ST. LOUIS – A total of five current and former Illinois State football standouts were honored Thursday, when the Missouri Valley Football Conference announced its 2020-21 All-Conference team as voted on by media members, league sports information directors and head coaches.
Senior All-American left tackle Drew Himmelman repeated as an All-MVFC First-Team selection and nose guard John Ridgeway earned First-Team honors for the first time in his career. Fullback Timothy McCloyn II, linebacker Shanon Reid and linebacker Brandon Simon each earned All-MVFC Honorable Mention plaudits to round out the Redbird honorees.
Himmelman capped off his outstanding career at ISU with a second All-MVFC honor, after anchoring the Redbird offensive line this season. A 2019 First-Team All-MVFC selection and All-American, Himmelman graded out at over 90 percent for the season and helped the Redbirds rush for 172 yards per game on the ground. He also aided two different backs in rushing for over 100 yards in a game, including two in the team's win over Western Illinois.Â
A 2019 All-MVFC Honorable Mention pick, Ridgeway controlled the defensive front for the Redbirds in the spring of 2021 to hear MVFC First-Team honors. He started all four games at nose guard for the Redbirds, who led the league in rushing defense with just 95.0 yards per game given up. Ridgeway led the Redbirds in tackles on the season with 22, including 14 solo stops, and was also credited with 3.0 tackles-for-loss, three quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and an interception.
McCloyn, a three-year starter at fullback for the Redbirds, picked up his first all-conference honors after once again leading the way for a strong Redbird rushing attack. McCloyn was a key member of the blocking group that helped ISU average 172 yards per game on the ground, but he also carried the ball four times on the season for 10 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown run against South Dakota.
Reid made an immediate impact in his first season in a Redbird uniform, following a transfer from Tennessee. He started all four games at linebacker and finished the season with 18 tackles, a sack and 3.0 tackles-for-loss. He was also credited with four pass breakups and a quarterback hurry and posted a season-best seven tackles, a sack and two tackles-for-loss in his Redbird debut versus South Dakota.
Simon rounded out the All-MVFC Honorable Mention selections after starting all four games at linebacker. He finished the season with 18 total tackles, including eight solo stops, and led the team with 4.0 tackles-for-loss on the season and tied for the team lead in sacks with two. He recorded four tackles, a pass breakup, a sack and two TFLs in the season opener against South Dakota and finished the season with a sack and two tackles in a win over Western Illinois.
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