NORMAL, Ill. — Illinois State senior linebacker Zeke Vandenburgh added another postseason accolade to his lengthy resume, as he earned a spot on the HERO Sports FCS All-American Team announced Thursday.
Vandenburgh, who also recently landed in the Top 3 of the Buck Buchanan Award given to the FCS National Defensive Player of the Year, earns the first of what figures to be multiple All-America honors this season of the awards.
The 2022 Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Vandenburgh saved some of his best football for last as he posted 17 tackles in the career, 3.5 sacks and surpassed a career best with 4.0 tackles- for the Redbirds’ season finale loss to Western Illinois. Gave him 100 tackles (51 solo) in a 10-game stat line that also included 21 tackles-for-loss (120 yards) and an FCS-leading 14 sacks.
A four-time MVFC Defensive Player of the Week honoree, Vandenburgh was also credited with one interception, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and four quarterback hurries in 2022. The Freeport, Illinois, native finished the regular season ranked no. 1 in the FCS in sacks per game (1.40) and tackles-for-loss per game (2.1).
With his season finale numbers, Vandenburgh finished tied for second all-time on the single-season sacks list with Ray Robinson (2003) and 5th in program history in -single season list in tackles-for-loss. He also broke the Top 3 in career sacks with 24.0 (third all-time behind Tony Jones) and tackles for loss with 43.5 (third all-time for the College Football Hall of Famer Boomer Grigsby).
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Players Mentioned
Players Mentioned
