For the fifth-straight year, the Gateway’s Newcomer of the Year is a running back, while a Southern Illinois player has claimed the league’s freshman honor for the second time since 1999. RB Darian Williams is the second Panther to earn the league’s Newcomer of the Year honor, while LB Brandin Jordan is the second Saluki to earn the league’s eight-year-old Freshman of the Year honor.
The duo heads a list of 24 student-athletes named to the 2006 Gateway All-Newcomer Team. Gateway coaches, sports information directors and a media panel selected the team. The top 11 vote-getters on offense and defense were named to the team.
Jordan (at left) is the Salukis' leading tackler with 96 takedowns and was No. 11 in the Gateway in tackles, but he's tops among Gateway freshmen. He also has 1.5 sacks for a loss of six yards and eight tackles for 20 yards in opponent losses. He's the second Saluki to win the Freshman of the Year award (joining QB Joel Sambursky in 2002). Williams, meanwhile, ranked second for the Panthers with 653 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He had three 100-yard rushing games in league play, doing so against Missouri State, Indiana State, and Youngstown State. The junior is a transfer from Iowa Central Community College.
OFFENSE
WR Terrell Allen, UNI, 6-0, 190, Jr., Wellford (S.C.) James F. Byrnes High [Pittsburgh]
WR/KR Eric Davis, MSU, 6-0, 180, So., Oakland (Calif.) Skyline High [Laney College]
OL Brandon Joyce, ILS, 6-5, 310, Jr., St. Charles (Mo.) Duchesne High [Indiana]
QB Reilly Murphy, INS, 6-2, 215, Jr., San Diego (Calif.) [Grossmont Junior College]
WR Jake Gaebler, WKU, 5-11, 185, Fr., Mundelein (Ill.) High
TE Louis Irizarry, YSU, 6-5, 255, Jr., Youngstown (Ohio) Ursuline High [Ohio State]
WR/KR Tamarkus McElvane, MSU, 6-1, 182, Jr., Oakland (Calif.) McClymonds High [Laney College]
RB Andrew McCloud, WKU, 5-8, 195, Fr., Harrodsburg (Ky.) Mercer County High
RB John Randle, SIU, 6-0, 185, Jr., Wichita (Kan.) Southeast High [Kansas]
OL Jonathan St-Pierre, ILS, 6-3, 301, So., Longeuil (Quebec) Edouard Montpetit High [Miami (Fla.)]
OG Shawn Smith, SIU, 6-4, 275, Fr., Hutchinson (Kan.) High
RB Darian Williams, UNI, 6-3, 190, Jr., East Moline (Ill.) United Township High [Iowa Central CC]
TE J.R. Zwierzynski, WIU, 6-3, 240, Sr., Oswego (Ill.) Joliet Catholic High [Penn State]
DEFENSE
DL Adam Blankenship, ILS, 6-2, 245, So., Tulsa (Okla.) Union High [Nebraska]
LB Blake Boyd, WKU, 6-4, 240, Fr., Madisonville (Ky.) Madisonville-North Hopkins High
DB/RS Rashad Etheridge, WKU, 5-8, 165, Fr., St. Petersburg (Fla.) Catholic High
LB Brandin Jordan, SIU, 5-10, 220, Fr., Kenner (La.) John Curtis Christian High
DL Chuck Kinney, UNI, 6-3, 255, Fr., Council Bluffs (Iowa) High
LB Chauncey Mixon, SIU, 6-1, 215, Fr., Mobile (Ala.) Davidson High
LB Jeron Poole, MSU, 6-1, 240, Jr., Austin (Texas) James Bowie [College of Sequoias]
P Scott Ravanesi, SIU, 6-1, 190, Fr., Carol Stream (Ill.) Glenbard North High
DE James Ruffin, UNI, 6-4, 235, Fr., Burnsville (Minn.) High
DB Patrick Stoudamire, WIU, 5-11, 185, Fr., Portland (Ore.) Centennial High
DT Andre Tillman, SIU, 5-11, 285, Jr., Thibodaux (La.) High [Coffeyville CC]