2015: True senior ... Consensus Second Team All-Big Ten ... His 11 career touchdowns is tied for tenth-best all time in program history ... Dominating receiving presence, leading the squad in receptions (33), receiving yards (355), and receiving touchdowns (4) ... Also a consistent blocker at the superback position .... Fourth-most receiving yards and receiving touchdowns for a tight end in the Big Ten ... Third-most in the conference in receptions for a tight end ... Caught five passes for 108 yards, including a 66-yard reception and two touchdowns in victory over Ball State ... Scored another touchdown in game versus Nebraska, totalling 55 yards through the air ... Made a bobbling catch to complete a 19-yard touchdown reception at Illinois ... Caught four passes for 40 yards vs. Penn State ... Won NU's Offensive Player of the Game honors three times ... Also earned Offensive Big Playmaker of the Game following his performance versus Eastern Illinois and Illinois ... Participated in his second career bowl game at the Outback Bowl … Named to the third-team offense of the 2015 All-Big Ten from Athlon Sports ... Academic All-Big Ten for the third time.
2014: True junior ... Started all 12 games at superback ... Earned honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition from league coaches ... Caught at least one pass in last 24 of 25 games (no catches at Iowa on Nov. 1) ... Finished second on NU with 40 receptions and 402 receiving yards, surpassing over 100 catches and 1,000 yards for his career in the process ... Grabbed first touchdown of the season, a 25-yard strike from Trevor Siemian, at Purdue ... Tallied career-high 113 receiving yards on seven catches at Penn State ... Totaled 50 receiving yards against Northern Illinois ... Started at superback and caught five passes for 38 yards against Cal ... Named team's Offensive Player of the Week vs. Penn State and Offensive Big Playmaker vs. Purdue ... Academic All-Big Ten.
2013: True sophomore ... Started all 12 games at superback ... Caught at least one pass in all 12 games ... Grabbed five passes for 58 yards against Michigan State ... Caught fourth career touchdown pass at Iowa ... Led team with four catches for 52 yards in that game ... Rushed twice for a career-high 17 yards against the Hawkeyes ... Hauled in four passes for 36 yards and made second career rushing attempt against Ohio State ... Caught third career touchdown against Syracuse ... Tallied four catches for 42 yards against the Orange ... Made five catches for 101 yards, including a career-long 53-yard grab in the fourth quarter against Cal ... Academic All-Big Ten.
2012: One of four true freshmen to crack the lineup in 2012 ... Earned the No. 1 spot on the depth chart at superback coming out of fall camp and excelled throughout the year ... Named to ESPN.com Big Ten All-Freshman Team ... NU's Offensive Newcomer of the Year award recipient ... Caught one pass for seven yards in his debut at Syracuse ... One catch for five yards against Vanderbilt ... Personal-best two catches for 13 yards against Boston College ... One reception vs. South Dakota for six yards ... Notched three receptions and 21 receiving yards at Minnesota ... Caught his first career touchdown pass against Nebraska, a 10-yard reception from Trevor Siemian ... It was one of two catches on the day for Vitale ... Two games later at Michigan, recorded 30 receiving yards on two catches, including a 23-yard TD catch from Kain Colter ... Enjoyed a breakout game in NU's 23-20 win at Michigan State, posting career highs of nine receptions for 110 yards that included a career-long 41-yard catch to set up NU's game-winning field goal ... It was the first 100-yard receiving game by an NU superback since Drake Dunsmore against Indiana on Oct. 29, 2011 ... His performance earned him Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week honors and NU's Offensive Player of the Game award ... Closed the year with seven receptions for 82 yards in the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl win vs. Mississippi State, including a 34-yard grab that set up NU's third touchdown.
High School: Ranked 139th nationally among defensive backs by Scout.com ... Ranked 260th nationally among wide receivers and 58th overall prospect in Illinois by ESPN.com ... Ranked 139th athlete in the nation and 36th overall prospect in the state by 247Sports ... 2011 Daily Herald All-Area first-team selection ... 2011 7A IHSCOA all-state player and first-team DuPage Valley all-conference selection ... 2011 Chicago Sun-Times All-Area first-team honors ... News-Gazette first-team selection ... 2011 Don Garner Award recipient ... Started at running back for the Tigers, rushing 276 times for 1,340 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2011 ... Hauled in 28 receptions for 191 yards out of the backfield ... Lettered three years in track, two years in football and wrestled one year at 152 lbs. ... 2010 OVC all-conference academic selection ... High honor roll student in the top 10-percent of his class ... National Honor Society member ... Coached by Ron Muhitch.
Personal: Born Dan Michael Vitale III ... Son of Lisa and Dan Vitale ... Brother, Tommy, is a linebacker on the NU football team ... Attended same high school as Red Grange, John Belushi and Edwin Hubble ... Major is economics.
2014: True junior ... Started all 12 games at superback ... Earned honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition from league coaches ... Caught at least one pass in last 24 of 25 games (no catches at Iowa on Nov. 1) ... Finished second on NU with 40 receptions and 402 receiving yards, surpassing over 100 catches and 1,000 yards for his career in the process ... Grabbed first touchdown of the season, a 25-yard strike from Trevor Siemian, at Purdue ... Tallied career-high 113 receiving yards on seven catches at Penn State ... Totaled 50 receiving yards against Northern Illinois ... Started at superback and caught five passes for 38 yards against Cal ... Named team's Offensive Player of the Week vs. Penn State and Offensive Big Playmaker vs. Purdue ... Academic All-Big Ten.
2013: True sophomore ... Started all 12 games at superback ... Caught at least one pass in all 12 games ... Grabbed five passes for 58 yards against Michigan State ... Caught fourth career touchdown pass at Iowa ... Led team with four catches for 52 yards in that game ... Rushed twice for a career-high 17 yards against the Hawkeyes ... Hauled in four passes for 36 yards and made second career rushing attempt against Ohio State ... Caught third career touchdown against Syracuse ... Tallied four catches for 42 yards against the Orange ... Made five catches for 101 yards, including a career-long 53-yard grab in the fourth quarter against Cal ... Academic All-Big Ten.
2012: One of four true freshmen to crack the lineup in 2012 ... Earned the No. 1 spot on the depth chart at superback coming out of fall camp and excelled throughout the year ... Named to ESPN.com Big Ten All-Freshman Team ... NU's Offensive Newcomer of the Year award recipient ... Caught one pass for seven yards in his debut at Syracuse ... One catch for five yards against Vanderbilt ... Personal-best two catches for 13 yards against Boston College ... One reception vs. South Dakota for six yards ... Notched three receptions and 21 receiving yards at Minnesota ... Caught his first career touchdown pass against Nebraska, a 10-yard reception from Trevor Siemian ... It was one of two catches on the day for Vitale ... Two games later at Michigan, recorded 30 receiving yards on two catches, including a 23-yard TD catch from Kain Colter ... Enjoyed a breakout game in NU's 23-20 win at Michigan State, posting career highs of nine receptions for 110 yards that included a career-long 41-yard catch to set up NU's game-winning field goal ... It was the first 100-yard receiving game by an NU superback since Drake Dunsmore against Indiana on Oct. 29, 2011 ... His performance earned him Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week honors and NU's Offensive Player of the Game award ... Closed the year with seven receptions for 82 yards in the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl win vs. Mississippi State, including a 34-yard grab that set up NU's third touchdown.
High School: Ranked 139th nationally among defensive backs by Scout.com ... Ranked 260th nationally among wide receivers and 58th overall prospect in Illinois by ESPN.com ... Ranked 139th athlete in the nation and 36th overall prospect in the state by 247Sports ... 2011 Daily Herald All-Area first-team selection ... 2011 7A IHSCOA all-state player and first-team DuPage Valley all-conference selection ... 2011 Chicago Sun-Times All-Area first-team honors ... News-Gazette first-team selection ... 2011 Don Garner Award recipient ... Started at running back for the Tigers, rushing 276 times for 1,340 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2011 ... Hauled in 28 receptions for 191 yards out of the backfield ... Lettered three years in track, two years in football and wrestled one year at 152 lbs. ... 2010 OVC all-conference academic selection ... High honor roll student in the top 10-percent of his class ... National Honor Society member ... Coached by Ron Muhitch.
Personal: Born Dan Michael Vitale III ... Son of Lisa and Dan Vitale ... Brother, Tommy, is a linebacker on the NU football team ... Attended same high school as Red Grange, John Belushi and Edwin Hubble ... Major is economics.