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In addition to Grigsby, seniors
Sha-Ron Edwards,
Ray Robinson
and Dwayne Smith
were all-first team selections. Redbird representation on the second
team included kicker Stephen Carroll, offensive lineman Stafford
Davis, punter Ryan Hoffman and defensive back Andrew Papoccia.
Linebacker Gean Gilot, fullback Mike Larson, and offensive linemen
Jeremy Melville and Mike Stegeman were all-honorable mention
selections.
For the second straight season,
Grigsby led the conference in tackles with 179, which also ranks No.
2 nationally in I-AA football. He also leads the nation for a second
consecutive season in solo tackles, after accumulating 109 in 2003.
Grigsby tallied 110 tackles against Gateway opponents, with
double-digit tackles in each game.
"I'm excited. What can I say?"
Grigsby said. "The Gateway Football Conference is the best I-AA
football conference in the nation. In competing for this award with
players like Erik Dandy and Lee Russell, they are the best of the
best, and to be recognized along with those guys only makes you want
to work harder and continue to get better."
Grigsby's 179 tackles also set
the standard for Redbird juniors, giving the Canton, Ill., native
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.
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article]
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Robinson joined Grigsby on the
first team all-conference defense. The Trenton, N.J., native set the
Illinois State single-season quarterback sack record in 2003 with
14, while also tying the Redbirds' career mark with 25 sacks during
his four-year stint with the 'Birds. Robinson led the Redbirds in
tackles for loss with 20 and led all ISU defensive linemen with 67
tackles, including 48 solos.
Offensively, both Edwards and
Smith led the conference at their respective positions. Edwards
posted the second-best rushing total in Illinois State history with
1,409 yards. He led the league with 117.4 yards per game and was
also the conference leader in all-purpose yardage (133.8). Averaging
5.7 yards per carry, the running back from Uniondale, N.Y., finished
with 14 touchdowns and logged 1,034 yards against Gateway foes.
Smith led league in both receptions and receiving yards. The wideout
from Rantoul, Ill., ended his senior season with 63 catches for 916
yards and six touchdowns. Averaging 14.5 yards per catch and 76.3
yards per game, Smith will long be remembered for his performance
against Illinois. The former Illini receiver returned his old campus
and claimed a pair of Memorial Stadium records in the 49-22 Redbird
loss. Smith ended the record-setting day with 14 catches for 243
yards en route to being named the conference and national offensive
player of the week.
[Todd Kober, director of
athletics media relations,
Illinois State University] |
