Edwards, LeGree Headline ASU’s Three AP All-Americans
NEW YORK ? First-team quarterback Armanti Edwards and defensive back Mark LeGree highlight three Appalachian State University representatives on the 2008 Associated Press NCAA Division I FCS All-America teams, the AP announced on Wednesday. Offensive lineman Jonathan Bieschke is a second-team honoree.
Edwards finished the season with 2,902 passing yards, 941 rushing yards and a SoCon-record 41 touchdowns responsible for (30 passing, 11 rushing). The junior ranks second nationally with a 170.19 pass-efficiency rating, seventh with 3,033 yards of total offense and 58th in rushing. The 2008 SoCon Player of the Year is one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Award, which will be presented next Thursday to the nation’s top FCS player.
LeGree leads the nation with 10 interceptions on the season. The sophomore’s 10 INTs broke the 45-year-old school record of eight (Larry Harbin, 1963) and tied the SoCon record that hadn’t been matched in 33 seasons. In addition, he ranked second in the SoCon and 10th nationally with 17 passes defended and finished fifth on the squad with 58 tackles, including three for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. He is one of 16 finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the nation’s top FCS defensive player and will also be presented on Thursday evening.
ASU’s lone senior All-American is Bieschke, who protected Edwards' blind side at right tackle. Bieschke was the anchor of an offensive line that helped lead the Mountaineers to top-10 national rankings in passing efficiency (third ? 165.84), total offense (fourth ? 463.6 ypg), scoring offense (fifth ? 37.3 ppg) and rushing offense (eighth ? 229.3 ypg).
In addition to the Payton and Buchanan Award presentations, the American Football Coaches Association all-America team will be announced on Thursday.
ASSOCIATED PRESS TABS FURMAN’S BELL TO ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The Associated Press has named Furman offensive tackle Joel Bell to its 2008 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) All-America first team, it was announced Wednesday.
For Bell, a 6-foot-8, 318-pound senior from Spartanburg, S.C., it marked his second All-America tab this season. Last week he was selected to the Walter Camp Foundation All-America squad.
A three-year starter and three-time All-Southern Conference selection, he was tabbed by league head coaches as the SoCon’s 2008 Jacobs Blocking Award winner, becoming the 13th Paladin to capture the award.
He is the 37th Paladin to garner AP All-America honors since 1982, when Furman was reclassified from NCAA I-A to I-AA, now know as FCS, and 14th Paladin to be named to the AP first team.
Wilcox, Hudgins Named to Associated Press All-America Team
NEW YORK, N.Y. ? Elon University senior place kicker Andrew Wilcox (Richmond, Va./Hermitage) and junior wide receiver Terrell Hudgins (Rocky Mount, N.C./Rocky Mount) were chosen to the 2008 Associated Press All-America team Wednesday afternoon. Wilcox landed on the first team while Hudgins appeared on the second team.
Both players were also picked to the 2008 Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America team Friday afternoon. The AP honored Hudgins as a second-team selection as a redshirt freshman in 2006 and as a first-team honoree last season. Former Phoenix linebackers Roger Allen (third team in 2000) and Chad Nkang (second team in both 2005 and 2006) have also appeared on AP All-America squads.
The 6-2, 232-pound Wilcox led both the Southern Conference and the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision in field goals in 2008, making 1.83 per game. He also ranked third in the league and 18th in the country in scoring with 8.25 points per contest en route to earning SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week accolades three times and College Sporting News National Special Teams Player of the Week recognition once this season. Wilcox converted 33 of his 37 PAT kicks and 22 of his 27 field goal attempts on his way to piling up 99 points in 2008 while also booting 68 kickoffs for a 58.0-yard average.
Wilcox has been named the First Team All-Southern Conference place kicker by the SCSMA two of the last three seasons. The league’s coaches declared him a Second Team All-Southern Conference honoree in 2006 and a First Team All-Southern Conference pick in 2008. He is the all-time Elon leader in field goals made in a game (five versus Georgia Southern last year and five at Georgia Southern this year), field goals made in a season (22 this year), field goals made in a career (59), PAT kicks made in a game (tied with nine versus Presbyterian this year), PAT kicks made in a season (50 last year) and PAT kicks made in a career (130).
Wilcox ranks among the all-time SoCon career leaders in field goals made (second with 59), field goals attempted (second with 84), points scored by kicking (third with 307), extra points made by kicking (ninth with 130) and extra points attempted by kicking (tied for ninth with 136). His 22 field goals made this year tie the second-best single-season performance ever by a SoCon place kicker. His 27 field goals attempted this fall mark the fourth-highest total ever by a SoCon place kicker. Wilcox is the only SoCon place kicker to ever successfully convert a field goal in 12 games in a single season.
The 6-3, 237-pound Hudgins hauled in 86 receptions for 1,116 yards and 10 touchdowns on his way to becoming the Elon and SoCon all-time career leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches in 2008. A two-time Walter Payton Award finalist, he finished 11th in the standings for the honor in 2007 and 15th in 2008. The Walter Payton Award is given annually to the FCS National Offensive Player of the Year by The Sports Network.
Hudgins has been named a First Team All-Southern Conference wide receiver by the Southern Conference Sports Media Association each of the last three seasons. The league’s coaches tabbed him a Second Team All-Southern Conference selection in 2006 and a First Team All-Southern Conference choice in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, Hudgins was tabbed a First Team All-American by The Associated Press, College Sporting News, CollegeSportsReport.com, The Sports Network and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. In 2006, he was dubbed a Second Team All-American by The Associated Press.
Hudgins is the all-time Elon and SoCon leader in receptions in a season (117 last year), receptions in a career (272), receiving yards in a career (3,617) and touchdown receptions in a career (36). He is the all-time Elon leader in receptions in a game (16 versus Liberty and at Furman last year), receiving yards in season (1,474 last year), touchdown receptions in a game (tied with four versus Liberty last year) and touchdown receptions in a season (18 last year).
Hudgins is also the all-time SoCon leader in games receiving for at least 100 yards in a season (tied with seven last year), consecutive games receiving for at least 100 yards in a season (five last year) and games receiving for at least 100 yards in a career (18). Last season, Hudgins and former teammate Michael Mayers set the NCAA single-season record for the most receptions by two teammates (207) as well as the SoCon single-season record for the most receiving yards by two teammates (2,538).
Behind the performances of Wilcox and Hudgins, No. 17 Elon (8-4 overall, 6-2 Southern Conference) finished the 2008 campaign with the Phoenix's most victories in nine years and knocked off three top-25 FCS teams in the same season for the first time ever. Elon also forged its most successful campaign in its six-year membership in the SoCon, finishing with sole possession of third place in the nine-team league.
Derek Wooten Named To AP All-America Third Team
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? Wofford senior offensive tackle Derek Wooten was named to the 2008 FCS Associated Press All-America Third Team on Wednesday. Wooten was also named first-team All-Southern Conference this season.
A senior from Rock Hill, S.C., Wooten helped anchored an offensive line that allowed only five sacks all season, best in the nation. The line has also blocked for the Terrier running game that was first in the conference and second in the nation. Wofford was also second in the nation in total offense. He started all twelve games at right tackle on the season.
Wooten is just the ninth player in school history to earn Associated Press All-America honors since moving to NCAA Division I-AA (Football Championship Subdivision) and the first since Katon Bethay in 2005. Eric Deutsch is the only player to be honored twice.
Wofford had a 9-3 record and were 7-1 in the Southern Conference for a second-place finish. The Terriers reached the NCAA FCS Playoffs for the second straight season and third time in the last six years.
Chris Covington Named Second Team All-America
Senior linebacker chosen to Associated Press squad
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern University's Chris Covington (Lawrenceville/Brookwood) earned Second Team All-America honors by the Associated Press. The Football Championship Subdivision teams were announced on Wednesday (Dec. 17).
Covington, who was named Southern Conference 'Defensive Player of the Year' last month, earned his second All-America honor in two years playing defense. The senior linebacker began his career as a running back his first two seasons. In 2007 he played defensive back and was an Honorable Mention All-America pick (The Sports Network).
This year he began at rover but in week five moved to linebacker for the first time in his collegiate career. He responded with a career-high 19 tackles against Wofford. Covington averaged 11.7 tackles per game in his linebacker role, 8.6 overall (95 in 11 games) to tie him for 52nd nationally.
He finished the year ranked fifth among the SoCon leaders in tackles per game, third in total sacks (6.5, tied 38th nationally) and second in tackles for a loss (14.0, tied 40th). Five times this season Covington recorded 11 or more tackles in a game. He registered a career-high 3.0 sacks and 4.5 tackles for a loss against Appalachian State. A two-time All-Southern Conference pick, Covington led all active Georgia Southern players with 171 tackles in just two years.
"This is a great honor for Chris. He has been one of our leaders and done whatever was needed to help the team," said head coach Chris Hatcher. "Chris is a special player. Not many can make a position change like he did, especially in the middle of a season, and put up those numbers. He has been a great example for our younger players on what it means to be a Georgia Southern Eagle, and we are certainly thankful to have had the opportunity to coach him these last two years."
Andre Roberts Named Second Team All-America by the Associated Press
Charleston, S.C. ? The Citadel junior Andre Roberts, fresh off a record-breaking season in 2008, was named Second Team All-America by the Associated Press Wednesday afternoon. The honor marks the second All-America accolade garnered by Roberts in two years.
Roberts becomes the first Bulldog since Scott Thompson in 1986-87 to earn All-America honors from the Associated Press in multiple years. Thompson was named to the Third Team the first year and followed that with a First Team selection the next season. Roberts earned Third Team honors last season.
Roberts, the top receiver in the SoCon, held several top five national rankings at the end of the 2008 season, including No. 1 punt returner in the FCS. Roberts was also second in the nation in receptions per game and total receiving yards and third in receiving yards per game at the conclusion of the regular season. He also held the No. 10 spot in all-purpose running.
The junior receiver has also smashed several school records in 2008. He currently holds the record in receiving yards in a season and in a career, and the most catches in a single game, season and career, while recording the most punt return yards of any Bulldog in a season and a career. In the SoCon, Roberts is third in touchdowns recorded in a season and second in touchdowns recorded in a career, while tying for third in consecutive 1,000-plus yard seasons.