NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State left tackle Drew Himmelman and defensive end Romeo McKnight picked up postseason accolades Tuesday, as the duo was named to the HERO Sports FCS Sophomore All-America team Tuesday by the organization. Himmelman and McKnight were both selected as first-team members on the prestigious list.
Himmelman was honored as a HERO Sports FCS Freshman All-American honors last season after a stellar freshman campaign. The Geneseo, Illinois, native followed that up with a strong sophomore campaign that saw him earn All-Missouri Valley Conference second-team honors. Himmelman started all 11 games at left tackle and was a critical part of the offensive line unit that made ISU the third-highest scoring offense in the conference. He was named the MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week, after helping James Robinson and Markel Smith each rush for over 100 yards as the Redbirds tallied a season-best 409 yards on the ground in a victory over Southern Illinois on Oct. 13.
McKnight made an immediate impact in his first season at Illinois State following his transfer from Iowa. The Crystal Lake, Illinois, native earned MVFC All-Newcomer Team honors after he ranked sixth on the team with 47 tackles, including 24 solo stops, and tied for the team lead with 9.0 tackles-for-loss in 2018. He led the team with three sacks and was also credited with a team-high 11 quarterback hurries. McKnight had his best performance of the season against FBS foe Colorado State, when he had five tackles and two sacks in the victory over the Rams.
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