Big Sky Lands 12 on AP Team
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OGDEN, Utah (Dec. 15, 2011) - Eight Big Sky Conference football players were named to the Associated Press Football Championship Subdivision All-America Team, which was released on Thursday.
The Big Sky led all FCS conference with eight first-team selections, and 12 total players tabbed to the squad. The Missouri Valley and Southern Conferences each had five players named to the first team.
Eastern Washington senior quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell earned First Team honors. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder from Katy, Texas, native is one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Award, which will be presented on Friday, Jan. 6. Mitchell threw for 4,009 yards and 33 touchdowns during the regular season. Mitchell was named the Big Sky Offensive MVP.
Weber State senior offensive lineman J.C. Oram (6-4, 300), Idaho State junior wide receiver Rodrick Rumble and Portland State junior kicker Zach Brown were also selected to the First Team offense.
Rumble, a 6-2, 201-pounder from Oak Harbor, Wash., finished the season with 112 catches for 1,348 yards and nine touchdowns. He became the first receiver in Big Sky history to catch 100 regular-season passes.
Brown, a 6-1, 200-pounder from Keizer, Ore., averaged a national-best 2.18 field goals per game. He connected on 24-of-27 field goals and 27-of-29 extra points.
Sacramento State defensive end Zack Nash, Montana linebacker Caleb McSurdy, Grizzly senior cornerback Trumaine Johnson, and Idaho State senior punter David Harrington were named to the First Team Defense. Johnson and Harrington were both repeat First Team selections.
McSurdy, the Big Sky Defensive MVP from Boise, Idaho, enters Saturday’s semifinal game against Sam Houston State with 126 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks.
Nash, from Vacaville, Calif., finished the season with 10.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss.
Johnson, a 6-foot-3, 210-pounder from Stockton, Calif., has interceptions each of the past two playoff games. He’s broken up 14 passes this season.
Harrington, of Marina, Calif., leads the nation with an average of 48.7 yards per punt.
Eastern Washington junior wide receiver Nicholas Edwards and Idaho State linebacker A.J. Storms were selected to the Second Team. Montana senior offensive lineman Jon Opperud and Montana State senior wide receiver Elvis Akpla were named to the Third Team.
2011 Associated Press FCS All-America Team
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback - Bo Levi Mitchell, senior, 6-2, 210, Eastern Washington.
Running backs - Shakir Bell, sophomore, 5-8, 185, Indiana State; Eric Breitenstein, junior, 5-11, 225, Wofford.
Linemen - J.C. Oram, senior, 6-4, 300, Weber State; George Bias, senior, 6-3, 305, Stephen F. Austin; Paul Cornick, senior, 6-6, 309, North Dakota State; Brett Moore, senior, 6-3, 255, Georgia Southern; Tom Compton, senior, 6-6, 314, South Dakota.
Receivers - Rodrick Rumble, junior, 6-2, 201, Idaho State; Aaron Mellette, junior, 6-4, 212, Elon; Ryan Spadola, junior, 6-3, 205, Lehigh.
All-purpose - Jonathan Grimes, senior, 5-10, 201, Williams & Mary.
Kicker - Zach Brown, junior, 6-1, 200, Portland State.
DEFENSE
Linemen - Ben Boothby, senior, 6-0, 280, Northern Iowa; Zack Nash, senior, 6-4, 260, Sacramento State; Ben Obaseki, junior, 6-3, 260, Indiana State; Adrian Hamilton, senior, 6-3, 255, Prairie View A&M.
Linebackers - Tyler Holmes, senior, 6-0, 224, Massachusetts; Kadarron Anderson, senior, 6-1, 234, Furman; Caleb McSurdy, senior, 6-1, 242, Montana.
Defensive backs - Marcus Williams, sophomore, 5-11, 190, North Dakota State; Trumaine Johnson, senior, 6-3, 210, Montana; Ryan Steed, senior, 5-11, 188, Furman; Josh Norman, senior, 6-2, 190, Coastal Carolina.
Punter - David Harrington, senior, 6-2, 1985, Idaho State.
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SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback - Chris Lum, senior, Lehigh.
Running backs - Terrance West, freshman, Towson; Tim Flanders, sophomore, Sam Houston State.
Linemen - Bryan Boerner, senior, Southern Illinois; Gino Gradowski, senior, Delaware; Nate Page, senior, Wofford; Blake Matthews, senior, Norfolk State; Joe Faiella, senior, Stony Brook.
Receivers - Brian Quick, senior, Appalachian State; Mario Louis, senior, Grambling; Nicholas Edwards, junior, Eastern Washington.
All-purpose - Brock Jackloski, senior, Stony Brook.
Kicker - Ryan Estep, senior, Norfolk State.
DEFENSE
Linemen - Brent Russell, junior, Georgia Southern; Blake Olijaro, sophomore, San Diego; Andrew Schaetzke, senior, Georgetown; Ronnie Cameron, senior, Old Dominion.
Linebackers - Matt Evans, junior, New Hampshire; Blake Peiffer, junior, Southeast Missouri State; A.J. Storms, senior, Idaho State.
Defensive backs - Kejuan Riley, junior, Alabama State; Justin Bethel, senior, Presbyterian; Darnell Taylor, junior, Sam Houston State; Bryce Robertson, senior, Bucknell.
Punter - Jonathan Plisco, junior, Old Dominion.
THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback - Casey Brockman, junior, Murray State.
Running backs - Nick Schweiger, senior, Dartmouth; Matt Denham, junior, Eastern Kentucky.
Linemen - Scott Schweitzer, senior, Tennessee Tech; Jon Opperud, senior, Montana; Malcolm Boyd, junior, Liberty; Jeff Adams, senior, Columbia; Troy McKenna, junior, Lehigh.
Receivers - Shane Savage, senior, Cornell; Tre Gray, senior, Richmond; Elvis Akpla, senior, Montana State.
All-purpose - Gralyn Crawford, junior, Stephen F. Austin.
Kicker - Tyler Sievertsen, sophomore, Northern Iowa.
DEFENSE
Linemen -Ryan Davis, senior, Bethune-Cookman; Tyler Osborne, senior Southern Utah; Josue Ortiz, senior, Harvard; Joseph Lebeau, junior, Jackson State.
Linebackers - L.J. Fort, senior, Northern Iowa; Derek Rose, junior, Northwestern State; Keith Pough, junior, Howard.
Defensive backs - Serge Kona, junior, Duquesne; Asa Jackson, junior, Cal Poly; Jeremy Caldwell, senior, Eastern Kentucky; Daxton Swanson, junior, Sam Houston State.
Punter - Patrick Murray, junior, Fordham.