« Football 2015

Justin Northern

School
Fresno State
Position
Offensive Line
Major
Mechanical Engineering

Classroom

Academically, Justin Northern has received the following honors:
• 2014 Capital One Academic All-District 8 first-team selection
• 2013 Capital One Academic All-District 8 first-team selection
• Named to the 2014-15 Mountain West Scholar-Athlete for having a 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA
• Named to the 2013-14 Mountain West Scholar-Athlete for having a 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA
• Named to the 2012-13 Mountain West Scholar-Athlete for having a 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA
• Named to the 2014 Fall Academic All-MW team
• Named to the 2013 Fall Academic All-MW team

• NFL.com reporter Chase Goodbread ranked Northern as the No. 6 smartest college football player on his list of the 15 smartest players in college football. – June 18, 2015
Link: http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap3000000496661/15-for-15-college-footballs-smartest-players

• He has earned Fresno State Dean’s List honors five times and twice named to the President’s List, honoring him for seven of the eight semesters he has completed at the University.

• Is a member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society.

Character

Northern represented the Fresno State football program at the 2015 Mountain West Media Days in Las Vegas on July 28. This coming year he will serve as a committee/service chair to his chapter of Tau Beta Phi and as a Fresno State Athletics SAAC representative for football.

Community

Northern volunteered eight hours at the MESA Day on March 13, 2015. The Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) Schools Program at Fresno State has been serving students in the Central San Joaquin Valley since 1980. MESA has encouraged students—especially those from under-served populations—to learn about math, engineering and science in new and exciting ways.

In April 2015, he also volunteered at the Fresno State Student Cupboard, unloading donations and stocking shelves. The Student Cupboard is a food security project on campus that provides food to Fresno State students in need.

He also has volunteered at the Dogs Make a Difference Day and participated in the 11th-annual APE Power Walking Challenge at Woodward Park in Fresno. In June 2015, he served at the Law Enforcement Special Olympics Torch Run, encouraging and cheering on the participants at the finish line, and in July volunteered for the City of Fresno Parks After-School and Recreation program for the Dogs in the Park Day.

Competition

Northern has started every game at right tackle over 2013 and 2014 seasons and entered the 2015 season tied for the most career starts of any player on the team. He helped lead Fresno State to the 2013 Mountain West Championship with an 11-2 record that year, which tied the school record for wins in a season. Northern also helped Fresno State claim a share of the 2012 MW title, and in 2014 the ‘Dogs won the West Division of the league to reach the MW Championship game.

Northern was part of a 2013 offensive line that protected for quarterback Derek Carr, who led the nation in passing that year by throwing for 394.8 yards per game. That season, Northern and his offensive line counterparts only allowed 11 sacks in 13 games, which ranked as the sixth-fewest sacks allowed in the FBS. Fresno State’s offensive line in 2013 also helped the Bulldogs rank third in the FBS in total offense (547.8 YPG) and sixth in scoring (43.4) while setting 19 new school records that fall.

In 2014, Northern blocked for running back Marteze Waller, who rushed for 1,368 yards, 11 touchdowns and 6.1 yards per carry. Waller’s rushing total was the seventh-highest in program history, and his average per carry that year was the 12th highest in the FBS for any player with 200 or more carries.