NIU suspends 2 players from bowl game

Northern Illinois wide receiver Anthony Johnson and defensive end Sean Progar have been suspended and will not play in the GoDaddy.com Bowl versus Arkansas State on Jan. 8 in Mobile, Ala., NIU Head Coach Dave Doeren announced Wednesday.

The action come as a result of their arrests in separate incidents in DeKalb on Dec. 4.

Progar was arrested by NIU Police near his off-campus apartment and charged with driving under the influence. Johnson was cited for underage consumption of alcohol.

“After gathering information, reviewing the details of both situations and talking to many individuals, including Anthony and Sean, regarding the events that occurred the night after the MAC Championship game, we have determined that they will not play in the bowl game,” Doeren said. “A lot of variables went into these decisions, and each situation was reviewed separately as they occurred independently of each other. Both players have expressed regret over the decisions they made that night and are truly remorseful.”

Progar is a two-year starter at defensive end who leads Northern Illinois in quarterback sacks with 5½ and was named to the All Mid-American Conference second team. Johnson has caught 13 passes for 174 yards in his role as a back-up wide receiver.