Illinois State was tabbed to finish fifth in the Gateway Football Conference Preseason Poll Thursday which is selected by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media members.
The Redbirds' Boomer Grigsby, Ray Robinson and Stafford Davis were all named to the 2003 Gateway Preseason Team, while Dwayne Smith and Jeremy Melville each garnered honorable mention selections.
Preseason Poll| 1 | Western Illinois (24) | 247 |
| 2 | Western Kentucky (6) | 218 |
| 3 | Youngstown State | 171 |
| 4 | UNI (1) | 139 |
| 5 | Illinois State | 131 |
| 6 | Southern Illinois | 130 |
| 7 | SMS (1) | 74 |
| 8 | Indiana State | 42 |
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Preseason Teams
| Pos. | Player | School | | QB | Russ Michna | WIU |
| RB | Muhummad Abdulqaadir | SIU |
| Tom Koutsos | SIU |
| FB | Nate Schurman | SMS |
| WR | Courtney Abbott | SIU |
| Marlus Mays | UNI |
| TE | Ryan King | INS |
| OL | Buster Ashley | WKU |
| Josh Davis | YSU |
| Stafford Davis | ILS |
| Fred Layne | WIU |
| Daniel Withrow | WKU |
| PK | Justin Langan | WIU |
| DL | Kyle Mitchell | INS |
| Matt Mitchell | UNI |
| Mike O'Brien | WIU |
| Ray Robinson | ILS |
| LB | Erik Dandy | WKU |
| Boomer Grigsby | ILS |
| Darryl Robinson | SMS |
| Lee Russell | WIU |
| DB | Victor Campbell | WIU |
| Jeremy Chandler | WKU |
| Alexis Moreland | SIU |
| Antonio Veals | WKU |
| Brian Claybourn | WKU |
| RS | Reggie Gray | WIU |
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Honorable Mention: RB Travis Glasford, WIU; RB Brandon Robinson, SIU; WR Terrance Hall, WIU; WR Dwayne Smith, ILS; OC Brad Durham, SMS; OL Jeremy Melville, Illinois State; OL Marc Phillips, INS; OL Ben Deike, UNI; DL Jon Kowalyshen, WIU; LB Justin Dellarose, YSU; LB Jonathan Harrell, UNI; LB Charles Thompson, WKU; LB Royal Whitaker, SIU; DB Daryl Warren, SMS; DB Sherrod Holmes, YSU; DB Justin Sandy, UNI; DB Benny Sapp, UNI; RS Antonio Veals, WKU.
