Eight Illinois State football players were named to the 2001 All-Gateway Football Conference team, Wednesday, led by senior offensive tackle Andy King (Lincoln, Ill.) who netted first team all-conference honors.
David Bull (Port Byron, Ill.), Vito Golson (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Willie Watts (Dunnellon, Fla.) and Teddy Wulf (Bloomington, Ill.) all received second-team honors, while Jonathan Friend (Orange, Texas), Mark Schaeve (Verona, Wis.) and Boomer Grigsby (Canton, Ill.) were named honorable mention.
King started the last 41 games for the Redbirds and led the team with 94 knockdown blocks. Against Southeast Missouri State, he set the Illinois State record with 23 knockdowns. King only missed two blocking assignments all season, while allowing three sacks.
Bull ended the season with 43 tackles, including four tackles for loss. He led the team with 14 quarterback hurries and had an interception along with a pass break up. Golson posted the third best receiving stats by a Redbird in the last 18 years. He finished with 48 catches for 800 yards and eight touchdowns.
Watts rushed for 1,053 yards on the season and became the second Redbird in school history to post two 1,000-yard rushing campaigns. The schools second all-time rusher finished with 3,115 yards and ranks ninth on the all-time GFC rushing charts.
Wulf played every snap from scrimmage this season for the Redbirds (848) and graded out as the top lineman in seven of 11 games. He only allowed one sack all season, while never missing a blocking assignment. Wulf finished with 87 knockdown blocks.
Illinois State has 42 players named to the Gateways first and second teams in the last five seasons. The Redbirds finished the 2001 campaign with a 2-9 mark overall and 2-5 in the league.
