May 26, 2006
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -
As part of the preseason prognostication heading into the 2006 football season, The Sports Network's Executive Director of I-AA Football, Matt Dougherty, ranked the country's top quarterbacks at the I-AA level and Illinois State junior Luke Drone ranked No. 7 on the publication's site.
Drone, who entered the 2005 season with only two career pass attempts, led a Redbird offense that ranked No. 1 in the Gateway Football Conference in both passing (268.7 ypg.) and total offense (477.5 ypg.).
The Mt. Carmel, Ill., native finished the season with 2,930 yards passing, 22 touchdowns and a school record 64.5 completion percentage. His passing yardage and touchdowns both rank No. 2 in the ISU record books for a single season, while he finished the season with 14 touchdowns and only three interceptions in his final five games of the season.
Drone did not participate in contact drills during spring camp, after undergoing sports hernia surgery during the off-season.
Drone was one of five Gateway quarterbacks ranked amongst the top 20. Northern Iowa's Eric Sanders ranked No. 2, behind New Hampshire's Ricky Santos, while Western Illinois' Steve LaFalce (No. 6), Youngstown State's Tom Zetts (No. 11) and Western Kentucky's Justin Haddix (No. 16) were also mentioned.
