Hall of Fame
Justin Townsend, a 1999 First-Team NAIA All-American and All-Mid-States Football Association selection, was a cornerstone of McKendree’s dominant offensive lines of the late 1990s. He helped power units that set school records, including averaging 325.4 rushing yards per game in 1997 and scoring 40 rushing touchdowns in 1999. Townsend played a key role in guiding the Bearcats to a top-five national ranking and two NAIA playoff appearances and later earned a spot on the McKendree Football 25th Anniversary Team. A standout in the classroom as well, he was a 1998 NAIA All-American Scholar-Athlete and a two-time MSFA All-Academic honoree. Originally from Fairfield, Illinois, he continues to reside there and serves as the Athletic Director as well as the head football and boys track coach at Fairfield High School.
