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INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) announced Friday the 16 student-athletes who have been selected to attend the 2017 GLVC Football Kickoff, which will take place in Lebanon, Illinois on Friday, July 28. The GLVC contingent, highlighted by 11 All-Conference returners combining for 18 career postseason honors, will participate in the sixth annual event. The 2017 GLVC Football Kickoff will take place at The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts on the campus of McKendree University from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT, and will serve both the league’s media members and passionate fans through several social media outlets.
The head coach and two student-athletes from each of the eight GLVC football institutions will be on hand to help promote the conference’s sixth season.
Four first-team All-GLVC honorees will be in attendance, including two University of Indianapolis redshirt seniors in running back
Andrew Walker and defensive back
Aeneas White. Walker has been selected to the All-GLVC First Team the past two seasons, while White was a first-team pick in 2015 and a second-team honoree one year ago.
Southwest Baptist University senior wide receiver
Kendrick Payne returns for his second GLVC Football Kickoff event, following a first-team All-Conference season for the co-GLVC Champions. Payne was an honorable mention pick at wide receiver in 2015 and earned second-team distinction as a freshman in 2014. Payne will be joined by senior defensive end
Julian Shade.
Quincy redshirt senior running back
Chris Harris returns as a two-time All-GLVC standout and the 2014 GLVC Freshman of the Year. He was a first-team selection as a sophomore and a second-team choice his freshman season. His teammate, senior linebacker
Nate Rueckemann, will also be in attendance after picking up All-GLVC honorable mention accolades last year.
Similar to UIndy and Quincy, Lincoln University will also be represented at GLVC Football Kickoff by two All-Conference performers. Senior linebacker
Addison Tucker was a second-team All-GLVC selection in 2016, while returning junior wideout
Anthony Townsend earned honorable mention acclaim.
The remaining four All-Conference returnees include McKendree senior defensive end and 2016 honorable mention
Darion Simmons, Missouri S&T senior linebacker and 2016 honorable mention
Austin Truvillion, Truman State University senior defensive back and two-time second-team pick
Jordan Brown, and William Jewell College junior defensive back and 2015 honorable mention selection
Justice Taylor.
Those four individuals will be joined by their teammates: McKendree senior wide receiver
Dustin Walls, Missouri S&T senior quarterback
Tyler Swart, Truman State senior offensive lineman
Matt Kaysinger and William Jewell redshirt senior offensive lineman
Jeff Gallimore.
While the event is for credentialed media only, fans are encouraged to participate in the event through a variety of social media platforms, and follow along online with each GLVC school as they rotate through stations over the course of the 90-minute event. A complete schedule, as well as the official 2017 GLVC Football Kickoff website, will be announced on Thursday, July 20.
Media members interested in attending the 2017 GLVC Football Kickoff can apply for credentials by contacting GLVC Associate Commissioner Jeff Smith at
jeff@glvc-sports.org.
A complete list of 2017 GLVC Football Kickoff player attendees follows:
| School |
Player Attendees |
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| Indianapolis |
Andrew Walker, R-Sr., RB (Chicago, IL/Brother Rice) |
Aeneas White, R-Sr. DB (Westmont, IL/Nazareth Academy) |
| Lincoln |
Anthony Townsend, Jr., WR (Park Forest, IL/Crete-Monee) |
Addison Tucker, Sr., LB (Memphis, TN/Kirby) |
| McKendree |
Dustin Walls, Sr., WR (Champaign, IL/Centennial) |
Darion Simmons, Sr., DE (Peoria, IL/Peoria) |
| Missouri S&T |
Tyler Swart, Sr., QB (Dickinson, Texas/Dickinson HS) |
Austin Truvillion, Sr., LB (Kansas City, MO/Park Hill) |
| Quincy |
Chris Harris, R-Sr., RB (Springfield, IL/Sacred Heart Griffin) |
Nate Rueckemann, R-Sr., LB (McHenry, IL/McHenry) |
| Southwest Baptist |
Kendrick Payne, Sr., WR (San Lorenzo, CA/Skyline) |
Julian Shade, Sr., DE (Cedar Hill, TX/Cedar Hill) |
| Truman State |
Matt Kaysinger, Sr., OL (Fenton, MO/Rockwood Summit) |
Jordan Brown, Sr., DB (Kirkwood, MO/Kirkwood) |
| William Jewell |
Jeff Gallimore, R-Sr., OL (Peoria, AZ/Centennial) |
Justice Taylor, Jr., CB (Aurora, CO/Regis Jesuit) |
INDIANAPOLIS
Andrew Walker, R-Sr., RB (Chicago, IL/Brother Rice)
Walker is a two-time All-GLVC First Team honoree, entering his final season with 2,671 career rushing yards. He is just 329 yards shy of 3,000 and 1,140 markers away from breaking the school record. He also needs just five rushing touchdowns to break the program's career mark. Walker already owns the single-season school record for rushing TDs with 20 scores in 2015. He averaged 131 yards per game over the final three weeks in 2016, including a career-high 160 yards on the ground in the season finale versus Saint Joseph’s.
Aeneas White, R-Sr. DB (Westmont, IL/Nazareth Academy)
White is a hard-hitting safety beginning his third year as a starter for the Hounds. He ranked first on the team among non-linebackers with 64 total tackles last season, and added seven pass break-ups as well as his first career interception in the 2016 season finale. White amassed a personal-best 12 tackles versus NAIA-power Marian in week 2.
LINCOLN
Anthony Townsend, Jr., WR (Park Forest, IL/Crete-Monee)
Townsend led Lincoln with 422 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2016, earning All-GLVC honorable mention status in the process. He averaged 17.6 yards per reception and was also an asset on special teams, as he was one of four Blue Tigers to block a kick last season. Entering his third season with the Blue Tigers, Townsend has appeared in all 22 games over the past two years.
Addison Tucker, Sr., LB (Memphis, TN/Kirby)
A second-team All-GLVC honoree after leading the Blue Tigers with 92 tackles, Tucker enters his senior season as one of the leaders of Lincoln's defense. Tucker started all 11 games in 2016, posting 7.5 tackles for loss to go with an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pair of broken up passes.
MCKENDREE
Dustin Walls, Sr., WR (Champaign, IL/Centennial)
Walls has been a two-year starter at wide receiver for the Bearcats. He has played a big role in McKendree’s high-octane passing attack during his career, and sits in the top 10 on the Bearcats’ all-time list for receptions and receiving yards. Walls is ninth on the team’s career chart with 66 catches, while his 908 receiving yards rank seventh in McKendree football history. He was limited to just eight receptions for 100 yards in 2016 due to injury. Walls had a career year in as a sophomore in 2015, finishing third on the team with 42 catches for 520 yards while ranking second on the squad with five touchdown receptions.
Darion Simmons, Sr., DE (Peoria, IL/Peoria)
A three-year performer at defensive end for the Bearcats, Simmons enjoyed a breakout season as a junior in 2016. He established career-highs with 40 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 quarterback sacks. He was second on the squad in both tackles for loss and quarterback sacks last season for McKendree, and was key in helping the Bearcats set a new program record with 53 sacks a year ago. He registered at least one sack in each of the Bearcats’ final five games of the year. Simmons earned All-GLVC honorable mention accolades for his performance in 2016.
MISSOURI S&T
Tyler Swart, Sr., QB (Dickinson, Texas/Dickinson HS)
Swart completed 166-of-296 passes (56.1 percent) for 2,178 yards – sixth-most in a season in school history -- and 21 touchdowns during the 2016 campaign. He threw at least two touchdown passes in seven of the 10 games he started and was named GLVC Offensive Player of the Week during the season. Swart threw for a season-high 282 yards in last year’s season-ending win at Quincy and has thrown 28 scoring passes in his career, tied for the sixth-most in school history entering the 2017 season.
Austin Truvillion, Sr., LB (Kansas City, MO/Park Hill)
Truvillion was an honorable mention All-GLVC selection following his junior year, when he finished second on the team in tackles with 76. Among the 76 stops were 12.5 for a loss – 11 coming in GLVC contests -- and 3.5 sacks as he made 49 initial tackles during the season. Truvillion also completed the 2015 season as S&T’s second-leading tackler with 77 and had 10.5 tackles for a loss. In his career, which includes being named as GLVC Defensive Player of the Week during the 2015 season, Truvillion has accumulated 161 total tackles and 23 for lost yardage.
QUINCY
Chris Harris, R-Sr., RB (Springfield, IL/Sacred Heart Griffin)
Harris is a two-time All-GLVC standout and the 2014 GLVC Freshman of the Year. He was a first-team selection as a sophomore and was a second-team choice his freshman season. He came back from a knee injury to rush for 352 yards on 75 carries (4.7 yards per carry) with three touchdowns last season. For his career, Harris has rushed for 2,015 yards and 27 touchdowns, ranking second in program history in the latter category.
Nate Rueckemann, R-Sr., LB (McHenry, IL/McHenry)
Rueckemann was named to the All-GLVC honorable mention list last season, one of three starting linebackers to earn All-Conference honors for the Hawks. He tied for third on the team with 65 tackles (37 solo), including six for loss. Rueckemann also had one sack, one interception and two pass breakups. He will again be counted on this season to be an anchor and leader on the defense.
SOUTHWEST BAPTIST
Kendrick Payne, Sr., WR (San Lorenzo, CA/Skyline)
Payne, one of SBU's captains, started all 12 games for last season's NCAA Playoff team. Payne led the GLVC in receptions (79) and touchdowns (13) last season to go along with 1,075 receiving yards. He was named a first-team All-GLVC selection during his junior campaign, after being named a second-team pick in 2014 and an honorable mention selection in 2015.
Julian Shade, Sr., DE (Cedar Hill, TX/Cedar Hill)
Shade, one of SBU's captains, appeared in all 12 games last season recording 57 tackles including 25 solo stops. He had 9.0 tackles for loss that racked up 26 total yards behind the line of scrimmage, while also picking up 3.5 sacks. Shade also recorded two pass break-ups, while forcing one fumble and blocking one kick this past season.
TRUMAN STATE
Matt Kaysinger, Sr., OL (Fenton, MO/Rockwood Summit)
Kavsinger played in all 11 games and started the final eight last season at right tackle. He has 30 career games under his belt on the offensive line for a unit that improved by nearly a touchdown per game in scoring last season, and allowed just over two sacks per game to rank fourth in the GLVC.
Jordan Brown, Sr., DB (Kirkwood, MO/Kirkwood)
Brown is an All-GLVC defensive back after earning second-team honors the past two seasons. In 32 career games played since starting as a true freshman in 2014, Brown is the Bulldogs active leader with 170 tackles, including 21.5 for loss. He has also returned two of his three interceptions for touchdowns. Last season, Brown had 66 stops with 11 for loss totaling 50 yards.
WILLIAM JEWELL
Jeff Gallimore, R-Sr., OL (Peoria, AZ/Centennial)
Gallimore helped pace a Cardinals offense that ranked second in the GLVC last season with 246.9 passing yards per game, and fourth in conference play with 238.5 passing yards per game each time out.
Justice Taylor, Jr., DB (Aurora, CO/Regis Jesuit)
Taylor helped anchor the corner of the Jewell defense that ranked fourth in the GLVC with 4,278 yards allowed last year, and sixth with 2,473 passing yards allowed. He registered a season-high six tackles against Saint Joseph’s, broke up a season-high five passes versus Truman State, and blocked a kick and produced a 49-yard interception return against McKendree last year. Taylor was also recognized as an All-GLVC honorable mention pick in 2015 as a freshman defensive back.