ISU football linebacker Alvin Bowen burst out of nowhere on to the national scene last season to lead the nation in tackles per game with an average of 12.92.

Bowen won’t be surprising anybody in 2007, as he was named to the national watch lists of the Bronco Nagurski Trophy and the Chuck Bednarik Award. The awards are given annually to the nation’s best defensive player.

In 2005, Bowen played in all 12 games, recording 33 tackles and one sack, while totaling a single-game high of six tackles against Oklahoma State.

A year later, he recorded 155 tackles, forced a fumble, intercepted a pass, and recorded a career-high 20 tackles against Toledo.

Bowen is entering his senior year, and should benefit from new coach Gene Chizik, who specializes in defense and won the Frank Broyles Award for the nation’s top assistant coach at Auburn University.

At Auburn, he coached first-round pick linebacker Karlos Dansby, and as linebackers coach at Stephen F. Austin University, he coached NFL star linebacker Jeremiah Trotter.