After leading the nation in tackles in 2002 it probably wasnt a big surprise heading into this season, but Illinois State linebacker Boomer Grigsby was officially named to The Sports Network Preseason All-America team.
Grigsby was a first-team selection and was the only Redbird recognized. The Gateway Football Conference placed 12 on the all-America team with five first-team selections, including Grigsby.
In all, 77 players from 12 different conferences were selected to the team, along with one player from an independent program. The Big Sky conference led all leagues with 14 players, followed by the Gateway and the Atlantic 10 and Southern Conferences with eight each.
