(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 7)—The McKendree University athletics family has once again been struck by tragedy as former Bearcat football standout Cory Wilson was among the victims of the shooting at the ABB Power facility in St. Louis on Thursday morning. Wilson was 27 years old.
Wilson was a four-year letterman and three-year starter at linebacker for the McKendree football team. He earned second-team NAIA All-America honors after setting a school record with 98 tackles during his senior season in 2003.
“The biggest thing about Cory is that everyone liked him, and I mean everybody,” said McKendree head football coach Carl Poelker. “The second thing is that you never saw Cory have a bad day. To him, every day was a great one, every day was great to be alive. When he competed he had fun. It was a great mix of things that made Cory an excellent football player, an excellent person and a great leader. This tragedy leaves a big hole not only in me but in our coaches, his teammates, and all those who had the chance to get to know him.”
After completing a stellar career as a fullback and linebacker at Collinsville High School in 1999, Wilson signed with McKendree. He began his career as a defensive lineman before making the shift to linebacker midway through his Bearcat career. Wilson responded by tying a team record with 94 tackles in leading McKendree to its only NAIA Football Championship Series semifinal appearance in 2002. Wilson then topped the mark he shared with Mike Garavalia with his 98-tackle performance in 2003. Wilson also holds the Bearcats' single-game record for tackles with 21, set in a game against Saint Xavier University in 2003.
In addition to his second-team NAIA All-America honor, Wilson was a first-team All-Conference selection in 2003 and a second-team All-Conference choice as a junior in 2002.
As a junior, Wilson helped anchor a McKendree defense that allowed just over 263 yards per game. That season, McKendree set a school record with 11 victories and came within one game of reaching the NAIA National Championship contest.
“Cory's whole demeanor permeated throughout the 2002 team,” said Poelker. “He was definitely one of the leaders of that team. He was the one who could put a positive spin on things when situations started to get tough. That helped us grow as a team that year.”
Wilson wrapped up his McKendree career with 238 tackles, which is currently third on the Bearcats' career list. He is also second on the team's chart for career fumble recoveries with six. He completed requirements for his bachelor's degree in December 2004.
“The McKendree community is both shocked and saddened by the news of the tragedy that took place in St. Louis early (Thursday) morning,” said Dr. Todd Reynolds, Vice President for Student Affairs at McKendree. “This kind of an event is always upsetting, but is made more so when one of the victims is someone that we know. Cory Wilson was an outstanding young man. He was a good student and a gifted athlete. He willingly gave his time and talent to others within our campus community. Cory will be missed by the considerable number of friends he made at McKendree. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family as we all struggle with this loss.”
Visitation for Wilson will be held on Sunday, Jan. 10 from 1-8 p.m. at Kerr Funeral Home in Collinsville. The funeral will be held at noon on Monday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Cory Wilson Scholarship Fund in care of Kerr Funeral Home, 501 W. Main St., Collinsville, Ill. 62234-3020.
Just over a month ago, McKendree University suffered a similar loss when former Bearcat track and field star Chris Bethel was killed in an automobile accident in his native Bahamas. Bethel was a 2009 graduate of McKendree and a six-time NAIA All-America honoree.
-McK-
