Hall of Fame
CORY MICHAEL WILSON
Athlete
Class of 2005
Football
From the time he recorded six tackles in his first collegiate game as a freshman at Drake University in 2000 through his final career contest – a 15-tackle performance at Carroll College in 2003 – Cory Wilson figured prominently into the defensive scheme of the McKendree football team. First as a defensive lineman and then as a linebacker for the Bearcats, Cory was a starter on four teams that reached the NAIA post-season and posted a total of 34 victories. He was the anchor of a defensive unit that led McKendree to its only NAIA Football Championship Series semifinal round appearance and a school-record 11 victories in 2002.
Cory led McKendree in tackles in each of his final two seasons, posting 94 stops as a junior in 2002 before setting a team record with 98 tackles in his 2003 senior campaign, a mark that still stands at the time of induction. In addition to the season tackles record, Cory set a team mark with 21 tackles in a 2003 game against Saint Xavier University. He is also tied atop the McKendree career list with two blocked kicks. For his career, Cory registered 238 total tackles, which sits in third place on the Bearcats’ all-time list. He was named as an NAIA second-team All-America selection following the 2003 season. Cory is one of just two McKendree linebackers to receive NAIA All-America honors. He was also a two-time All-Conference honoree in the Mid-States Football Association-Midwest League, earning first-team accolades in 2003 and second-team mention in 2002.
Before finishing his bachelor’s degree at McKendree in 2005, Cory served as a student coach on the Bearcats’ staff. He was also a volunteer coach for his alma mater at Collinsville High School.
