Swenson Named First-Team Freshman All-American

His 15 made field goals represent the ninth-best single-season total in Spartan history.

 

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State placekicker Brett Swenson, who led the team in scoring with 78 points in 2006, has been named first-team Freshman All-American by Rivals.com.

 

The 5-foot-8, 151-pound Swenson converted 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). An honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and media, Swenson finished the regular season ranked among the conference 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).

 

"This is a well-deserved honor for Brett Swenson because he had a dynamite freshman year," former Spartan head coach John L. Smith said. "During my four-year tenure at Michigan State, Brett was our most consistent kicker – he was almost automatic. Brett has two great assets: he gets the ball off quickly, plus he kicks with tremendous accuracy. He also produced in clutch situations all season long.

 

"The best news of all is that Brett is only a freshman, so he has a bright future."

 

Swenson converted 12-of-13 field-goal attempts during a late-season stretch, including six in a row. He also hit six-straight field goals during a five-game stretch early in the season.

 

He went 4-for-4 on field-goal attempts from 40-49 yards, including a 45-yarder in the first quarter at Penn State.

 

Swenson was perfect on three field-goal attempts against Purdue, including a season-long 46-yarder in the second quarter. He also converted field-goal attempts from 22 and 40 yards against the Boilermakers.

 

The Pompano Beach, Fla., native 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. Swenson accounted for 11 points against the Wildcats, hitting 2-of-2 field-goal attempts and all five PATs. His 32-yard field goal with 10:07 remaining in the first quarter opened the scoring.

 

He made two field goals against Illinois in the Big Ten opener, including a 27-yarder with 2:46 left in the fourth quarter that tied the game at 20.

 

Swenson accounted for nine points in the 2006 season opener against Idaho, hitting 2-of-3 field-goal attempts and all three extra-point tries. His 35-yard field goal in the second quarter was longer than any of the five made by the Spartans during the 2005 season. His 23-yard field goal with 30 seconds left iced the game as Michigan State extended its lead to 10 at 27-17.

Courtesy of MSU SID