ST. LOUIS — For the second time in three years, the Gateway’s Newcomer of the Year is from Youngstown State, while a Missouri State player has claimed the league’s freshman honor for the first time.  WR Ferlando Williams is the second Penguin to earn the league’s Newcomer of the Year honor since 2005, while QB Cody Kirby is the first Bear to earn the league’s nine-year-old Freshman of the Year honor.  

 The duo heads a list of 23 student-athletes named to the 2007 Gateway All-Newcomer Team.  Gateway coaches, sports information directors and a media panel selected the team.  The top 11 vote-getters on offense and defense, plus ties, were named to the team.

 Williams caught a team-high 42 passes for 499 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 464 yards on 74 carries and had nine touchdowns for the Penguins.  He played 675 snaps (497 at wide receiver and 178 at quarterback) and caught at least one pass in the final 10 games.  Kirby, a true freshman, started at QB the last eight games of season and set Missouri State records for freshman passing attempts (246), completions (149), yards (1,742) and TDs (11).  He also rushed for 218 yards and eight TDs, the most TDs by a Missouri State quarterback since the 1990 season.

NEWCOMERS OF THE YEAR
1994 Buck Phillips, CB, WIU
1995 Jason Cannon, WR, MSU
1996 Vince Bruno, LB, WIU
1997 Aaron Stecker, RB, WIU
1998 David Bowens, DL, WIU
1999 Charles Tharp, RB, WIU
2000 Teddy Sims, LB, SIU
2001 Julian Reese, QB, INS
2002 M. Abdulqaadir, RB, SIU
2003 Terrance Freeney, RB, UNI
2004 Brandon Jacobs, RB, SIU
2005 Marcus Mason, RB, YSU
2006 Darian Williams, RB, UNI
2007 Ferlando Williams, WR, YSU (pictured at right -->)

FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR
1999 Dusty Burk, QB, ILS
2000 Lee Russell, OLB, WIU
2001 Tom Petrie, QB, UNI
2002 Joel Sambursky, QB, SIU
2003 Justin Haddix, QB, WKU
2004 Eric Sanders, QB, UNI
2005 Tom Nelson, DB, ILS
2006 Brandin Jordan, LB, SIU
2007 Cody Kirby, QB, MSU

OFFENSE
OG David Arkin, MSU, 6-5, 281, Fr., Wichita (Kan.) Kapaun High
QB Matt Barr, WIU, 6-2, 210, Fr., Belvidere (Ill.) High
OT Kevaughn Brown, MSU, 6-4, 320, Jr., Port Arthur (Texas) High [Tyler (Texas) Junior College]
PK Billy Hallgren, UNI, 5-11, 190, Fr., Coal Valley (Ill.) Moline High
QB Cody Kirby, MSU, 5-11, 200, Fr., Rogers (Ark.) High
FB Ryan Mahaffey, UNI, 6-4, 253, Fr., Grinnell (Iowa) High
WR Eyad Salem, ILS, 6-2, 185, So., Elgin (Ill.) Larkin High [Minnesota State-Moorhead]
TB Kevin Smith, YSU, 5-10, 195, Jr., San Diego (Calif.) Helix High [Grossmont Community College]
RB Larry Warner, SIU, 5-7, 180, Jr., Vicksburg (Miss.) High [Mississippi Gulf Coast CC]
TB Kingjack Washington, MSU, 5-9, 165, Fr., Owasso (Okla.) High
WR Ferlando Williams, YSU, 6-0, 195, Jr., Warner Robins (Ga.) Northside High [Georgia Military]

DEFENSE
DE Clayton Dickehut, MSU, 6-3, 245, Jr., Derby (Kan.) High [Garden City (Kan.) Community College]
DL Josh Galloway, WIU, 6-3, 250, Jr., Reno (Nev.) [Glendale Community College]
LB De'Veon Harris, UNI, 6-1, 215, Jr., Pompano Beach (Fla.) Ely High [North Iowa Area CC]
DB Kelvyn Hemphill, ILS, 6-2, 180, Fr., San Antonio (Texas) O'Connor High
CB Darrell Lloyd, UNI, 6-0, 191, Jr., O'Fallon (Mo.) Fort Zumwalt High [Iowa Central CC]
DB Darius Middlebrooks, INS, 5-11, 190, Fr., Indianapolis (Ind.) North Central High
CB Derek Miller, MSU, 6-3, 190, Fr., Olathe (Kan.) East High
DT Torrance Nicholson, YSU, 6-3, 285, Fr., Columbus (Ohio) Marion Franklin High
P Ben Nowicki, YSU, 5-10, 175, So., Gilbert (Ariz.) Mesquite High [Mesa Community College]
CB Adam Roberts, UNI, 5-11, 199, Jr., Oklahoma City (Okla.) Southeast High [NE Oklahoma JC]
DL Victor Visoky, WIU, 6-4, 255, Fr., Northbrook (Ill.) Glenbrook North High
RS/CB De'Angelo Wilson, YSU, 5-10, 190, Jr., Sacramento (Calif.) Mesa Verde High [Nevada]