ST. LOUIS – A total of 71 current and former Illinois State football players were among the student-athletes highlighted on the 2015-16 Missouri Valley Football Conference Honor Roll, as announced by the league office Monday. Redbird senior Mark Spelman and former Redbird CJ Irvin earned the league's highest academic achievement by capturing the Missouri Valley Football Conference President's Council Academic Excellence Award.
The President's Council Academic Excellence Award requires a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average (through Fall 2015 semester) and participation in athletics a minimum of two years. The student-athlete must be within 18 hours of graduation.