Illinois State wide receiver Dwayne Smith caught everything that was thrown at him on Saturday in the Redbirds 49-22 loss at Illinois, so it was only fitting that he also snagged the Gateway Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week honor Monday.
Smith, who started his collegiate career at Illinois, returned to Memorial Stadium for the first time since transferring to Illinois State and left a lasting impression with his former teammates. The senior from Rantoul, Ill., caught an Illinois State record 14 passes for 243 yards, which was the second-most yards ever by a Redbird receiver. Not only did Smith set the standard in the Redbird record books, both his catch and yardage totals marked the best receiving day in the 79-year history of Memorial Stadium.
Head coach Denver Johnson was not only pleased with Smiths effort, but the offense as a whole.
Im certainly pleased for Dwayne on being recognized by the league office, Johnson said. It was certainly an outstanding individual effort and one represented by the effectiveness of the entire offense.
On Saturday, Smith also hauled in two touchdowns, including a 74-yarder that landed him and quarterback Mike Souza at the No. 9 spot on ESPNs Top 10 Plays of the Day.
Smith and the Redbirds return to action on Saturday, when Illinois State hosts Truman State. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
