Sept. 6, 2010

NORMAL, Ill. - A trio of Illinois State football players were honored by the College Football Performance Awards for week one of the football season Monday. Sophomore kick returner Ben Ericksen was tabbed as one of several kick returners of the week, while sophomore quarterback Matt Brown and freshman defensive back Marcus Harris were named honorable mention selections at their positions by the organization.

The purpose of the College Football Performance Awards is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferments in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams.

Ericksen started the season with a bang for the Redbirds, when he returned the game's opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown in the season-opener Thursday night against Central Missouri. The Greendale, Wis., native returned a total of seven kickoffs for 220 yards in the game for an average of 31.4 yards per return. The kickoff return touchdown was the first of Ericksen's career and the first for a Redbird since Tom Nelson's 97-yard return at Western Illinois in 2008.

Brown was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week, as he completed 23-of-30 passes (76.7 percent) for 298 yards and a career-high three touchdowns. Trailing 54-47 with just over four minutes left, Brown led the game-winning six-play, 78-yard scoring drive that was capped off by a 26-yard touchdown pass to Corey Shandrick with 2:22 left in the game for the Redbirds.

Harris, playing in his first collegiate game, returned a 42-yard interception for a touchdown in the first quarter, marking the second-consecutive game that ISU has had an interception for a touchdown after Chris Garrett's in the 2009 season finale against Northern Iowa. The Bloomington, Ill., native also saw time on the Redbird special teams units in his first game at Illinois State.

GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, TRC gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.