Former Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka will return to the Wildcats as a graduate assistant, the program announced Tuesday.
Kafka, from the release, "spent the last six years in the National Football League after being selected in the fourth-round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. During a four-year Wildcats career (2006-09) he set single-game records for both passing yards (532 vs. Auburn, 2010) and rushing yards by a quarterback (217 vs. Minnesota, 2008), and his 3,725 yards of total offense as a senior in 2009 stands as the No. 2 season in program history. A product of Chicago's St. Rita High School, Kafka earned a degree in communication studies from Northwestern. He will work with the Wildcats' offensive staff with a focus on wide receivers."
Said Pat Fitzgerald, "Mikey was very interested in coaching when he was done. He lasted six years, that's a heckuva run. I'm really happy for him with his career and happy to have him back." He added jokingly, "It’s good to get [Kafka] started. [I] hope he makes really good coffee. That’s his job."
Northwestern also announced the additions of Tim Brandon and Steve Pursley as graduate assistants. Pursley joined the program last year as a special teams quality control assistant. Brandon comes to NU from the Colorado School of Mines.