6/21/07

Kelvin Hayden and Rob Ninkovich into the NJCAA Football Hall of Fame

Former Joliet Junior College football players Kelvin Hayden and Rob Ninkovich have been inducted into the NJCAA Football Hall of Fame.

Hayden, who was named 2002 NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year, now plays for the Indianapolis Colts. Kelvin's time to shine came in Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears. He had a key 56 yard interception for a touchdown in the 4th quarter which gave the Colts a 29-17 lead, the game's final margin. Kelvin Hayden came to Joliet Junior College where he played wide receiver.  During his time at Joliet, Hayden helped lead the Wolves to a 21-1 record for the 2001 and 2002 seasons. He was a two-time all region and all conference player while also earning Conference Player of the Year and NJCAA 1st Team All-American honors. After Joliet, Hayden attended the University of Illinois where he started 19 of 21 games during his junior and senior seasons. Kelvin was drafted as the 60th overall pick of the 2005 NFL draft.

Former JJC player, Rob Ninkovich plays for the New Orleans Saints. Ninkovich played 3 games this past season before sitting out the rest of the year with an injury. The Saints went on to claim the 2006 NFC South Division Championship. Rob, a Lincoln-Way Central High School product, came to Joliet Junior College where he was standout defensive end. He earned all region and all conference honors his sophomore season where he had 131 total tackles (91 solo) and 23 sacks. Ninkovich earned a scholarship to Purdue University where he earned 2nd team All-Big Ten honors and was named team's Most Valuable Player. He accumulated 71 tackles (55 solo) and 16 sacks which ranked him 11th on the school's all-time list for sacks in his two year career with the Boilermakers. Rob was drafted as the 135th overall pick of the 2006 NFL draft.

The first week of the 2007 NFL season should be a good one. Kelvin Hayden and Rob Ninkovich will meet up once again. Not as teammates, but as foes on the football gridiron. The defending World Champion Indianapolis Colts host the New Orleans Saints on Thursday, September 6, 2007 at 7:30 pm EST.

9/13/07

Gustafson receives MFC East Player of the Week

Jeff Gustafson received Midwest Football Conference Player of the Week. Gustafson is a 5-11, 195-pound wide receiver from Troy, Illinois. In Joliet's game against Iowa Central, Jeff caught 10 balls for 143 yards and a touchdown. For the season, he has 16 catches for 204 yards and is averaging over 12 yards per catch. At Triad High School, Gustafson received All-Conference and All-St. Louis area honors.

9/26/07

Sophomore Anthony Stewart is MFC East Player of the Week

Anthony Stewart has received Midwest Football Conference East Player of the Week honors. The sophomore running back helped the Wolves to a 21-14 win over North Iowa Area Community College. He had 24 carries for 168 yards rushing and scored one touchdown. He had 4 receptions for 36 yards receiving totaling 204 total yards on the day. Stewart, who was all-conference for the 2006 season and received 2007 NJCAA Preseason 2nd team All-American honors, is averaging 117 yards per game and 5.8 yards per carry.

10/18/07

Bolingbrook product Deonte Ball is MFC East Player of the Week

Deonte Ball has received Midwest Football Conference East Player of the Week honors. The freshman defensive back played a big role in the Wolves 40-14 victory over NCAA Division II Central State University varsity team. Deonte had 7 tackles and 2 interceptions in the game along with 2 batted down balls and a pair of hard hits that caused incomplete plays for the offense. Ball has 23 total tackles and 4 interceptions on the season.

11/6/07

Freshman Tim Huguley named MFC East Player of the Week

Tim Huguley has been named Midwest Football Conference East Player of the Week. The 5'8", 180 pound, running back from Louisville, KY rushed 8 times for 134 yards and 1 touchdown against Grand Rapids. Tim has 490 yards on 70 carries for the season and has 5 rushing touchdowns. Tim received all-conference and all-state honors during high school.

2/6/08

JJC sends 13 sophomores to four-year universities

Today on national football signing day, Joliet Junior College sends thirteen players from the 2007 football team on to four-year universities. This talented group helped the Wolves to finish with a 10-2 overall record that included being named the Midwest Football Conference East Champions and the Graphic Edge Printing Bowl Champions. The final NJCAA football poll had Joliet Junior College nationally ranked at #10. The following student-athletes will continue their football careers at the next level: Brandon Bond (Alabama State University), Bruce Cabell (Howard University), Christian Graham (Grand Valley State University), Leveston Lewis (North Carolina A&T State University), Will Napier (Grand Valley State University), Daniel Moore (University of Wisconsin), Darius Quinn (University of Toledo), Terrance Scott (Mississippi Valley State University), Montez Singleton (Texas Southern University), Lawrence Smith (Lincoln University), Anthony Stewart (Central Missouri State University), Byron Stingily (University of Louisville), and Mitch Watkins (St. Cloud State University).

3/13/08

Kelvin Hayden receives #88 spot on top junior college players of all time

Former Hubbard High School and Joliet Junior College great Kelvin Hayden has landed the #88 spot on the JCGridiron.com top 100 junior college players of all time. Each week the site releases ten names on the list and the top 40 are still to come. Hayden is in good company so far with the likes of Herman Edwards, Jeff Garcia, Rudi Johnson, Deion Branch, Brandon Jacobs, Tom Dempsey, Leon Lett, Al Harris, and Jamal Anderson.

Although Kelvin Hayden currently plays defensive back for the Indianapolis Colts, he was once a dominating wide receiver at Joliet Junior College where he was voted the NJCAA National Offensive Player of the Year in 2002. Hayden finished his career at Joliet with 114 receptions for 1,839 yards and 17 touchdowns and was a two-time All-Conference and an All-Region pick for the Wolves.

Hayden transferred to the University of Illinois and was drafted by the Colts in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. His first career interception as a professional came in Super Bowl XLII when he picked off Rex Grossman and returned it for a touchdown. This past season Hayden finished third on the team with 117 total tackles and hauled in three interceptions for the Colts.

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