Every Saturday the Illinois State defense comes out onto the field with a boom.

Inside linebacker Boomer Grigsby is currently the NCAA tackle leader and has become one of the best defensive players in I-AA.

“Boomer is one of those special kids that made himself into the player he is today,” Redbirds head coach Denver Johnson said.

All the way from Canton, Ill., Grigsby put his name on the college football map by earning a game-high 21 tackles two weeks ago against the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Eastern head coach Bob Spoo is certainly not looking forward to the matchup Grigsby presents to his young offensive line.

“Boomer is a highly touted football player, which he should be, and he’s going to be a force to contain with,” Spoo said. “I don’t think people realize how good he is on special teams too.”

At only six feet tall, Grigsby wasn’t highly recruited out of high school because big conference coaches weren’t sure he could physically play the position consistently.

“He isn’t one of those guys who the genetic lottery with god-given ability,” Johnson said. “Coming out of high school, he wasn’t a Big 10 recruit because he wasn’t good enough and we didn’t know how well he was going to train.”

In fact, Johnson believed that Grigsby wasn’t good enough to make the Redbirds team during his freshman year.

“He wasn’t that great his freshman year coming from Canton, Illinois, and I considered moving him to fullback but I red-shirted him,” Johnson said. “I think he’ll even admit that was the best thing to happen to him because he really invested that time well.”

On the practice field, Johnson wishes he could line up with 11 kids similar to Grigsby not only physically but character wise as well.

“He’s just a real neat kid that is incredibly driven,” Johnson said. “A real yes sir, no sir kind of kid.”

Genetically, Grigsby has been physically fit since birth with his mother being a gymnastic instructor.

“Boomer is actually a world-class trampolinist and he’s learned how to monitor what he eats and his training schedule,” Johnson said.

According to his coach, his work ethic in the weight room presents an extremely high role model for the younger players.

“A lot of it has to do with being between 19-21 years old and getting stronger and muscular,” Johnson said. “This guy is just an animal in the weight room because he does about 50 percent more than we require as a rule not an exception.”

Johnson was extremely impressed with Grigsby’s commitment even during potential vacation distractions like spring break.

“My favorite story about him is during last spring where everybody went to Padre Island and Florida but Boomer hired a personal trainer to help with his 40-time,” Johnson said. “That’s just the kind of kid he is.”

In 2002, the junior finished third in the Buck Buchanan Award and is on the watch list for it this year as well.

“Today, I bet Boomer could play at lot of those big schools and that’s what makes him a two-time captain here,” Johnson said.