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Grigsby adds AFCA to all-America list
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[DEC. 19, 2003]
WACO,
Texas -- Illinois State's Boomer Grigsby claimed another postseason
honor Wednesday as the linebacker from Canton, Ill., was named to
the American Football Coaches Association's 2003 Division I-AA
Coaches' All-America Team.
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The AFCA has selected an
all-America team every year since 1945 and currently selects teams
in all four divisions of college football.
This is the second all-America
honor this year for Grigsby, who was
recognized by The Sports Network on Monday. The two-time Gateway
Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year led the league in
tackles with 179, which also ranked No. 2 nationally in I-AA
football. He also ranked No. 2 nationally in solo tackles after
accumulating 109 in 2003. Grigsby tallied 110 tackles against
Gateway opponents, with double-digit tackles in each game.
Grigsby's 179 tackles also set
the standard for Redbird juniors, giving him the freshman, sophomore
and junior single-season tackle records at Illinois State. He has
451 tackles through three seasons and became only the fourth Redbird
in the history of the program to amass 400 tackles in a career.
[to top of second column in this
article]
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Grigsby was one of two players
from the Gateway Football Conference named to the AFCA All-America
Team, with offensive lineman Buster Ashley from Western Kentucky
being the other.
The AFCA's Division I-AA
All-America Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches
from each of the AFCA's nine districts, one of whom serves as the
district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the
chairman of the selection committee.
The coaches in each district
are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective
districts prior to a conference call between the district chairmen
and the committee chairman on which the team is chosen.
The
Illinois State football program has produced at least one
all-American player in 18 of its last 22 seasons. Over the last six
seasons, the Redbirds have had 21 players from 10 positions honored.
[Todd Kober, director of
athletics media relations,
Illinois State University]
[More all-America honors for Grigsby:
Click here.]
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