Indiana University Athletics
Thigpen Earns Postseason Honor
11/29/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 29, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana running back/kick returner Marcus Thigpen was selected to the 2006 rivals.com All-America first team, the website announced on Nov. 29. This is Thigpen's second postseason honor this week, as the 5-9, 182-pounder was also tabbed to the All-Film Team by ESPN.com's Todd McShay on Nov. 27.
Thigpen finished the season with a 30.1-yard average, second only to Oklahoma State's Grant Jones in the nation. His three touchdowns were tops in the country. He netted his third TD sprint of the season at Illinois on Oct. 7, matching a Big Ten single-season record held by Purdue's Stan Brown (1970) and Michigan State's DeAndra Cobb (2003) and putting him atop the Indiana career touchdown return list.
In his top performance of the season, Thigpen racked up a school-record 197 return yards on four kickoffs (49.3 average) in the Hoosiers' thrilling 34-32 victory over the Fighting Illini. Additionally, Thigpen gained a career-high 91 yards on the ground, including a career-long, 44-yard rush, and 23 receiving yards. His 311 all-purpose yards is the fourth-best single-game effort in Indiana history.
The sophomore also ran kicks back against Connecticut (88 yards) and Ball State (100 yards). He became the third player in IU history to return a kick 100 yards for a score, joining Derin Graham (vs. Wisconsin, 10/3/98) and Freal McIntosh (vs. Washington & Lee, 1915).
Thigpen finished the season with 723 return yards, the third-most in IU history. He holds the longest (100-yarder at Ball State) and second-longest (98-yarder at Illinois) kick returns in school history.
