Jan. 7, 2008
PHILADELPHIA -
Illinois State senior linebacker Kye Stewart (Nashville/Pearl-Cohn HS) was named to his third postseason all-America team Monday, as Stewart received first-team honors from The Sports Network, while senior teammates Jesse Caesar (Rockledge, Fla./Rockledge HS) and Isaiah Wiggins (Chicago/Prosser HS) were each named to the honorable mention team.
Illinois State has had at least one individual earn first-team all-America honors from The Sports Network in each of the last six years. Stewart became the 10th Redbird all-time to be named a first-team all-American by The Sports Network.
Stewart led the Gateway Football Conference in tackles, after finishing runner-up in 2006. Stewart, a 2007 Walter Camp Football Foundation and College Sporting News All-American, earned first-team all-league honors for the second-straight year in 2007 and finished with 131 tackles on the season. He posted double-digit tackle totals in every game but two, and matched his career-high with 17 takedowns against Western Illinois.
Earning his first all-America honor, Wiggins was the most dominant ISU offensive lineman the last two seasons. The two-time All-Gateway Football Conference First-Team honoree was instrumental in the Redbird running game in 2007, which amassed 2,194 rushing yards on the season, the seventh-highest rushing total in school history. Wiggins, who started 10 games at left tackle, was named the league's offensive lineman of the week Oct. 15, and only recorded six missed assignments and allowed two sacks all season.
After playing cornerback his first three seasons at Illinois State, Caesar made the move to strong safety in 2007. Despite a new position, Caesar collected first-team All-Gateway honors and his first all-America honor with his naming to The Sports Network's honorable mention team. He ranked fourth on the team in tackles with a career-high 81, including 32 solo stops, and started all 11 games. Caesar also posted three pass breakups, a quarterback hurry and two forced fumbles.
Stewart, who finished fourth in the national defensive player of the year voting, was one of two Gateway players to receive first-team plaudits. He was joined by Northern Iowa offensive tackle Chad Rinehart.
