Hoeppner lands 2,500-yard rusher as recruit

Even though new IU football coach Terry Hoeppner has been in Bloomington for only a month, he has already nabbed his first recruit: Tim Sergi from Roncalli High School in Indianapolis.\nDuring his junior year, Sergi starred as running back for the Rebels in the 2003 season, rushing for 2,500 yards on the way to being named to the first-team All State. In the process of guiding Roncalli to the state championship in class 4-A over East Noble High School 17-0, Sergi rushed for 208 yards and two touchdowns in the win.\nSergi made his official visit to Bloomington Jan. 11 and afterward knew the school was for him.\n"After the offer from Hoeppner, there was no question that I wanted to go to IU," Sergi said. "Hoeppner is the type of guy I want to play for. Being a fan of the big of the campus, it was a complete package."\nComing into the 2004 season, Sergi was primed to continue his rushing dominance. But a torn ligament in his knee during the final quarter of the fourth game of the season ended those hopes and forced him to miss the rest of the season.\nAfter a tough injury, having Sergi receive the opportunity to play at IU is great, Roncalli Athletics Director Dave Toner said.\n"It feels very good for us and our program," Toner said. "It is a unique circumstance. Even though we have been successful wining eight state titles, we have only had one or two (football players) go to Division I programs."\nSergi wasn't the only player from the Rebels to commit to a major in-state program. Patrick Kuntz, a defensive lineman, verbally agreed to Notre Dame, while Jason Werner, Indiana's high school Mr. Football, decided to go play for Purdue.\nEven though Sergi starred as a running back in high school, he will likely play defensive back or wide receiver for the Hoosiers.\nThe opportunities in Hoeppner's spread offense are serving as a motivation for the summer and fall, Sergi said.\n"I want to work to be a wide receiver," he said. "I would love to be a part of that offense."\nIt has been 12 weeks since Sergi's surgery to correct the ACL injury, and he has been cleared to participate in basketball and plans to compete in track and field in the spring.\nFinding a coach that would take on Sergi was important, said Frank Sergi, Tim's father.\n"I think a lot of coach Hoeppner and the success he has had," Sergi said. "(Hoeppner) is a person of great integrity. As a person, having your son in a program like that, he will learn how to be a good football player and a good person."\nIn addition to being recruited by the Hoosiers, Sergi had scholarship offers from Ball State University and Western Michigan University.\nThough Sergi had to deal with questions from recruiters regarding how he would return from his injury, it wasn't a big problem for Miami (Ohio), as he was recruited by the Redhawks as well. \nNot getting to play the majority of his final season has left Sergi with a chip on his shoulder.\n"I am functioning about as good as I was before the injury," Sergi said. "I want to show that I was a good player and prove that I am a Big Ten-caliber player."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Dan Click at daaclick@indiana.edu.