The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Haldi first area QB with 30 TDs
The News-Herald is ranking the 25 best individual football seasons — high school, college or pro — for area players from the last 25 years. PLAYER » Josh Haldi POSITION » Quarterback N-H RANKING » No. 24 YEAR » 1999 HIGH SCHOOL » Madison COLLEGE » Northern Illinois WHY HE’S RANKED » It’s been more than 15 years since Haldi was slinging the pigskin across the area, but area fans shouldn’t forget the numbers the former Madison QB compiled during his record-setting senior season.
Haldi was a three-year starter at Northern Illinois, and threw for 6,015 yards and 55 touchdowns. THE SKINNY » Before Haldi, no area quarterback had surpassed 30 touchdown passes in a regular season. That is until the 1999 season was in the books, which were rewritten by Haldi. Until then, old-school coach Art Bortnick was a run-first type of coach, so Haldi is appreciative of his willingness to change. “I don’t like to talk about myself much, but I will say this: He was a KYP coach,” Haldi said. “Know your personnel.” Haldi threw for 2,323 yards with 32 touchdown passes and eight interceptions in leading the Blue Streaks to a 9-1 mark and a playoff spot. Madison lost in the first round, but history had already been made, thanks to Haldi’s right arm. Of his 32 touchdown passes, 19 went to wide receiver Jim Smith, Haldi’s good friend with whom he grew up playing youth football. Haldi, who played and starred at Northern Illinois, had 303 passing attempts in 1999. By today’s standards, that’s a lot. Eighteen years ago, that was obscene. THEY SAID IT » “As you get older, you really appreciate those times more and more,” Haldi said in a recent phone interview.
“It was a lot of fun (throwing to Smith),” Haldi told The News-Herald in 2008. “It’s one of those things that I’ll always remember.”
“Coach (Art) Bortnick let us throw the ball a lot, which was a little different for Madison. He trusted us to go out and throw the ball around the yard.” Haldi
“There were times it was like (Haldi and Smith) were on the sandlot drawing plays in the dirt.” Former Madison coach Art Bortnick
“(Haldi and Smith) were a little bit ahead of their time.” Don Andersen, former head coach at Riverside WHERE IS HE NOW? » Since graduating from Northern Illinois, Haldi has lived in Chicago with his wife, daughter, 4, and son, 2. He is the vice president of NXT Capital, a lending and finance firm based in Chicago.