Fields Named First-Team All-Big Ten
11/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
2006 All-Big Ten Teams
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Nov. 22, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State senior punter Brandon Fields has been named first-team All-Big Ten by both the league's head coaches and media panel. Fields, who also earned first-team honors as a red-shirt freshman (2003) and sophomore (2004) from the media panel, becomes the Spartans' first three-time All-Big Ten first-team selection since linebacker Percy Snow (1987-89).
The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Fields led the Big Ten and ranked No. 16 in the nation in punting with his 43.3-yard average. The Ray Guy Award semifinalist hit 17 punts 50 yards or more and had 16 kicks downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
He averaged 46.9 yards on seven punts against Notre Dame, including a season-long 73-yarder. Fields averaged 53.8 yards on four punts against Michigan, including a pair of 63-yarders. He averaged 40.4 yards on eight punts against top-ranked Ohio State, including four kicks downed inside the Buckeyes' 20-yard line. In the season opener, Fields averaged 55.7 yards on three punts against Idaho, including a 63-yarder.
"Brandon Fields has clearly established himself as one of the nation's top punters," MSU head coach John L. Smith said. "He's produced All-America numbers. Brandon has a big leg and really bangs the football to change field position.
"Brandon was an invaluable player because he was asked to fill many different roles on special teams. In addition to handling the punting duties, he was asked to kickoff, on-side kick and hold for placekicks."
The Toledo, Ohio, native ranks second among NCAA I-A active punters with his 45.0-yard career average. His career punting average also ranks No. 2 on MSU's all-time list and No. 3 in Big Ten history (tied with Ohio State's Andy Groom, 2001-02), trailing only Iowa's Reggie Roby (45.5 avg., 1979-82) and former Spartan Greg Montgomery (45.2 avg., 1985-87).
 Kyle Cook led the team in pancake blocks (48) for the second-straight year and allowed only 1.5 sacks in approximately 400 passing plays.  | |
Senior offensive guard Kyle Cook, who graded out 91 percent or higher in each game, has been voted second-team All-Big Ten by the coaches. The 6-3, 295-pound Cook started all 12 games in 2006 and saw action at three different positions: center, left guard and right guard. He led the team in pancake blocks (48) for the second-straight year and allowed only 1.5 sacks in approximately 400 passing plays.
The Macomb, Mich., native played a near-perfect game against Purdue, scoring 99 percent with four pancakes. Cook graded 98 percent each against Minnesota, Northwestern, Notre Dame and Eastern Michigan. He scored 97 percent each against Penn State and Michigan, while recording a season-best seven pancake blocks in each contest. Cook produced a score of 96 percent (5 pancakes) against Pittsburgh as the Spartans amassed 533 total yards, including 355 yards on the ground. He graded 98 percent (6 pancakes) against Eastern Michigan as Michigan State rolled up a season-best 586 total yards.
"First and foremost, Kyle Cook played the game with an attitude," Smith said. "He played hard every snap - in practice and on Saturdays - so he was a great leader. Kyle was an outstanding football player because of his work ethic, intelligence and versatility. Out of necessity, he saw a lot of action at both center and guard this season. I truly believe that Kyle could have lined up and played almost anywhere up front."
Cook, who started 35 consecutive games for the Spartans (26 at left guard and nine at center), recorded 157 career pancakes. He proved to be a model of consistency, grading out 90 percent or better in 35 of 38 career games played.
Four other Spartans have received All-Big Ten honorable mention: senior wide receiver Kerry Reed (media only), senior defensive tackle Clifton Ryan (coaches and media), freshman placekicker Brett Swenson (coaches and media) and sophomore free safety Otis Wiley (media only).
The 6-2, 198-pound Reed led the team in receptions (64), receiving yards (775) and touchdown catches (5). His 64 receptions represent the fifth-best single-season total in Spartan history. The Miami, Fla., native finished the regular season ranked second in the Big Ten in receptions (5.33 per game) and seventh in receiving yards (64.6 yards per game). He recorded three 100-yard receiving games: Pittsburgh (7 catches for 103 yards), Northwestern (9 for 101) and Minnesota (11 for 147/both career highs).
The 6-2, 302-pound Ryan led the Spartans in sacks (4 for 31 yards) and quarterback pressures (19). The Saginaw, Mich., native recorded 25 total tackles, including six for losses (34 yards), and ranked fifth on the team in production points (58.5).
The 5-8, 151-pound Swenson led the team in scoring as a true freshman with 78 points, converting 15-of-19 field-goal attempts and all 33 extra-point tries. His 15 made field goals represent the ninth-best single-season total in Spartan history (tied with Morten Andersen, 1981). He finished the regular season ranked among the Big Ten leaders in field goals (tied for third with 1.25 made per game), field-goal percentage (tied for third at .789), kick scoring (fourth at 6.5 points per game) and overall scoring (tied for seventh). The Pompano Beach, Fla., native was perfect on three field-goal attempts against Purdue, including a season-long 46-yarder in the second quarter. Swenson was named one of the Lou Groza Award's Top Three Stars of the Week after his 28-yard field goal with 13 seconds left gave Michigan State a 41-38 victory at Northwestern, completing the greatest comeback in NCAA I-A history as the Spartans rallied from a 35-point third-quarter deficit.
The 6-2, 209-pound Wiley led the Spartans in tackles (94 total), production points (165) and pass break-ups (10). He finished the regular season ranked seventh in the Big Ten in tackles, averaging 7.8 per game. Wiley reached double figures in tackles three times in 2006, including 10 stops against top-ranked Ohio State, 11 against Illinois and a career-best 12 against Idaho in his first career start.
Fifth-year senior quarterback Drew Stanton has been selected as Michigan State's recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, which is presented to student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, these student-athletes must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. Stanton, who graduated in May 2006 with a 3.42 grade-point average in kinesiology, is pursuing a master's degree in the same academic field. The Farmington Hills, Mich., native was presented the MSU Football Players Association's Community Service & Outreach Award at the team's year-end banquet.
