Indiana University Athletics
Four Named Sporting News Freshman All-Americans
12/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 8, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Four Indiana freshmen have been named to the Sporting News 2006 Freshman All-America Teams, the publication announced on Friday, Dec. 8. Redshirt freshman buck Josh Bailey was named to the second team, while quarterback Kellen Lewis, wide receiver Nick Polk and linebacker Will Patterson were awarded honorable mention.
Indiana led all Big Ten teams with its four selections. Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Penn State each had three freshmen honored by the publication.
Bailey played in nine contests and led the squad with 7.5 tackles for loss on the season. He made 40 tackles with one sack, and broke up three passes for the year. The Indianapolis native posted a sparkling debut, making 11 tackles, nine solo, in Indiana's 39-20 victory over Western Michigan. He followed that up with a strong performance in the Hoosiers' 31-28 victory over No. 15 Iowa on Nov. 14. Bailey made six tackles, three for loss, and provided a crucial fumble recovery in the fourth quarter to seal the victory for IU.
Lewis played in 11 of IU's 12 contests, throwing for a freshman-record 2,221 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushing for 441 yards and 5 TDs. Against Michigan State on Oct. 28, Lewis became just the fourth Hoosier in history to account for six touchdowns in a game, when he threw five TDs and ran for one more in a 46-21 victory over the Spartans. That performance earned him his second Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week award, making him the first Hoosier to win the award twice in a season since Levron Williams in 2001.
Polk finished third on the team with 32 catches and fourth with 326 yards on the season. He scored his only touchdown of the year on a 9-yard pass from Lewis in the first quarter against Southern Illinois on Sept. 16. The Milwaukee, Wis., native set career highs with five catches for 56 yards against Illinois.
Patterson made a seamless adjustment to the college game in his first year on Indiana's campus, posting 41 tackles, 4.5 for loss, and making one sack in 2006. The true freshman also added an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Against Michigan on Nov. 11, the Indianapolis native had a career game, leading the team with 10 tackles, five solo, and making 1.5 tackles for loss in the contest.
