July 24, 2007
NORMAL, Ill. -
Coming off its third trip to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs in school history, the Illinois State football team enters the 2007 season with much anticipation. The Redbirds were tabbed to finish second in the Gateway Football Conference according to the leagues' head coaches, media and sports information directors.
In addition, Redbird players Luke Drone, Dave Mordis, Jonathan St-Pierre, Isaiah Wiggins, Kye Stewart and Tom Nelson were all named to the league's preseason team, while four others earned honorable mention honors.
The team voting was the closest in league history as seven votes separated the top-three teams. Northern Iowa was tabbed the favorite with 166 votes, including 11 first-place tallies. The Redbirds were second with 160 votes and seven first-place selections, while Youngstown State was third with 159, but had nine first-place votes. Southern Illinois was picked fourth, followed by Western Illinois, Missouri State and Indiana State.
Drone earned first-team all-league honors at quarterback in 2006 after leading the Gateway with 228 yards passing per game. He also led the conference with 231.6 yards of total offense per contest, while passing for 2,961 yards and 21 touchdowns.
The players instrumental in protecting Drone were also honored on the preseason team. Mordis, a senior fullback, claimed second-team all-conference honors last season. As one of the Gateway's top blocking backs, Mordis paved the way for a 1,743-yard rusher (Pierre Rembert). He is also a receiving threat, with 20 catches in 2006 for 185 yards and a touchdown.
Wiggins and St-Pierre comprise two-fifths of the Illinois State offensive line. Wiggins, a 2006 All-Gateway First Team honoree, has started the last 24 games for the Redbirds at left tackle and is the veteran of the squad. St-Pierre started the last nine games for the `Birds in 2006 at center and went on to receive Gateway All-Newcomer honors.
Stewart, a senior linebacker, is the conference's top returning tackler. He finished 2006 with 126 tackles, which only trailed teammate and 2006 Gateway Defensive Player of the Year Cameron Siskowic. Stewart earned first-team all-conference honors last season and is a candidate for the 2007 Buck Buchanan Award.
As the 2005 Gateway Freshman of the Year, Nelson followed up his debut with a second-team All-Gateway season in 2006. He led the Redbirds with four interceptions and ranked No. 3 in the conference in passes defended with 14.
ISU's honorable mention selections included offensive lineman Brandon Joyce, defensive tackles Jarek Thomas and Adam Blankenship and defensive back Jesse Caesar.
