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Iowa State University Athletics
Sims, Jesse Smith Lead ISU On Coaches All-Big 12 Team
12.01.2009 | Football
IRVING, Texas ? Iowa State strong safety David Sims was named the Big 12 Conference Defensive Newcomer of the Year and Cyclone linebacker Jesse Smith earned first-team honors on the 2009 All-Big 12 Conference football team, as selected by the league's coaches Tuesday. Four other Cyclone players earned honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition.
Iowa State head coach Paul Rhoads was the only coach to earn honorable mention coach-of-the-year honors. Texas head coach Mack Brown was the choice of his peers to be Big 12 coach of the year. Rhoads made the Cyclone football program bowl-eligible this season with a 6-6 record after ISU went 9-27 the previous three years. The season included a 9-7 win at Big 12 North champion Nebraska that marked Iowa State's first victory in Lincoln in 30 years.
Sims made an immediate impact after transferring to Iowa State from Butte (Calif.) Community College. The Gainesville, Fla. native leads the team with four interceptions. He also forced three fumbles. The junior also has averaged 23.7 yards on 18 kick returns this season.
“David has made a major contribution to our defense this season,” said Iowa State head coach Paul Rhoads. “He has helped us in so many ways, including on special teams.”
Smith, a former walk-on, has averaged 10.67 tackles per game this season. The Altoona native leads the Big 12 and ranks 11th nationally in that category. The senior has made 298 career tackles. Smith has broken up a team-high seven passes this season and has made a pair of interceptions and forced two fumbles.
“Jesse is a great story,” Rhoads said. “He is deserving of the recognition he has received. Beyond his stats, Jesse is a great leader on the field and has helped anchor our defense from a key position. Both David and Jesse are pillars for a defense that has made great improvement over this season.”
Stats tell the story of Iowa State's defensive makeover. The Cyclones rank second nationally in red zone defense. ISU leads the Big 12 and ranks third nationally in forced turnovers (30). The Cyclone secondary has been a major contributor, making 14 interceptions. That figure ranks third in the Big 12 and 14th among 120 teams nationally.
Iowa State is in the upper division of the Big 12 Conference in scoring defense. The 2009 Cyclones held Nebraska (7), Baylor (10) and Colorado (10) to 10 points or less. It is the first time ISU has held a trio of conference opponents to 10 points or less in a single season since 1965.
Michael Brandtner, who ranks fifth on the all-time Iowa State career punting list with a 40.7 yard average, has averaged 40.7 yards per punt this season. The senior from Bettendorf has dropped 21 punts inside opponents' 20-yard lines this season. He has had 12 punts of longer than 50 yards in 2009. Brandtner earned honorable mention from the league's coaches for the second straight season.
Kelechi Osemele, a native of Houston, started all 11 games this season at left tackle and did not allow a sack to earn honorable mention. Center Reggie Stephens is a three-year starter and senior from Rowlett, Texas who earned honorable mention honors for the second straight season.
Alexander Robinson earned honorable mention honors after averaging 96.1 yards per game, rushing for 1,058 yards on 210 carries and six TDs. The Minneapolis, Minn. native crossed the 1,000-yard barrier despite missing all or parts of several games due to injury.
Players Mentioned
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