Illinois State football bought into newly formed brotherhoods on National Championship run

NORMAL, Ill. (WAND) - Monday night, the Illinois State football team will attempt to win the program's first ever FCS national championship.

The Redbirds were one of the last four teams into the FCS postseason bracket, entering the playoffs unseeded following an up and down season.

In order to keep their season alive, ISU needed to win four-straight road games to reach the title game. Miraculously, they did just that, defeating Southeastern Louisiana, North Dakota State, UCal-Davis, and Villanova. With their efforts, they became the only team in the FCS playoff era to reach the championship entirely as the visiting team.

"I think the number one thing I've learned is overall, just never give up," says Jacob Finley, a Sophomore offensive lineman and Williamsville High School graduate. "There comes a point where life is going to get hard and this will get hard. It just comes down to - at the end of the day, you just gotta keep on it."

The team logged more than 8,600-miles of travel round trip to their playoff games, more than three-times the distance from New York to Los Angeles. The relationships between teammates were built long beforehand, but the trips have only strengthened them.

Mark Helm, a redshirt-freshman on the O-Line and Chatham native, says he's never felt like he's burdened the experienced players with questions.

"The older guys are always willing to teach," Helm points out. "They never think they're above it. Even the guys last year, none of them think that they're above you. None of them think that they're like, "Oh, I don't have time for you. Just go away. If you're a freshman, if you have a question, they'll walk through, talk it out, they'll even do extra time with you."

One of the more impactful players on the Redbird defense is Reese Edwards, a senior linebacker who went to Illinois State following his football career at Sacred Heart-Griffin high school. Not only are gamedays a fun experience, but practice environments and beyond workouts are where he's built great friendships.

"No one really dreads practice, we enjoy the process," Edwards says. "I think that's what's helped us throughout the years. A lot of people get kind of tired of it as they go through the season. We've, like, started to enjoy it more as we go through."

Edwards and numerous other Redbird players have learned that respect isn't given, it's earned. Chris Hill Jr. made the jump from Division-3 football at Millikin University to D-1 at Illinois State last offseason. Academically, he says, the transition was smooth. Athletically, however, he says he had to earn his stripes.

"Dealing with my experience, it helped me a lot understand what the process looks likely going into fall camp and what to expect," Hill says. "Obviously the speed is different, but everything else, structure-wise, is pretty similar."

No matter their roles on gameday, every ISU player has had a part in making the team better. In practice inside the new bubble, each player has reps that can improve their strength, wit, or technique.

Following their victory over Villanova, the program had time off around the Christmas holiday to rest, celebrate, and visit friends and family. During the stretch, several of the players with roots in central Illinois were able to reconnect with former coaches and teammates from their high school days.

"I saw Aaron [Kunz] and he was all fired up," Finley says. "It was really good to see him. He always gives you that iconic shoulder grab that takes you down."

Helm adds he heard from former Glenwood teammates earlier in their playoff run.

"After we beat NDSU, I had a couple of my O-lineman back then text me and be like 'Hey, great win then,'" Helm says.

While the ISU players say the recognition has been great, they're looking to close out the season with one final victory when much more is at stake.

"People say its going to be easy to stay motivated for a championship, but getting there is the hard part," Hill points out. " With the guys we've got here, I feel like everyone's bought in."

The FCS national championship kicks off Monday at 6:30pm against #2 seeded Montana State from Nashville, Tennessee.