Geneva's Santacaterina will cap NIU career at Boca Raton Bowl

It seems only fitting that a guy nicknamed "Santa" be playing a big game in December.

There may be nothing Michael Santacaterina wants for Christmas more than a Northern Illinois University victory over Marshall in next week's inaugural Boca Raton Bowl.

Santacaterina, who starred as a 2-way player at Geneva High School, will start at linebacker when the Mid-American Conference champion Huskies (11-2) take the field Tuesday night at FAU Stadium (5 p.m. kickoff).

It will mark the 51st - and final - game of Santacaterina's collegiate career but the redshirt senior isn't ready to hang up his helmet and shoulder pads just yet.

"It hasn't really hit me yet that it is all coming to an end," said Santacaterina. "I'm sure I'll reflect on it afterward. For now, I'm treating it like every other game.

"We'll leave Friday (for Florida) and have a couple more work days before the game."

Santacaterina has come a long way since his arrival in DeKalb as a preferred walk-on in 2010.

As a true freshman, Santacaterina began his collegiate career as a safety but that soon changed.

"I've been playing as a linebacker ever since Week 2 of my true freshman year," said Santacaterina.

In 2011, the 5-11, 215-pound redshirt freshman started 4 of 11 games for the Huskies, who finished 11-3, earned the MAC Championship game for the first time ever, and defeated Arkansas State 38-20 in the GoDaddy.com Bowl.

A year later, Santacaterina served as a backup linebacker and started on special teams during a historic season (12-2) that ended with an Orange Bowl berth against Florida State.

Although the Huskies dropped a 31-10 decision to the perennial powerhouse Seminoles, the game helped put NIU football on the map.

"We hung with them for three quarters," said Santacaterina. "It was a great experience for us. It gave us a chance to see how much work we had to do as a team."

From a personal perspective, playing in the Orange Bowl was a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

"It was an unbelievable experience - something I'll never forget," said Santacaterina. "Very few people can say they've done it. The memories will stick with me forever."

Last season, Santacaterina earned a spot in head coach Rod Carey's starting lineup and recorded his first career sack in a game against Eastern Michigan. He started 10 of 12 games at outside linebacker and finished fifth on the team with 64 tackles.

NIU finished 12-2 in 2013 and made its sixth consecutive postseason appearance, losing a 21-14 decision to Utah State in the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego.

This season, Santacaterina has started all 13 games for the Huskies, recording 54 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss (4th on the team). He collected a season-high 8 tackles during the Huskies' 23-15 Week 2 victory over Northwestern.

Santacaterina admitted there have been added expectations from him as a senior this season.

"It has been a lot different especially being a senior," he said. "As one of the leaders of the team, I can't take a day off or a practice off because younger players are looking up to you."

Santacaterina likes the grit and determination this year's team has displayed.

"There's no star on the team this year like Jordan Lynch or Jimmie Ward," said Santacaterina. "This team has had to grind it out. There's a real brotherhood on this team."

Since losing 2 of its first 6 games, the Huskies have strung together 7 straight wins, highlighted by their 51-17 MAC Championship game triumph over Bowling Green on Dec. 5 - providing Santacaterina with his third MAC Championship ring.

"It was special because of the amount of time we put in," said Santacaterina. "All three (MAC) championships were amazing but this year's was the most special to me."

Santacaterina made an immediate impact, recording a sack of Bowling Green quarterback James Knapke on the Falcons' first offensive possession.

Not heavily recruited in high school, Santacaterina decided during his senior year that NIU was a good fit.

"I had a lot of talks with Pat Schiller (a Geneva grad who also played linebacker at NIU)," said Santacaterina. "He had a great influence on my decision to go to NIU."

At Geneva, Santacaterina excelled as a tailback/linebacker, recording 70 tackles with 5 interceptions on defense while scoring 23 touchdowns (ranking sixth in the state) with 802 yards rushing during his senior campaign.

"We had a great winning tradition at Geneva," said Santacaterina. "The coaches are great. Rob (Wicinski) is unbelievable as a head coach. We expected to win. I think that carried over with me to NIU."

During his first collegiate training camp, Santacaterina jotted down a few goals he had before he graduated.

"I wanted to earn a scholarship after my first year and I wanted to become a two-year starter," said Santacaterina, who has helped lead NIU to an amazing 46-9 record during his 4-year playing career. "I did all that.

"I knew I could be a starter," he added. "I was extremely confident."

The son of Mike and Mary Ellen Santacaterina, Michael comes from an athletic family.

His sister, Jackie, played women's soccer professionally with the Chicago Red Stars, while another sister, Bri, played collegiate soccer at DePaul. His cousin, Mike Magee, became the first Chicago Fire player to win Major League Soccer's Most Valuable Player award in 2013.

The Santacaterina name will remain synonymous with Huskies football as Michael's younger brother, Daniel, who quarterbacked the Vikings to a Class 7A state quarterfinal berth this past season, announced he would attend NIU next fall.

"I couldn't be more excited for Daniel," said Michael. "I think it's a great fit for him."

Chances are good that Daniel will ask to wear his older brother's jersey number 7 in 2015.

"Jackie wore number 7 when she played for the University of Illinois," said Michael. "Daniel wore the same number playing football at Geneva.

"I started out wearing number 52 but my uncle said I looked a little slow so I went to a single digit number."

Santacaterina, who earned a bachelor's degree from NIU last weekend, has also benefited from playing 30 minutes from home.

"I have a great family," said Santacaterina. "It has been great having them so close. My mom and dad have traveled to every game except when we played in Idaho my junior year. They're unbelievable. I would not be here without them."

Santacaterina expects a stern test from Marshall's high-octane offense next week.

Win or lose, number 7 will walk off the field as a champion.

"I have no regrets," said Santacaterina. "I couldn't have picked a better place to play college football."

You can reach Craig Brueske at csb4k@hotmail.com