2006 Preseason All-Big 12 Football Team Announced

DALLAS, Texas -- Iowa State quarterback Bret Meyer, wide receiver Todd Blythe, defensive tackle Brent "Big Play" Curvey and cornerback DeAndre Jackson were named to the all-Big 12 Conference pre-season football team by league media. The poll was released Friday. Jackson was also chosen as the league's top kickoff return man. Iowa State opens the season Aug. 31 against Toledo in Ames.

Meyer, a junior, already ranks fourth on the Cyclone career chart in passing yards (4,802) and third in touchdown passes (29) after just two seasons. The Atlantic, Iowa native ranks behind only current Seattle Seahawk Seneca Wallace (6,102) with 5,256 yards of career total offense. Blythe's numbers are equally impressive. The Indianola, Iowa native has a school record 18 touchdown receptions. He has 90 career catches (10th, school history) for 1,833 yards (fourth). Blythe's 19.61 yards per reception last season ranked him second nationally among pass catchers with at least 4.1 receptions per game. That figure ranks first among 2006 returnees. His 51 2005 receptions gave him 1,000 receiving yards, making him just the third player to make that mark in Iowa State single season history.

Projected as one of the top potential draft picks at his position after the 2006 season, Jackson tied for the Big 12 lead with five interceptions in 2005. The senior from Garland, Texas earned all-Big 12 honors last season with 55 tackles and brings a streak of 25 straight starts into the upcoming campaign. Jackson made 24 of Iowa State's 31 returns last season, ranking second in the Big 12 with an average of 24.6 yards per return.

Curvey played a major part in getting Iowa State to bowl games in 2004 and 2005. He had fumble returns for the winning touchdowns at Baylor and against Kansas as a sophomore and his interception against Colorado last season clinched Iowa State's win over the Buffaloes. Curvey, a senior from Houston, Texas, turned heads around the Big 12 last season, earning all-conference honors with 61 tackles and 6.5 sacks.

Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma) was named Preseason Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, Rufus Alexander (Oklahoma) was selected Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and Sergio Kindle (Texas) was chosen Preseason Newcomer of the Year in a Big 12 Conference media poll.

Peterson is a two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection and was 2004 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer and Freshman of the Year. The 6-2, 210, junior running back finished second in the league in rushing last season and led all running backs with 1,108 yards and a 100.7 yard per game average despite missing nearly four games with an ankle injury.

Alexander was also an All-Big 12 First Team selection in 2005 after leading the Sooners in total (102), unassisted (56) and assisted (46) tackles. The 6-1, 231, senior linebacker also had 14.5 (-51) tackles for loss, five (-36) sacks, nine pass breakups and nine quarterback hurries last season. He was seventh in the Big 12 in tackles per game (8.5).

Kindle was a high school All-American last year while earning all-state honors on both offense and defense. In his last three seasons, the 6-4, 225, linebacker recorded 411 tackles, 55 TFL, and rushed for 5,632 yards and 86 touchdowns.

2006 Preseason All-Big 12 Football Team (Media Vote)

Offensive Player of the Year: Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma (RB, 6-2, 210, Jr/2L, Palestine, Texas)
Defensive Player of the Year: Rufus Alexander, Oklahoma (LB, 6-1, 231, Sr/3L, Baton Rouge, La.)
Newcomer of the Year: Sergio Kindle, Texas (LB, 6-4, 225, Fr, Dallas, Texas)

Offense

Position	Name	School	Ht./Wt.	Class/Exp.	Hometown
WR	Todd Blythe	Iowa State	6-5 210	Jr/2L	Indianola, Iowa
TE	Martin Rucker	Missouri	6-5 245	Jr/2L	St. Joseph, Mo.
OL	Justin Blalock	Texas	6-4 329	Sr/3L	Plano, Texas
OL	Manuel Ramirez	Texas Tech	6-4 339	Sr/3L	Houston, Texas
C	Mark Fenton	Colorado	6-4 295	Sr/3L	Inglewood, Calif.
OL	Kasey Studdard	Texas	6-3 305	Sr/3L	Lone Tree, Colo
OL	Corey Hilliard	Oklahoma State	6-5 310	Sr/3L	New Orleans, La.
WR	Jarrett Hicks	Texas Tech	6-3 210	Sr/3L	Houston, Texas
QB	Bret Meyer	Iowa State	6-3 208	Jr/2L	Atlantic, Iowa
RB	Adrian Peterson	Oklahoma	6-2 218	Jr/2L	Palestine, Texas
RB	Jamaal Charles	Texas	6-1 190	So/1L	Port Arthur, Texas
PK	Mason Crosby	Colorado	6-2 210	Sr/3L	Georgetown, Texas
KR	DeAndre Jackson	Iowa State	6-0 192	Sr/3L	Garland, Texas

Defense

Position	Name	School	Ht./Wt.	Class/Exp.	Hometown
DL	Adam Carriker	Nebraska	6-6 280	Sr/3L	Kennewick, Wash.
DL	Tim Crowder	Texas	6-4 270	Sr/3L	Tyler, Texas
DL	Frank Okam	Texas	6-5 315	Jr/2L	Dallas, Texas
DL	Brent Curvey	Iowa State	6-0 295	Sr/3L	Houston, Texas
LB	Rufus Alexander	Oklahoma	6-1 231	Sr/2L	Baton Rouge, La
LB	Thaddaeus Washington	Colorado	5-11 240	Sr/3L	Marrero, La.
LB	Corey McKeon	Nebraska	6-1 225	Jr/1L	Naperville, Ill.
DB	Michael Griffin	Texas	6-0 205	Sr/3L	Austin, Texas
DB	DeAndre Jackson	Iowa State	6-0 192	Sr/3L	Garland, Texas
DB	David Overstreet	Missouri	6-0 210	Sr/3L	Dallas, Texas
DB	Aqib Talib	Kansas	6-2 180	So/1L	Richardson, Texas
P	Daniel Sepulveda	Baylor	6-3 227	Sr/3L	Dallas, Texas
PR	Terrence Nunn	Nebraska	6-0 185	Jr/2L	Houston, Texas

Players Mentioned

Todd Blythe

Todd Blythe

Brent Curvey

Brent Curvey

DeAndre Jackson

DeAndre Jackson

Bret Meyer

Bret Meyer

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