McLean County Times

Illinois State University junior linebacker Tye Niekamp has been named the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. The recognition follows his performance in Illinois State’s 21-13 win over No. 21 South Dakota on Saturday.

Niekamp, who is from Normal, Illinois, matched his career and season high with 14 tackles during the game, including a personal best of 11 solo stops. He also recorded a tackle-for-loss as part of a defensive effort that limited South Dakota to just 13 points at home. This marks Niekamp’s fourth double-digit tackling game this season and his third with at least 13 tackles. He currently leads the Redbirds with 77 total tackles and has a team-high 6.5 tackles-for-loss, along with three pass breakups.

The MVFC also recognized other players this week: Cole Payton of North Dakota State was named Offensive Player of the Week; Tae Marrero Jr. of Southern Illinois received Special Teams Player of the Week; and Ky "Flash" Wilson of Youngstown State was selected as Newcomer of the Week.

This weekly honor is Niekamp’s fourth overall during his time at Illinois State.

Illinois State, ranked No. 17 nationally with a record of 5-3 overall and 2-2 in conference play, will return home to face UNI (2-6, 0-4 MVFC) on Saturday, November 1 at Jay and Lori Bergman Field at Hancock Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.

For more information about tickets and updates related to Illinois State athletics, fans can visit GoRedbirds.com or use the Illinois State Redbirds App.