ISU placed four student-athletes on the first team, led by defensive tackle Tom Brillhart (Vincennes, Ind./Lincoln), who makes his third appearance on the Gateway All-Academic list. The three-time first team selection played and started in 11 games while pacing the squad with four quarterback sacks for 15 yards in losses. He finished the season with 43 total tackles; five for losses and enjoyed a season-best seven tackles against Illinois State. Brillhart recorded one sack in four consecutive contests and had 1.5 tackles for loss in wins over Murray State and the Redbirds. He was named to the 2004 CoSIDA Academic All-District V Team for the third time in his career earlier this fall. Brillhart, a senior, maintains a 3.51 grade point average (GPA) in U.S. History.

Joining Brillhart on the first team is two-time honoree, tailback Jake Shields (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield). He had three 100-yard plus rushing efforts during the season and led the team with 645 yards on the ground. Shields enjoyed four multi-touchdown games in 2004, and recorded a season-best 117 yards on the ground versus Tennessee-Martin. He caught four passes for 58 yards against SMS en route to recording 19 receptions for 145 yards during the season. He is a member of the 2004 CoSIDA Academic All-District V Team * a three-time honoree. Shields, a senior, maintains a 3.38 GPA in Business Administration.

A first-timer on the all-academic squad is kicker Kyle Hooper (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot), who connected on 16-of-20 field goal attempts in 2004. Hooper drilled two game-winners, both in overtime, at Eastern Illinois and versus Illinois State. He hit eight consecutive field goal attempts during the course of the season, and his 16 field goals were just two shy of the school's single-season record. A perfect 27-of-27 on PATs, Hooper paced the team with 75 points scored, which ranked in the Gateway's Top 10. Hooper, a sophomore, maintains a 3.58 GPA in Business Administration.

Quarterback Phillip Johnson (Tell City, Ind./Tell City) rounds out the Sycamores' representation on the first-team after completing 155-of-308 passes for 1,946 yards, which ranks as the third-best single-season in school history. He tossed eight touchdowns during the year. Against Illinois State, Johnson completed 22-of-35 passes for a total of 373 yards and three touchdowns * just 19 yards short of the ISU single-game record. His 61-yard touchdown pass to Markus Naves at Youngstown State proved to be the longest play from scrimmage in 2004. Johnson, a sophomore, maintains a 3.59 GPA in Business Administration.

Offensive lineman Fred Freitag (Omaha, Neb./Westside) earned second team honors as he closed out his career having made 28 consecutive starts along the offensive front. He was a key blocker for a squad which set the school's season record for passing yards with 2,307. Freitag was named the Gateway Football Conference's Offensive Lineman of the Week on September 28, after ISU had two 100-yard rushers against Tennessee-Martin * the first time ISU accomplished that feat since 1992. Freitag, a senior, maintains a 3.38 GPA in Radio/TV/Film.

Fellow offensive lineman Jon Ferber (Holland, Ind./Southridge) was one of two Sycamores to place on the honorable mention list. Ferber started each of the last 23 contests for the Sycamores at eight the left guard, right guard or center position. Ferber, a senior, maintains a 3.22 GPA in Science Education.

Defensive end Kyle Mitchell (East Chicago, Ind./Central) made his first appearance on the all-academic squad with honorable mention honors. He recorded 45 tackles on the season while notching three quarterback sacks. Mitchell had 5.5 tackles for loss in 2004, and recovered two fumbles during the season; including a key recovery at the goal line which helped ISU to a double overtime victory over Illinois State. Mitchell, a junior, maintains a 3.14 GPA in Business Administration.

Gateway Football Conference All-Academic honorees must be starters or key reserves with at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale). Student-athletes must have reached sophomore academic and athletic standing at their institutions and must have completed at least one full academic year. League sports information directors voted on the team by designating 11 players for first-team honors and 11 for the second team.