Illinois State Redbirds football
| Illinois State Redbirds | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1887 | ||
| Head coach |
Brock Spack 6th year, 43–25 (.632) | ||
| Other staff |
Kurt Beathard (OC) Spence Nowinsky (DC) | ||
| Home stadium | Hancock Stadium | ||
| Stadium capacity | 13,391 | ||
| Location | Normal, IL | ||
| League | NCAA Division I (FCS) | ||
| Conference | Missouri Valley Football Conference | ||
| All-time record | 451–510–68 (.471) | ||
| Postseason bowl record | 0–0 (–) | ||
| Claimed national titles | 0 | ||
| Conference titles | 2 | ||
| Colors |
Red and White | ||
| Website | goredbirds.com | ||
- For information on all Illinois State University sports, see Illinois State Redbirds
The Illinois State Redbirds football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the Illinois State University located in the U.S. state of Illinois. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1887. The team plays its home games at the 13,391 seat Hancock Stadium. They are coached by Brock Spack.
Mid-America Classic
The Mid-America Classic is the rivalry game between the Illinois State and Eastern Illinois. The rivalry began in 1901 and is the oldest in the state of Illinois. The two teams have played 100 times in total, with Illinois State holding a 51-40-9 advantage in the all-time series. With the 100th game in the series on the horizon, representatives from both schools met in the spring and developed the Mid-America Classic renaming for the rivalry. The two schools also collaborated on a traveling trophy, which holds plaques with the results of the previous 100 games in the series and has room for results of future games in the series.[1]
Notable former players
Notable alumni include:
- Duane Butler
- Aveion Cason
- Luke Drone
- Kevin Glenn
- Boomer Grigsby
- Jim Fitzpatrick
- Larry Fitzpatrick
- Shelby Harris
- Brent Hawkins
- Estus Hood
- Jason Johnson
- John Kropke
- Jim Meyer
- Tom Nelson
- Nate Palmer
- Mike Prior
- Laurent Robinson
- Joe Vodicka
- Cody White
Championships
Missouri Valley Football Conference title: 1999, 2014 (Co-Champions)
NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs: 1998, 1999, 2006, 2012, 2014
Bowl Games
| Date played | Bowl | Champion | Runner-Up | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 23, 1950 | Corn Bowl | Missouri-Rolla | 7 | Illinois State | 6 |
| December 4, 1999 | Pecan Bowl | Illinois State | 37 | Hofstra | 20 |
| December 1, 2006 | Pecan Bowl | Youngstown State | 28 | Illinois State | 21 |
- The 1999 & 2006 the Midwest Region Championship (FCS Quarterfinal) was referred to as the Pecan Bowl.
- In 1999 the Redbirds football advanced Final Four and receiving 3rd in the AP poll.
- Illinois State holds the NCAA Division I-AA record for the most tied football games with 66.[2]
NCAA Division I FCS Playoff Appearances
Illinois State has made 5 appearances in the I-AA/FCS playoffs since 1978.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | First Round | Northwestern State | L 28–48 | |
| 1999 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Colgate Hofstra Georgia Southern | W 56–13 W 37–20 L 17–31 | |
| 2006 | First Round Quarterfinals | Eastern Illinois Youngstown State | W 24–13 L 21–28 | |
| 2012 | Second Round Quarterfinals | Appalachian State Eastern Washington | W 38–37OT L 35–51 | |
| 2014 | Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship | Northern Iowa Eastern Washington New Hampshire North Dakota State | W 41–21 W 59–46 W 21–18 L 29–27 | |
| Playoff Record | 7–5 | |||
Redbirds drafted into the NFL
| Draft Year | Player | Position | Round | Overall | NFL Team |
| 2014 | Shelby Harris | DE | 7 | 235 | Oakland Raiders |
| 2013 | Nate Palmer | LB | 6 | 193 | Green Bay Packers |
| 2007 | Laurent Robinson | WR | 3 | 75 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2006 | Brent Hawkins | DE | 5 | 160 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 2005 | Boomer Grigsby | LB | 5 | 138 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1990 | Bill Miller | WR | 10 | 258 | Detroit Lions |
| 1986 | Jim Meyer | T | 7 | 167 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1985 | Mike Prior | DB | 7 | 176 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1984 | Clarence Collins | WR | 3 | 62 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1978 | Estus Hood | DB | 3 | 62 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1976 | Calvin Harper | T | 6 | 172 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1973 | Ron Bell | RB | 6 | 140 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1970 | Guy Homoly | DB | 15 | 385 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1969 | Dennis Nelson | T | 3 | 77 | Baltimore Colts |
References
- ↑ http://wjbc.com/illinois-state-and-eastern-illinois-unveil-mid-america-classic-trophy/
- ↑ DeLassus, David. "Division I-AA All-Time Wins". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
External links
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