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Campbell, Figurs land on Big 12 first team

Kansas State, in the wake of a 7-5 regular season under first-year coach Ron Prince, placed a total of 11 student-athletes on the 2006 AT&T All-Big 12 football teams, conference officials announced Tuesday.
Selections were made by the Big 12 head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own players.
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Sophomore defensive end Ian Campbell and senior wide receiver/return specialist Yamon Figurs headlined the list of K-State honorees as first-team selections. Senior linebacker Brandon Archer and sophomore defensive back Marcus Watts were named to the second team.
Seven Wildcats also received honorable mention consideration, including senior linebacker Zach Diles, junior defensive end Rob Jackson, senior wide receiver Jermaine Moreira, freshman running back Leon Patton, senior place-kicker Jeff Snodgrass, senior offensive lineman Greg Wafford and senior defensive back Kyle Williams.
Campbell, one of just two sophomores named to the first-team defense, was one of the country's top defensive ends in 2005 and consistently ranked among the national leaders in both sacks and tackles for losses during the season.
The Big 12's top tackler among defensive lineman with 60 stops, Campbell tied the K-State single-season record for sacks with 11.5 on the year and heads into the bowl season ranked fifth nationally in that category. He also led the Big 12 in tackles for losses with 16.5, a figure that ranks 19th in the country.
Figurs, who was selected as the league's top return specialist, finished the season ranked second in the Big 12 and 16th nationally in punt returns after averaging 12.2 yards on 20 attempts.
On the year, he recorded an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown in the season opener vs. Illinois State, a pair of 16-yard returns against Baylor and Oklahoma State and a 20-yard return against Missouri. However, his most memorable return may have come against Texas, when he scooted 52 yards to set up a first-and-goal for the Wildcats at the Longhorns' 8-yard-line during the second quarter.
Figurs also averaged 23.2 yards on eight kickoff return, including a season-long of 41 yards.
Archer, K-State's leading tackler for the third straight season, ranked sixth in the Big 12 during the regular season with a career single-season best 97 tackles.
A consistent big-play threat throughout the year, seven of Archer's tackles came behind the opposition's line of scrimmage, including 2.5 sacks. He also broke up four passes and recovered a pair of fumbles.
Watts' season was limited to just eight games due to an injury; however the junior still produced a number of huge plays in the K-State secondary.
In just four starts, Watts collected 19 tackles, including a pair of sacks, and three interceptions. He also forced a two fumbles, blocked a punt and had a crucial pass break-up at the goal line in the Wildcats' late-game defensive stand against Oklahoma State.
2006 AT&T All-Big 12 Football First Team
OFFENSE
POS. - PLAYER, SCHOOL (CLASS)
QB - Zac Taylor, Nebraska (Sr.)
RB - Jon Cornish, Kansas (Sr.)
RB - Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma (Jr.)
FB - Dane Todd, Nebraska (Sr.)
WR - Adarius Bowman, Oklahoma State (Jr.)
WR - Joel Filani, Texas Tech (Sr.)
WR - Limas Sweed, Texas (Jr.)
TE - Martin Rucker, Missouri (Jr.)
OL - Justin Blalock, Texas (Sr.)
OL - Kasey Studdard, Texas (Sr.)
OL - Corey Hilliard, Oklahoma State (Sr.)
OL - Joel Clinger, Missouri (Sr.)
OL - Chris Messner, Oklahoma (Sr.)
PK - Mason Crosby, Colorado (Sr.)
KR/PR - Yamon Figurs Kansas State (Sr.)
DEFENSE
POS. - PLAYER, SCHOOL (CLASS)
DL - Ian Campbell, Kansas State (So.)
DL - C.J. Ah You, Oklahoma (Sr.)
DL - Adam Carriker, Nebraska (Sr.)
DL - Abraham Wright, Colorado (Sr.)
DL - Larry Birdine, Oklahoma (Sr.)
LB - Rufus Alexander, Oklahoma (Sr.)
LB - Marcus Bacon, Missouri (Sr.)
LB - Bo Ruud, Nebraska (Jr.)
DB - Michael Griffin, Texas (Sr.)
DB - Aaron Ross, Texas (Sr.)
DB - Aqib Talib, Kansas (So.)
DB - Melvin Bullitt, Texas A&M (Sr.)
DB - Terrence Wheatley, Colorado (Jr.)
P - Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor (Sr.)
2006 AT&T All-Big 12 Football Second Team
OFFENSE
POS. - PLAYER, SCHOOL (CLASS)
QB - Chase Daniel, Missouri (So.)
RB - Jorvorskie Lane, Texas A&M (So.)
RB - Brandon Jackson, Nebraska (Jr.)
FB - Brandon McAnderson, Kansas (Jr.)
FB - Chris Alexander, Texas A&M (Jr.)
WR - Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma (So.)
WR - Maurice Purify, Nebraska (Jr.)
WR - Dominique Zeigler, Baylor (Sr.)
TE - Martellus Bennett, Texas A&M (So.)
TE - Chase Coffman, Missouri (So.)
OL - Scott Stephenson, Iowa State (Sr.)
OL - David Ochoa, Kansas (Sr.)
OL - Cody Wallace, Texas A&M (Jr.)
OL - Lyle Sendlein, Texas (Sr.)
OL - Glenn January, Texas Tech (Sr.)
PK - Garrett Hartley, Oklahoma (Jr.)
KR/PR - Aaron Ross, Texas (Sr.)
DEFENSE
POS. - PLAYER, SCHOOL (CLASS)
DL - Keyunta Dawson, Texas Tech (Sr.)
DL - Brian Smith, Missouri (Sr.)
DL - Tim Crowder, Texas (Sr.)
DL - Victor DeGrate, Oklahoma State (Sr.)
DL - Jay Moore, Nebraska (Sr.)
LB - Brandon Archer, Kansas State (Sr.)
LB - Alvin Bowen, Iowa State (Jr.)
LB - Joe Pawelek, Baylor (Fr.)
DB - Marcus Watts, Kansas State (Jr.)
DB - Marcus Walker, Oklahoma (Jr.)
DB - David Overstreet, Missouri (Sr.)
DB - Nic Harris, Oklahoma (So.)
DB - Reggie Smith, Oklahoma (So.)
P - Matt Fodge, Oklahoma State (So.)
KANSAS STATE HONORABLE MENTION:
Zach Diles, LB; Yamon Figurs, WR; Rob Jackson, DL; Jermaine Moreira, WR; Leon Patton, PR/KR; Jeff Snodgrass, PK; Greg Wafford, OL; Kyle Williams, DB
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Zac Taylor, Nebraska
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Rufus Alexander, Oklahoma
COACH OF THE YEAR: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
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