Trio Of Redbird Student-Athletes Land On MVFC All-Academic Team

ST. LOUIS – A trio of Illinois State standouts were among 41 student-athletes named to the 2019 Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Academic Team announced Wednesday by the league office. League sports information directors voted on the team by designating 11 players for first-team honors and 11 players for second-team honors.

For the second-straight season, offensive tackle Drew Himmelman was named to list as he earned first-team honors in 2019 after being named a second-team selection in 2018. He was joined on this year's list by senior offensive lineman Adam Solomon and sophomore linebacker Zeke Vandenburgh, who were named honorable mention selections.

Nominees must be starters or important reserves; must have participated in at least 50 percent of his team's games and carry a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.20 (on a 4.0 scale). Nominees in graduate school must have a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or better both as an undergrad and in graduate school. Additionally, nominees must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at their institution and must have completed at least one calendar year at their institution. True freshmen, red-shirt freshmen and ineligible athletic transfers are not eligible. Graduate students who are competing at a different institution than the one from which they earned their undergraduate degree is eligible even if they are in their first semester at the graduate institution.

MVFC ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM SELECTIONS (Bios complete through regular season):
Drew Himmelman, 6-10, 315, OL, Jr., 3.82 Exercise Science
Two-time MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week … started all 12 games at left tackle for the Redbirds … graded out at over 90 percent for the season … led way for the league's leading rusher in James Robinson, who recorded 1,316 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground … earned MVFC Lineman of the Week honors after the Redbirds rushed for 254 yards and three scores … earned second MVFC weekly award after helping ISU rush for 287 yards in a win over Indiana State … 2018 MVFC Second-Team selection and Second-Team All-Academic honoree.

Adam Solomon, 6-6, 325, OL, Sr., 3.80 MBA (Grad Transfer)
Started all 12 games for the Redbirds, splitting time at three different positions in his first season after transferring from Illinois … graded out at over 90 percent for the season … helped lead the way for the league's leading rusher in James Robinson, who recorded 1,316 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.

Zeke Vandenburgh, 6-3, LB, So., 4.00 Exercise Science
Saw action in all 12 games for the Redbirds at linebacker with five starts … finished the season with 40 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and 8.5 TFLs … was also credited with three pass breakups on the year … recorded a sack, two TFLs and three tackles in a win over Northern Arizona … had a TFL in each of the next two games against North Dakota State and Southern Illinois … tallied a career-best two sacks in a win over Missouri State … ended the season with a season-best eight tackles against Youngstown State. 

GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App:  Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.