Senior Kyle Killion closed his Indiana career in 2005 by starting in 34 straight games. The honorable mention all-league honoree posted 91 tackles on the season, and he finished his career sixth on the all-time list with 323 total stops. Killion started the first eight games of the season at outside linebacker before a hand injury to John Pannozzo forced him back to middle linebacker against Minnesota, Michigan and Purdue. He notched 10 tackles against Minnesota, a career-high 13 at Michigan and finished with 12 tackles against Purdue. In 2004, Killion was a key component for the Hoosier defense, starting all 11 games at the middle linebacker position in 2004. Killion will move to outside linebacker this fall, where he is already projected among the top 11 players in the nation at that position by Lindy's. Killion was recognized as a second team All-Big Ten selection by the conference media and honorable mention selection by the conference coaches in 2004. He finished second on the team and fifth in the Big Ten with 107 total tackles. He was first on the squad and fourth in the league with 16.5 tackles for loss and closed the year with five sacks and a pair of interceptions. The Texan was a real ball-hawk, as he had seven games on the season with 10 or more tackles. In the first game of the year against Central Michigan, he posted a 10-tackle performance (eight solo and two assists), to go along with a pair of sacks and a forced fumble. He totaled nine tackles and an interception in the Hoosiers' win at then-No. 24 Oregon. Killion reeled off four straight games of 10 or more tackles at Kentucky (13), Michigan State (12), Michigan (10) and at Northwestern (12). Killion had a monster game against Penn State, registering 10 total tackles (eight solo and two assists), a sack and an interception that he returned 46 yards for touchdown. He started all 12 games in 2003 and was the team's leading tackler with 97 stops. Killion recorded at least 10 tackles in five games, capped with a 10-tackle (all solo) effort in the regular season finale against Purdue. Killion also began the season with back-to-back 10-tackle efforts at Connecticut and Washington. Killion was second on the team with seven tackles for loss and also intercepted a pass at Washington. He played in 875 total snaps. Following spring drills in 2003, Killion was named the team's Most Outstanding Junior for his performance during the spring. Killion opened the 2002 season as one of the Hoosiers' starting linebackers as a true freshman. He started each of the first three games before suffering a knee injury that nearly forced him to miss the remainder of the season. He came back with a large knee brace and played in four of the team's final five games. He earned the start against Michigan State. He finished the season having played in seven games, making four starts. The Kingwood, Texas, native saw 258 snaps of game action in 2002. He saw a season-high 68 snaps on two occasions. He played 68 snaps at Utah in the second game of the season and then 68 in the 10th game of the year against Michigan State. He was one of only eight true freshmen to play in 2002. Killion finished his freshman campaign with 28 tackles, 17 of them being solo. He also registered 3.5 tackles for loss along with one sack and one forced fumble. Despite only playing in seven games, Killion did have over five tackles on four occasions. His top performance came in the last game of the year when he registered seven tackles at Purdue. Before arriving at Indiana, he played at Kingwood High School. Killion has football in his blood, as his father played on Oklahoma's 1974 National Championship team, and his brother played for Colorado. He was a first team all-district selection in 2001. He also ran track at Kingwood and was a regional finalist in the shot put and discus. The son of J.K. and Donna Killion was born February 1, 1984. He has two brothers. Both of Killion's brothers played collegiate athletics with one having played football at Colorado and one having played baseball at Oklahoma. |
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