Every Northwestern student, alum and booster was poised to hear it. For some, it was the only reason to tune in.

“Napoleon Harris, Northwestern University.”

But when the Oakland Raiders rookie linebacker — one year removed from a Wildcats uniform — bobbed and smiled for the 138 million viewers watching Super Bowl XXXVII, his shout out came up short:

“Napoleon Harris, Dixmoor University.”

“(The students of NU) know where I’m from — they know I’m a Wildcat,” Harris said a few days later. “If they’re disappointed, then they haven’t been following the whole year, because I’ve been mentioning them throughout the whole world.”

Harris said his gesture was in fact not a snub to NU — but a nod to his hometown of Dixmoor, Ill. The tribute didn’t go over as well on campus, though, as it did in the tiny south suburb of Chicago were Harris’ family was also watching the game.

“He went to school here (at NU) and had the opportunity to play on a team that shared the Big Ten Championship and went to the Alamo Bowl,” Weinberg sophomore Richard Yae said. “He should feel honored to say he went to school here. It is appalling that it couldn’t breed any loyalty in him.”

For those closest to Harris, the Dixmoor mention wasn’t such a big deal.

Kevin Bentley, who graduated from NU with Harris last year and is now a linebacker with the Cleveland Browns, knew Harris would do what he wanted with the moment.

“A lot of guys do that in their introductions,” Bentley said. “Without that background, he might not even have made it to the NFL, or even made it to Northwestern.”

Harris’ mom says he did mention NU in the clip after citing Dixmoor, only to have ABC edit it out. Harris, who reportedly still wears purple slippers and purple shorts in the Oakland locker room, knows where credit is due.

“Dixmoor is where I’m from,” Harris said. “I’m just trying to let them know that I’m thinking about them. Tell (the students at NU) that I meant absolutely no disrespect — you know I’m always reppin’ Northwestern.”

?