkett also got stronger and gained the coordination he needed from an early growth spurt to become a high-school all-stater in Utah as a senior.
Len Rohde - Palatine
Pos: OT Ht: 6-4 Wt: 250 College: Utah State Drafted: 5th round, 1960 (San Francisco 49ers)
NFL Experience: San Francisco 49ers (1960-74)
NFL: Rohde didn’t think much of his long-term prospects with the 49ers as he alternated between the offensive and defensive lines early in his career. He found a home at left tackle in 1964 and stayed there until he retired before the 1975 season. His 208 consecutive games played (179 starts) ranked third in NFL history at that time and is tied for the 49ers record. Rohde was part of a group that allowed an NFL-record low 8 sacks in the 1970 season and was a Pro Bowl selection in 1971 as the 49ers made consecutive NFC championship game trips. He successfully owned and operated numerous restaurants in the Bay Area and passed away at 79 in 2017.
College: Rohde was an all-conference tackle in his final two seasons at Utah State and earned spots in the school’s Hall of Fame and on its all-century football team.
High school: The self-described “big hayseed” came from farm country - yes, farm country - near the current Harper College campus to become a dominant force in football and an unbeaten state wrestling champion for Palatine.
Eric Saubert - Hoffman Estates
Pos: TE Ht: 6-5 Wt: 253 College: Drake Draft: 5th round, 2017 (Denver Broncos)
NFL Experience: Atlanta Falcons (2017-18), Chicago Bears (2019), Jacksonville Jaguars (2020), Denver Broncos (2021-22).
NFL: Saubert has 33 catches for 280 yards and 2 TDs in 74 games (15 starts) over six seasons. His most productive was 2022 when he played all 17 games with the Broncos and caught 15 passes for 148 yards and a TD. Saubert signed a one-year deal for 2023 with the Miami Dolphins but got 60 preseason snaps, but was placed on IR with an undisclosed injury on Aug. 29 and released Sept. 6 with an injury settlement. He played 2 games with the Bears in 2019.
College: Saubert was a prime example of if you can play they will find you as he grew from 185 pounds as a Hoffman senior and became Drake’s first draft pick since TE Pat Dunsmore by the Bears in 1983. Saubert was a four-time all-Pioneer Football League pick, received FCS All-America recognition and for his career caught 183 passes for 2,179 yards and 20 TDs.
High school: Saubert was an all-MSL pick as a senior and also played basketball at Hoffman Estates.
Jim Schwantz - Fremd
Pos: LB Ht: 6-2 Wt: 240 College: Purdue Drafted: Undrafted
NFL Experience: Chicago Bears (1992-93, 1998), Dallas Cowboys (1994-96), San Francisco 49ers (1997)
NFL: The mayor of Palatine since 2009 and former Fremd three-sport star had a productive six-year NFL career where he became a special teams standout and earned a Super Bowl ring and Pro Bowl selection with the Cowboys. His 72-game career started and ended with the Bears with 1 game in 1992 and all 16 in 1998. Schwantz was traded to the Cowboys in 1994 and played in all 16 regular-season games and in the Super Bowl XXX win over the Steelers in 1995. The following year he made the Pro Bowl as the NFL Alumni Special Teams Player of the Year and also won the NFL Unsung Hero Award. He was also a long-time fixture on Bears pregame and postgame shows on WBBM radio.
College: Schwantz finished his four-year career at Purdue with a flourish when he was moved to inside linebacker and selected team MVP and second-team all-Big Ten in 1991. Schwantz had 143 tackles (102 solos) and 12 tackles for losses as a senior.
High school: One of the best all-around athletes in MSL history was co-athlete of the year as a Fremd senior in 1988. Schwantz was an all-state linebacker, started on a Sweet 16 basketball team and was a Daily Herald All-Area baseball selection.
Mike Scully - Prospect
Pos: C Ht: 6-5 Wt: 280 College: Illinois Drafted: Undrafted
NFL Experience: Washington Redskins (1988)
NFL: Scully got in one game as a long snapper with Washington in 1988 and has had a successful career as a golf pro and course director that included a leading role during the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club.
College: Scully was a reserve for the 1983 Big Ten champions and broke into the starting lineup as a senior, which gave him opportunities to showcase his skills in postseason all-star games and at the NFL combine.
High school: Scully was an all-area linebacker at Prospect in 1982 for Rich Roberts.
Donovan Small - Wheeling
Pos: DB Ht: 5-11 Wt: 190 College: Minnesota Drafted: Undrafted
NFL Experience: Houston Oilers (1987)
NFL: Small was let go in training camp by Houston in 1987 but came back to play one game during the players’ strike and had an interception in a 40-10 win over Denver.
College: Played his first two years at Minnesota as a RB and rushed for 191 yards and 6 passes before he was moved to free safety. A freak injury after his junior year, where he cut the main artery in his thigh, required two surgeries and nearly cost him much more than just playing football, but he came back for his senior year with the Golden Gophers.
High school: The Jamaican native was a three-sport standout at Wheeling and the Daily Herald All-Area captain as a running back as a senior.
Brady Smith - Barrington
Pos: DE Ht: 6-5 Wt: 274 College: Colorado State Drafted: 3rd round, 1996 (New Orleans Saints)
NFL Experience: New Orleans Saints (1996-99), Atlanta Falcons (2000-05)
NFL: Smith had NFL bloodlines as his dad Steve (Maine East) was an offensive and defensive lineman with the Steelers, Vikings and Eagles from 1966-74. Brady Smith had a productive NFL career and played 143 games for the Saints and Falcons. He finished with 45 sacks and likely had more than the official 57 tackles for loss since the NFL didn’t start tracking the stat until 1999.
College: His Colorado State career was at a breaking point after three seasons with a redshirt, broken arm and broken leg. Then Smith had a strong junior year and as a senior led the nation with 16 sacks and 19 tackles for loss to move up the draft boards. He was inducted into the Colorado State Hall of Fame in 2005.
High school: Smith was a Daily Herald All-Area pick in 1990 as he led Barrington in tackles at outside linebacker and had touchdown returns on an interception and fumble recovery. Smith was a two-year starter for the Broncos.
Don Thorp - Buffalo Grove
Pos: NT-DE Ht: 6-4 Wt: 260 College: Illinois Draft: 6th round, 1984 (New Orleans Saints)
NFL Experience: New Orleans Saints (1984), Indianapolis Colts (1987-88), Kansas City Chiefs (1988)
NFL: Thorp played 14 NFL games with the Saints, Colts and Chiefs and just missed making the Bears’ powerful defense a year after their iconic Super Bowl victory. Started 3 games during the ‘87 strike with the Colts and had 3 sacks. He has had huge success running his family’s business involved in the food industry in suburban Chicago.
College: Thorp joined a struggling Illinois program and helped return it to prominence with a Big Ten title in 1983 and a trip to the Rose Bowl. Thorp won the prestigious Big Ten Silver Football award from the Chicago Tribune that goes to the conference’s top player.
High school: Thorp was a junior when he helped put a young BG program under Grant Blaney on the map in 1978 as it finished second in the state in Class 5A. Thorp earned all-state honors before going to Illinois.
Scott Tolzien - Fremd
Pos: QB Ht: 6-3 Wt: 205 College: Wisconsin Drafted: Undrafted
NFL Experience: Green Bay Packers (2014-15), Indianapolis Colts (2016-17)
NFL: Tolzien originally signed with the San Diego Chargers but was cut and went to the 49ers, where he was on the roster for Super Bowl XLVII. He was signed to the Packers’ practice squad in 2013, and when Aaron Rodgers got hurt, was activated and threw for 280 yards and a TD in his NFL debut in a loss to the Eagles. Threw for 1,065 yards with 2 TDs and 9 interceptions in his NFL career. Not surprisingly, he is entering his fourth season on the staff of the Cowboys and was promoted to quarterbacks coach in late February 2023.
College: Tolzien was a last-minute signee with Wisconsin and emerged from deep in its depth chart to become a two-year starter. Won the 2010 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as he led the Badgers to the Rose Bowl in his senior year and threw for 2,459 yards and 16 TDs. Also threw for 16 TDs as a junior.
High school: The Daily Herald’s All-Area captain and all-state pick in 2005 graduated with 15 school records and was part of two of Fremd’s eight consecutive MSL West outright or shared titles (2003-2010). Tolzien completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,059 yards and 24 TDs with only 5 interceptions in a 10-1 finish as a senior.
Tim Tyrrell - Conant
Pos: RB Ht: 6-1 Wt: 204 Colleges: Harper College, Northern Illinois
Drafted: Undrafted
NFL Experience: Atlanta Falcons (1984-86), Los Angeles Rams (1986-88), Pittsburgh Steelers (1989)
NFL: One of the great MSL success stories is Tyrrell’s route to a six-year NFL career. Tyrrell used his fearlessness to carve out a niche as a special teams whiz and played 66 games with the Falcons (who initially cut him), Rams and Steelers. He was the first alternate for Pro Bowls in 1987 and 1988 and was voted the second-best special teams player in the NFL by USA TODAY in 1985. Tyrrell has been successful in business and has been involved with the NFL Players Association Former Players Chicago chapter.
College: Tyrrell didn’t play for a year after graduating from Conant and went to Harper College as a student before joining the team in 1980 as a defensive back. An early-season switch to quarterback by legendary coach John Eliasik was a life-changer for Tyrrell as he became an NJCAA All-America as a sophomore. From there he went on to a Hall of Fame career at Northern Illinois as he was the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year and quarterbacked the 1983 team to its first MAC title and a California Bowl victory.
High school: Tyrrell was a big part of helping John Ayres build a successful program at Conant. He rushed for 600-plus yards as a junior and Conant was 6-3 in 1977 for its first winning season in 1969. Then he suffered a knee injury on the first day of practice his senior year that required surgery and put his football career in doubt.
Lukas Van Ness - Barrington
Pos: LB Ht: 6-5 Wt: 272 College: Iowa Drafted: 1st round, 2023 (Green Bay Packers)
NFL Experience: Green Bay Packers (2023)
NFL: Van Ness was taken with the 13th overall pick to become the highest selection for a player from the MSL. Made his first official NFL game appearance in the first quarter of the 2023 opener against the Bears at Soldier Field and got his first career sack.
College: Van Ness proved it’s not how you start but how you finish at Iowa. The two-time academic all-Big Ten pick didn’t start once in 27 games in two seasons but finished with 19.5 tackles for losses and 13.5 sacks. Was second-team all-Big Ten in 2022 with 11 TFLs and 6.5 sacks before opting to leave school early for the NFL Draft.
High school: Van Ness was the Mid-Suburban West co-defensive player of the year and two-way all-area standout with 8 tackles for loss, 5 sacks and 17 quarterback hurries as Barrington made the playoffs in 2019. He was also a Class 8A academic all-state pick.
Tom Zbikowski - Buffalo Grove
Pos: S Ht: 5-11 Wt: 209 College: Notre Dame Drafted: 3rd round, 2008 (Baltimore Ravens)
NFL Experience: Baltimore Ravens (2008-11), Indianapolis Colts (2012)
NFL: Zbikowski had a five-year NFL career as a safety and kick returner and helped the Ravens to the AFC title game his rookie year. He went to Indianapolis and started the first 11 games when a knee injury knocked him out for the rest of the regular season in 2012, but he returned for a Wild Card loss in what turned out to be his final NFL game. Zbikowski was signed by the Bears but his career came to an end in teh 2013 preseason. Finished his career with 3 interceptions in 64 games (25 starts). He did some professional boxing, was a special teams analyst at Western Michigan University in 2022. Went to Brown in the Ivy League to become a full-time assistant who works with the safeties in 2023.
College: Zbikowski was a two-time third-team Associated Press All-America pick who helped Notre Dame reach the Fiesta and Sugar Bowls. Finished his career with 8 interceptions and 3 punt return touchowns. As a redshirt sophomore he had 5 interceptions (returned 2 for TDs) and 2 punt return TDs.
High school: One of the most electrifying players and athletes ever from the MSL gained significant national attention during his senior year at BG. Zbikowski was a two-time Daily Herald all-area pick and captain in 2002 as a quarterback-safety as he led BG to a second consecutive 7A state quarterfinal trip, unbeaten regular season and an MSL East title.