Sept. 07--Northern Illinois' mascot, the Siberian husky named Diesel, died Sunday night. The dog was 13-years-old and recently had been diagnosed with cancer.
"Dear family and friends. ... We are very sorry to tell everyone that Diesel's time had come today and he is no longer with us," the dog's owner posted on Diesel's Facebook page. "He was a very lucky dog because he had all of you as friends. Thank you for the last decade of great memories. Please give your pets a big hug from us. We love you all and Go Huskies!"
Diesel retired after the 2013 season following nine years working the sidelines.
"Diesel has become the face of Huskie football over the past nine years," NIU Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier said in 2013. "He's been the constant figure on the sidelines representing NIU, whether home or away, at bowl games, spring games and more. He's a fan favorite, the TV cameras love him and he's a great dog. On behalf of Huskie Nation, I want to thank Tom and Diesel for everything they have done to represent Northern Illinois University."
