Nov. 30, 2005
ST. LOUIS -
Illinois State became only the second school in Gateway Football Conference history to claim three of the four player of the year awards when freshman defensive back Tom Nelson was named the Gateway's Freshman of the Year on Wednesday. Joining Nelson on the all-newcomer team was junior transfer Pierre Rembert.
Illinois State joins Western Illinois as the only teams in the league to be awarded three of the four individual post-season honors, with the Leathernecks claiming a trio of accolades in 2000. Nelson becomes the second Redbird to win the newcomer of the year award, joining Dusty Burk, who was honored in 1999.
"I'm excited for Tom to be recognized for his outstanding contribution to our football team," head coach Denver Johnson said. "To be recognized as the freshman of the year is a great honor for him, and I hope that it only sets the baseline for the rest of his career at Illinois State."
An 11-game starter, Nelson became the first true freshman to start for ISU since 1998, finishing sixth on the team with 57 tackles. He also led the team with six pass breakups, and late in the season, was ISU's kick returner, averaging 22.2 yards per return.
"This year ended up the way I would have liked, but it's definitely not how I would have imagined it happening," Nelson said. "I just came in early over the summer, worked hard and listened to what coach (Ron) Lambert and all the upperclassmen were telling me. With this being my first full year on defense, I can become a much better football player and I'm just starting to learn what I can do on that side of the ball."
As the Redbirds' leading rusher, Rembert was named the Gateway Offensive Player of the Week twice during the season. He finished the year with 801 yards on 145 carries and 12 touchdowns, despite missing a couple of games due to a sprained MCL. Rembert's season was highlighted by his record-setting performance at Missouri State with 272 yards rushing and six touchdowns.
"Pierre had a great season for us," Johnson said. "Had it not been for the knee injury against Northern Iowa, I think he would have been a great candidate for newcomer of the year in the conference. But I was glad to see him bounce back from that injury and finish off the season strong with that record-setting performance at Missouri State. He's a quality guy and again I'm pleased to see him get his due recognition on the all-newcomer team."
Gateway coaches, sports information directors and a media panel selected the team. The top 11 vote-getters on offense and defense were named to the team.
