"Coach Kill has meant a lot to me. He restored my faith in people. A lot of people know my story about me being suspended and him coming in and giving me a second chance [at SIU]. I owe my NFL career to him, because it is because of what he told the Ravens about me that they took a chance on me.

"He's been like a father figure to me - he's given me a second chance just like he has done with so many kids. He has changed people's lives. He is an emotional coach that wears his emotions on his sleeve. For me it was a marriage made in heaven.

"You guys are getting a tremendous coach, a coach that gives you everything he has. His track record speaks for itself. He will be straight with his players. He gives it to you straight.

"In a short period of time, he's turned a [SIU] program around that was down since 1985. He has restored the pride and the faith of wearing that decal. He takes the family approach about caring about every man, not just the stars, and the people that are going to help him win football games.

"The student-athletes at Northern Illinois are really getting a treat, a guy who is going to come in and give them an identity, mental toughness and teaches dedication and perseverance. He will come in and give a team an identity and once you have one you play to that and then you recruit players of that caliber. The players on his team represent him, and the university will be proud of the product he puts on the field and of his players off the field." - Bart Scott, Baltimore Ravens LB (SIU 1998-2001)

"To me, Jerry Kill has always been a winner. He's won everywhere he's been and he is an even better person than he is a coach. The bottom line is everything he's ever touched he's made better. He cares about his kids, he cares about his coaches and there's not anybody that will work harder than he does." - Gary Patterson, TCU head coach

"I am very excited about Jerry Kill coming to Northern Illinois. He is a great coach and his record shows that. He is also a great person and will be able to follow through with our players both athletically and academically. I couldn't be happier with the hire." - Joe Novak, former NIU head coach

"Coach Kill was like a second father to me both on and off the field. I grew so much as both a player and a person because of his coaching and teaching. Northern Illinois got a tremendous coach. I hope they appreciate the coach and person that they got today." - Joel Sambursky, former SIU QB (2002-05)