With the Northeastern varsity football program approaching its historic first game later this month, reporter Sean McLernon took an in-depth look at some of the personalities involved with the startup squad in a four-part series.

Northeastern junior Justin Michalak has been waiting his whole life to play high school varsity football. In fact, Michalak, a cancer survivor, credits football with helping to save his life. Read More

Coach Brendan Brown didn't view the Northeastern program as a risk. Rather, he saw 'a potential gold mine.' Read More

When the Northeastern Football Association needed help raising the $250,000 necessary to launch the program, Joe Griffith was just the guy they were looking for. Read More

Griffith's fundraising efforts have been considerable. But some in the community are still worried by the threat of higher taxes. Read More

Rebuffed for the head coaching job, assistant Troy Jensen was reluctant to join Northeastern s staff. Two years later, his impact on the program is undeniable. Read More

Tyler Wolgamuth is one of the few seniors on the varsity squad. He spent the past two-plus years working hard so he could have one season one shot at gridiron glory. Read More

Sean McLernon blogs the behind-the-scenes story behind the Northeastern series on The Lineup Card, our sports blog. Read More

See some of the faces behind the Northeastern football program up close. View Gallery