Nov. 26, 2007

NORMAL, Ill. - For the first time since the 2001 season, the Illinois State football team placed five representatives on the Gateway Football Conference's All-Academic Team Monday, including first-team selection, senior quarterback Luke Drone (Mt. Carmel, Ill./Mt. Carmel HS).

Drone ranked second among league quarterbacks in passing yards per game in conference games with 196.7 yards per contest. He finished the 2007 season by passing for 2,222 yards, his third-straight 2,000-yard passing season, on 192-for-318 passing. He posted 18 passing touchdowns, which included a conference-leading nine TDs in league games and rushed for five more. Drone carries a 3.04 grade-point average (GPA) and is majoring in physical education.

Joining Drone on the league's all-academic team was second-team honoree Warren McCarty (Hononegah, Ill./Roscoe HS), as well as honorable mention selections Dan Simnick (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North), Jonathan St-Pierre (Longueuil, Quebec, Canada/Edouard-Montpetit HS) and Dan Weiner (Chicago/New Trier HS).

McCarty, a sophomore reserve wide receiver, played in five games, primarily special teams, and did not record a statistic. He owns a 4.0 GPA, while pursuing a degree in business administration. Simnick, a senior defensive lineman, has already received his bachelor's degree in business administration and carried a 3.41 GPA. He played in 10 games with five starting assignments this season and finished with 13 tackles.

St-Pierre, ISU's starting center for all 11 games, is on pace to end his college career with three academic degrees. He already received a bachelor's degree in economics with a 3.16 GPA. He was instrumental in the Redbird running game, which amassed 2,194 rushing yards on the season, the seventh-highest rushing total in school history.

The five Redbirds were among 35 student-athletes honored by the conference office. All nominees must be starters or important reserves with at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA (4.0 scale). Student-athletes must have reached sophomore academic and athletic standing at their institutions (freshmen are not eligible) and must have completed at least one full academic year at their institution.

League sports information directors voted on the team by designating 11 players for first-team honors and 11 players for second-team honors.