Unveiling the Top 100 was a blast

The fireworks went off before the sun was up for NSU fans on July 4, 2007.

Unveiling the Top 100 Players in Demon Football History was a blast. It got extra sparkle thanks to the webmaster of www.nsudemons.com, NSU graduate Luke Brouillette, who works at CP-Tel of Natchitoches, the official web provider for NSU Athletics.

If this sounds like a commercial, I'm sorry. It's a tip of a cap to a guy, and a company, who have been behind the scenes supporting NSU Athletics and providing us a unique web home.

Luke's latest step on the extra mile path came before most of us were stirring on one of the most stirring days of the year.

He was up and at 'em early before dawn today, putting in motion a flash page introduction featuring the Top 100 collage of the head shots, from their college days, of the 100 players selected by fan vote and a blue-ribbon committee as the best in the 100 years of NSU Demon football.

Thanks, Luke! Also, gratitude goes to Brian Seiler, Matthew Bonnette and Sonny Carter.

Seiler, an intern in the athletic department and SID office, did countless hours of research over the past four months to provide the foundation for the Top 100 selection process and then to locate many of the pictures you will see of the honorees.

Bonnette, our multi-talented assistant SID, came to me about six weeks ago with the idea of putting the head shots of the Top 100 on the cover of the 2007 media guide. I just didn't get what he was pitching, but as it came together, I realized once again, Matt hit it out of the park. What a great concept, and executed brilliantly by Mr. Bonnette! He, too, did an incredible amount of digging around to collect photos of each of the 100 -- from their college careers at Normal/NSC/NSU.

There, he got a big assist from Watson Library archivist and all-around great guy Sonny Carter, somebody who truly appreciates photography. Take a look at his website, www.sonc.com, and you'll enjoy his talents behind a camera.

Take a look at what we're calling for today's purposes the "Top 100 Collage" of the 100 head shots, and you'll enjoy the fruits of his research. Sonny helped locate many of the photos used in the collage that will indeed be the cover of our 2007 football media guide when it comes out July 24.

Of course, there was the usual helping hand from NSU photographer Gary Hardamon and his predecessor, Don Sepulvado.

All so we could have a special Independence Day celebration of NSU football history. Thanks, guys!

Doug Ireland, SID