IU lands quarterback for '05

A life saver isn't just a bite-sized piece of candy to Kellen Lewis. \nWhile most college bound prospects signed letters of intent in February, Lewis didn't and he was planning on attending Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia.\nLewis, a 6-foot-3-inch quarterback from Jacksonville, Fla., got his life saver in a call from cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator Troy Douglas -- a scholarship offer to IU.\nAfter the call on June 30 and a visit to Bloomington Tuesday and Wednesday, Lewis made the decision to be a Hoosier and made it official by singing his letter of intent Friday.\n"It is one of the biggest reliefs in my life," Lewis said. "At the prep school I was going to have to cut my hair and wear a uniform. The phone call was a life saver. Either way I was going to have to leave and be far from home and now I can play Division I football."\nThe life saving call almost never was until two redshirt quarterbacks left IU. First Mike Vlahogeorge left the program in mid-June and was followed up with Grant Gregory transferring to the University of South Florida at the end of June.\nWith the possibility of the Hoosiers having only two quarterbacks for the season, IU was looking to fill the hole in time for the season.\nBecause of Douglas' connections in Jacksonville, it made getting Lewis a reality, IU football coach Terry Hoeppner said in a statement. \n"One of my adages is to have a plan, work a plan and plan for the unexpected," Hoeppner said. "When we had two quarterbacks decide recently that they did not want to play here, we continued to pursue Kellen. Troy Douglas did a great job staying in touch with him, and the end result is that we're fortunate to have a talented quarterback who is a solid student and a quality young man."\nAs a star at Mandarin High School, Lewis accumulated more than 2,600 yards and 24 touchdowns. The end result was Lewis being named Florida Class 6A District Two Player of the Year.\nWith the accolades and impressive statistics Lewis was a hot prospect, being recruited by Florida, Pittsburgh, Maryland and North Carolina State among others. Many schools wanted Lewis to switch to a different position, as a result offers were cut and many of the schools that wanted Lewis were Division IAA, something he said he didn't want deal with.\n"I was looking for better offers and all I had were Division IAA," Lewis said. "When coach Douglas called it was a no-brainer."\nAs a quarterback, Lewis described himself as a "scrambler". Lewis runs a 4.6 second 40-yard dash and has a 33-inch vertical leap, with good arm strength, but needing to improve on passing accuracy, he said.\nWhile visiting the campus and meeting Hoeppner, what sealed the deal in his signing with IUU was Douglas. Because Douglas is a Jacksonville native, Lewis was at ease when talking with him about the possibility of becoming a Hoosier.\nLewis is the fifth player from the Sunshine state to sign with the Hoosiers under Hoeppner.\nEven though Lewis isn't as familiar with IU football as the rest of the 2005 recruiting class he feels he is ready to make an immediate impact for the Hoosiers next season, he said.\n"I know there is pressure, but I'm not one to buckle under pressure. On my visit they showed me some of the things they run and a lot of the concepts they run I already know," Lewis said. "I'm nervous to an extent. I'm hoping to do something on the team and get some playing time, and show them what I can do on the playing field"