![OFFBEAT: Chicago Cubs Valpo name Jeff Samardzija has media buzzing](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/nwitimes.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/f8/9f804971-5876-5ab4-a684-a879cea4c543/5df56de821451.image.jpg?resize=752%2C500)
Andrean's Skinner is The Times Football Coach of the Year
![OFFBEAT: Chicago Cubs Valpo name Jeff Samardzija has media buzzing](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/nwitimes.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/d9/4d99699c-1570-532c-a3c8-d419553c4682/61b020e2d06c3.preview.jpg?crop=1630%2C856%2C0%2C207&resize=1200%2C630&order=crop%2Cresize)
Basketball pursuit: Merrillville grad Cameron Wilbon finds a home at Sacramento State
![OFFBEAT: Chicago Cubs Valpo name Jeff Samardzija has media buzzing](https://section925.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/joshdonaldsonoaklandathleticsvatlantah87zfincwfyl.jpg)
Sports — Section925
![OFFBEAT: Chicago Cubs Valpo name Jeff Samardzija has media buzzing](https://deathofthepressbox.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/verlanderuptoni.jpg?w=1000)
kate upton – Death of the Press Box
![OFFBEAT: Chicago Cubs Valpo name Jeff Samardzija has media buzzing](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/nwitimes.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/e7/ae7c9de6-715d-5f02-9f65-0832682a1b23/5eb07c77813cb.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C888)
Merrillville's JoJo Johnson spurns Northern Illinois for Cincinnati
![OFFBEAT: Chicago Cubs Valpo name Jeff Samardzija has media buzzing](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Jeff_Samardzija_2018.jpg)
Jeff Samardzija - Wikipedia
![OFFBEAT: Chicago Cubs Valpo name Jeff Samardzija has media buzzing](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/nwitimes.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/ba/cbad8c8c-0762-530c-b4b0-d61a7e1f7041/565f1b2b53fbc.image.jpg?crop=1552%2C815%2C0%2C134&resize=1200%2C630&order=crop%2Cresize)
Jeff Samardzija
![OFFBEAT: Chicago Cubs Valpo name Jeff Samardzija has media buzzing](https://www.chicagotribune.com/resizer/jb8_tzJOEAACHlc61pHAGpUIEso=/630x630/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tronc.s3.amazonaws.com/public/YKLOHM32GVBG7BHNP3NGC5S3V4.jpg)
Robbie Hummel, Jeff Samardzija come home for groundbreaking of Tower Park
![OFFBEAT: Chicago Cubs Valpo name Jeff Samardzija has media buzzing](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/nwitimes.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/45/7458ff3f-ee6b-59c1-870c-a7f7fba6c376/535ee8e590f65.preview-699.jpg?crop=699%2C367%2C0%2C325&resize=699%2C367&order=crop%2Cresize)
OFFBEAT: Chicago Cubs honor Valpo's Jeff Samardzija with bobblehead