Superman? No Zekeman !

[crazzymark]

Zekeman the most decorated football player in Illinois State history., Congrats Zman Redbird strong!

 

[RedbirdSoxFan]

Zekeman the most decorated football player in Illinois State history., Congrats Zman Redbird strong!

What about that guy Boomer?

 

[cpacmel]

Does it really matter? Neither guy was 3 stars coming out of high school. And that's all that seems to matter.

 

[Virginia Redbird]

Both were great Redbirds! I know fans love to do the best-ever comparisons but I never understood it. Different eras and different types of situations. Boomer was great! Zeke has had a fantastic career and was dominant this season. I don't know if he is the most decorated Redbird ever, he could be, I just don't know.

 

[fourthandshort]

Love how Zeke rose to greatness each year at ISU .. maybe a single season argument for his SR season - it was a great season for Zeke and a very good career.

But Boomer is easily most decorated defensive player in Redbird history ... I would think ???

Former Illinois State All-American Boomer Grigsby a College Football Hall of Famer

Boomer Grigsby is the first ISU player to be selected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

pantagraph.com

Grigsby, the unheralded recruit from Canton who became an All-American linebacker at Illinois State, becomes the first Redbird to be selected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Both a linebacker and a fullback in the NFL, Grigsby led the Redbirds in tackles for four straight seasons. He set FCS career records for total tackles (550) and solo tackles (325).

Grigsby is the only three-time winner of the Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year award and is the only player to finish in the top three for the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS Defensive Player of the Year) in three straight seasons.

 

[fourthandshort]

btw .. I was curious as to how Boomer made Buck Buchanan top 3 finalist list and lost 3 times .. looks like 2004 was his best shot. But he was never on a a good team in his 4 years. Gateway was decent conference but maybe 4th best behind Colonial, Big Sky, and Southern. This was back when Colonial was Atlantic 10 and they just dominated the 2000's.

But 550 tackles in 44 games ... yikes.

2004	Jordan Beck, LB, Cal Poly .. 3rd rd pick, lasted 2 seasons .. Cal Poly was dominant 9-2, while ISU was weak 4-7	Linebacker
2003	Jared Allen, DE, Idaho State .. 4th rd pick who did "ok" for himself in 12 seasons, 5 all pro, 136 sacks	Defensive End
2002	Rashean Mathis, DB, Bethune-Cookman .. 2nd rd pick, last 13 seasons, started 165 games, 1 all pro	Cornerback

 

[cubird]

Officially FCS Defensive Player of the Year! Congrats to Zeke and Defensive Staff for putting him in a position that he excel at.

 

[fourthandshort]

Nice catch Cubird !

FCS ADA Announces 2022 Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year - National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics

Congratulations to our Players of the Year!

nacda.com

 

[Redbirdwarrior]

I have no idea how he is still projected as a late 6th rd pick. You are going to tell me there are 170 more NFL ready players in college football than this guy??

 

[MadBird]

I have no idea how he is still projected as a late 6th rd pick. You are going to tell me there are 170 more NFL ready players in college football than this guy??

Let's see what happens. You have to assume he's gonna get invited to one of the post-season all-star games and will get a chance to show his stuff. Maybe move up some then!

 

[DaveBird10]

Let's see what happens. You have to assume he's gonna get invited to one of the post-season all-star games and will get a chance to show his stuff. Maybe move up some then!

Hula Bowl 2023 Roster Commitments

Hula Bowl 2023 roster invites and commitments. See who will be playing in Orlando, Florida for the 2023 Hula Bowl on January 14, 2023.

thedraftnetwork.com

He is going to play in the Hula Bowl next Saturday.

 

[Virginia Redbird]

I don't remember seeing this article posted anywhere. Nice article published before Zeke won the Buchanon Award. Behind Zeke's success is a good attitude and hard work, who would have thought. I have been very critical of Coach Spack's offensive results but if I am a linebacker I am all ears when he is talking.

Summer critique, new position turned ISU’s Vandenburgh from good to great

A summer critique from his head coach and a position switch turned Illinois State’s Zeke Vandenburgh from productive player to national standout.

prairiestatepigskin.com

 

[fourthandshort]

I missed it too .. this is great article and insight into Spack's handling on defense. They mention the WIU lastga,e with 17 tackles .. I didn't watcht that game and wonder if our statisticians may have padded his assisted tackles some. In any case, it was 0-11 WIU. The game that really impressed me was the prior week at SDSU ... he was wreaking so much havoc against THE best team/offense in country. He was the reason it was a game for a half, with only difference being a couple big play in Q2 ... very much like Wisconsin game, a very even game otherwise ... except without Annexstad giving us a chance against a great SDSU defense.

If youre bored sometime, look at the play-by-play on game stats page. Do a search (ctrl F on Zeke by qtr): Football vs South Dakota State on 11/12/2022 - Box Score - Illinois State University Athletics

Also note, there were at least 2 other great plays by Zeke that didn't make stat page .. 1 due to penalty, 1 due to Gronowski making a phenomenal play to avoid another sack by Zeke. or Zeke would have had 12 tackles and 4 sacks against the best Team and Offense in the country on their field.

A phenomenal statement game in week 10 against the best team in FCS for Zeke - you can bet Zeke got their coach/AD's vote. WIU was just icing on the cake.

 

[fourthandshort]

I have no idea how he is still projected as a late 6th rd pick. You are going to tell me there are 170 more NFL ready players in college football than this guy??

going to be a question of speed and fast twitch assessment .. if they think he has enough, all these awards playing in MVFC will get him harder/longer looks now.

 

[Redbirdwarrior]

going to be a question of speed and fast twitch assessment .. if they think he has enough, all these awards playing in MVFC will get him harder/longer looks now.

I'm just saying, the Bears need at least one edge rusher, but two would be nice. Assuming they get DT help with wherever they pick in Rd 1, I have to assume Ryan Poles is taking a good hard look at the only guy in college football with comparable numbers to Anderson, even if they were against FCS teams. I'd br shocked if he went lower than 5th rd.

 

[Total Red]

“He told me, ‘Right now, you’re just not fast enough to play in the NFL, and there’s times you don’t give good effort. You don’t sprint to the ball.’ That was eye-opening.”

That was a quote from Coach Spack evaluating Zeke earlier in his Redbird career. When Coach Spack says Zeke doesn't sprint to the ball I wonder if that includes rushing the QB. I see it a lot and I saw it again last night watching Georgia-TCU. A TCU defender blitzed, he was unblocked and he came at Georgia QB Bennett at full speed. Bennett spun past him and ran for a first down. The easiest defender to juke is the one sprinting at you. I would encourage blitzers to come in at 3/4 speed so they are better able to react to the evasive maneuver, but that is the minority approach. Most coaches want you to attack at full speed with the idea that even if you miss you make the QB pull the ball down, at least momentarily, and they are forced to make a move to evade. As he does that other defenders should be arriving to help but often times they don't. How often have you seen a QB dodge the rush and then reset and throw or run through the opening left by the rushing defender? It happens a lot. I'd be interested in how Timmy and the rest of you would approach this.

 

[MadBird]

Anybody know what happened with the Hula Bowl? I know he was on the roster. I watched for a while, a couple different times, and never saw Zeke on the field. Did he play? Get hurt? I was just unlucky with my tune in times?

 

[Dmills]

Anybody know what happened with the Hula Bowl? I know he was on the roster. I watched for a while, a couple different times, and never saw Zeke on the field. Did he play? Get hurt? I was just unlucky with my tune in times?

More so unlucky that you tuned in -- if it was for Zeke. He got a late invite to the NFLPA Collegiate bowl at the Rose Bowl for January 28th.

 

[MadBird]

More so unlucky that you tuned in -- if it was for Zeke. He got a late invite to the NFLPA Collegiate bowl at the Rose Bowl for January 28th.

Thanks, I thought somehow I remembered he wasn't going to be in the Hula Bowl, but thought I'd look in now and then just in case. Saw a UNI guy, and I thought I read the YSU running back was also there. Didn't spend much time there, was mostly focused on hoops yesterday.

 

[MadBird]

Reminder - tomorrow is the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl mentioned above by DMills, featuring our guy ZEKE at 5pm on the NFL Network.

Roster shows Taylor Grimes on Zeke's team. A handful of other MVFC guys also playing.