Jordy Nelson:All-American (KU 2, MU 2)

[kstater]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3150439

Tebow, McFadden, Smith on AP All-American first team



NEW YORK --
AP All-American First Team


OFFENSE
QB: Tim Tebow, sophomore, 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, Florida.
RB: Darren McFadden, junior, 6-2, 215, Arkansas; Kevin Smith, junior, 6-1, 211, Central Florida.
WR: Michael Crabtree, freshman, 6-3, 208, Texas Tech; Jordy Nelson, senior, 6-2, 213, Kansas State.
OT: Jake Long, senior, 6-7, 313, Michigan; Anthony Collins, junior, 6-5, 320, Kansas.
G: Duke Robinson, junior, 6-5, 330, Oklahoma; Martin O'Donnell, senior, 6-5, 305, Illinois.
C: Steve Justice, senior, 6-4, 284, Wake Forest.
TE: Martin Rucker, senior, 6-6, 255, Missouri.
All-purpose: Jeremy Maclin, freshman, 6-1, 185, Missouri.
K: Thomas Weber, freshman, 6-1, 202, Arizona State.

DEFENSE
DE: Chris Long, senior, 6-4, 280, Virginia; George Selvie, sophomore, 6-4, 242, South Florida.
DT: Glenn Dorsey, senior, 6-2, 303, LSU; Sedrick Ellis, senior, 6-2, 305, Southern California.
LB: Dan Connor, senior, 6-3, 233, Penn State; James Laurinaitis, junior, 6-3, 240, Ohio State; Jordan Dizon, senior, 6-0, 220, Colorado.
CB: Aqib Talib, junior, 6-2, 195, Kansas; Antoine Cason, senior, 6-0, 185, Arizona.
S: Craig Steltz, senior, 6-2, 209, LSU; Jamie Silva, senior, 5-11, 210, Boston College.
P: Kevin Huber, junior, 6-1, 210, Cincinnati.



When it comes to being an All-American, Darren McFadden doesn't have to settle for second.

The Arkansas running back and two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up was one of four players voted to The Associated Press All-American team for the second consecutive season.

Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long, LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis were the other two-time first-team AP All-Americans on the team released Tuesday.

Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow joins McFadden in the backfield along with Central Florida's Kevin Smith, who leads the nation with 2,448 yards and 30 touchdowns. Smith is the first All-American from UCF, which began playing major college football in 1996.

Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel, who finished fourth in the Heisman voting, was voted to the second team. Hawaii's Colt Brennan, third in the Heisman voting, was the third-team quarterback.

McFadden set school records with 1,725 yards rushing and 2,172 all-purpose yards, breaking the marks he set last year. He scored 16 touchdowns and threw four TD passes, working as a quarterback out of Arkansas' shotgun Wild Hog formation.

The junior has said he'll decide whether to return to school for his senior season after the AT&T Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1 against Daniel and Missouri, though he may have given a hint as to which was he was leaning after the Heisman ceremony when he said, "I think my quarterbacking days are about to come to a halt."

Kansas State receiver Jordy Nelson went from walk-on to All-American.

Nelson didn't get a scholarship after playing at Riley County High School, 20 miles from Kansas State's Manhattan campus. He redshirted in 2003 and was a defensive back in 2004, again not seeing any game time.

He moved to receiver in 2005 and started all 11 games, catching 45 passes for 669 yards. In 2006, he battled injuries and caught 39 passes for 547 yards.

This season, Nelson became a star. He ranked second in the country in both receptions (122) and receiving yards (1,606) behind fellow All-American Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech.

Crabtree set NCAA freshman records with 125 receptions for 1,861 yards and 21 touchdowns. Fellow redshirt freshmen Jeremy Maclin from Missouri (all-purpose player) and Arizona State kicker Thomas Weber also made the first team.

The last freshman to be an AP All-American was Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson in 2004.

Crabtree was also one of four players unanimously selected to the first team by a panel of 12 media members, along with McFadden, Dorsey and Southern California defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis.

Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman on Saturday night. He was the second-rated passer in the country, led the Gators in rushing and became the first major college player with at least 20 rushing touchdowns and at least 20 TD passes in the same season.

Missouri's Martin Rucker, who led the nation's tight ends with 81 catches, gave the Tigers two All-Americans.

Long was joined on the offensive line by Kansas tackle Anthony Collins, guards Duke Robinson of Oklahoma and Martin O'Donnell of Illinois and Wake Forest center Steve Justice.

On the defensive line with Dorsey and Ellis were ends Chris Long from Virginia and George Selvie of South Florida.

Penn State's Dan Connor, Colorado's Jordan Dizon and Laurinaitis were the linebackers. They were also the three finalists for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker. Laurinaitis won the award.

In the secondary, the cornerbacks were Aqib Talib from Kansas and Antoine Cason from Arizona. The safeties were Jamie Silva from Boston College and Craig Steltz from LSU, each with six interceptions.

Cincinnati's Kevin Huber was the punter. He led the nation with a 46.9-yard average.

The Big 12 had eight players selected to the first team, leading all conferences. The Big Ten and Southeastern Conference were second with four All-Americans each.

[kstater]

Originally Posted by Hermcock

When pressed last year, kstater or Zach could not come up with any tangible basis to support their opinions about Andre Smith.

When pressed last year, Hermcock/Orangecameltoe couldn't come up with tangible basis as to why Andre Smith should be named above the All-Americans selected.

Originally Posted by kstater

Ooooh I can play this game too. Give me a reason why Andre Smith should be an All-American over the players selected. Tell me why these guys are not better than Andre Smith.

[Hermcock]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

Drag this shit out?

You were the one obsessing over it for a year.

Nope. I am just letting you know you were wrong. And the burn hurts or else you wouldn't be wasting your time posting. The fact that both of you keep coming back is evidence that you both feel ridiculed

I didn't even remember this thread until DaKCManAP posted a thread about the awards finalists and I saw that Andre Smith was selected as an Outland Trophy finalist.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Hermcock

Nope. I am just letting you know you were wrong. And the burn hurts or else you wouldn't be wasting your time posting. The fact that both of you keep coming back is evidence that you both feel ridiculed

I didn't even remember this thread until DaKCManAP posted a thread about the awards finalists and I saw that Andre Smith was selected as an Outland Trophy finalist.

Wrong about what?

You are literally making up opinions I don't have.

[Hermcock]

Originally Posted by kstater

When pressed last year, Hermcock/Orangecameltoe couldn't come up with tangible basis as to why Andre Smith should be named above the All-Americans selected.

I did say Smith was a superior lineman to Ohio State's Kirk Barton. I said Barton was an average pass blocker who struggled against speed rushers. And the guy was so good he lasted until the seventh round of the 2008 draft.

[Hermcock]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

Wrong about what?

You are literally making up opinions I don't have.

In your opinion, Andre Smith was not worthy of an 2007 All-American honor.

[kstater]

Originally Posted by Hermcock

I did say Smith was a superior lineman to Ohio State's Kirk Barton. I said Barton was an average pass blocker who struggled against speed rushers. And the guy was so good he lasted until the seventh round of the 2008 draft.

Draft selection isn't based on college awards. Otherwise Jason White, Troy Smith et. al. would have been shoe-ins for #1 overall picks. This thread was a discussion of 2007's All-Americans, which didn't include Andre Smith.

[Hermcock]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

You are emotionally tied to his success. Him being good or bad is of no difference to me.

You better watch what you say, because there's a decent chance Smith could wind up with the Chiefs.

[kstater]

Originally Posted by Hermcock

In your opinion, Andre Smith was not worthy of an 2007 All-American honor.

And of the opinion of the voters of the actual award. In fact, as stated several times, he wasn't good enough to even make the 2nd or 3rd team.

[kstater]

Originally Posted by Hermcock

You better watch what you say, because there's a decent chance Smith could wind up with the Chiefs.

So the GREAT Andre Smith will be a top 3 pick now?

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Hermcock

You better watch what you say, because there's a decent chance Smith could wind up with the Chiefs.

Thats fine, I haven't said anything bad about the guy.

I can live with a great lineman who wasn't an All American last year.

[Hermcock]

Originally Posted by kstater

Draft selection isn't based on college awards. Otherwise Jason White, Troy Smith et. al. would have been shoe-ins for #1 overall picks. This thread was a discussion of 2007's All-Americans, which didn't include Andre Smith.

And that's the problem.

20-30 years ago, the college football writers use to give the Heisman to true gridiron legends. Guys like Earl Campbell, Tony Dorsett, Marcus Allen, Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson, Tim Brown, Barry Sanders. Players who fit the criteria of being the "best collegiate football player in the country".

Now the voters give it to the figurehead QB on the best team. And that's when you get phony Heisman recipients like Gino Toretta (over Marshall Faulk), Danny Wuerffel (over Orlando Pace), Jason White (over Larry Fitzgerald), Matt Leinart (over Adrian Peterson) and Troy Smith (over Darren McFadden).

Studs like Marshall Faulk or Adrian Peterson could shine on any Division 1-A team, even Sun Belt schools like Western Kentucky and Louisiana-Lafayette. If White played in the Sun Belt, nobody who even know who the **** he is. That's why the AP voting is horseshit. They can't separate true greatness from a guy who performs in a system.

[kstater]

Originally Posted by Hermcock

And that's the problem.

20-30 years ago, the college football writers use to give the Heisman to true gridiron legends. Guys like Earl Campbell, Tony Dorsett, Marcus Allen, Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson, Tim Brown, Barry Sanders. Players who fit the criteria of being the "best collegiate football player in the country".

Now the voters give it to the figurehead QB on the best team. And that's when you get phony Heisman recipients like Gino Toretta (over Marshall Faulk), Danny Wuerffel (over Orlando Pace), Jason White (over Larry Fitzgerald), Matt Leinart (over Adrian Peterson) and Troy Smith (over Darren McFadden).

Studs like Marshall Faulk or Adrian Peterson could shine on any Division 1-A team, even Sun Belt schools like Western Kentucky and Louisiana-Lafayette. If White played in the Sun Belt, nobody who even know who the **** he is. That's why the AP voting is horseshit. They can't separate true greatness from a guy who performs in a system.

So were the lineman selected to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd team All-America list last year just figure heads that performed in a system?

[Hermcock]

Originally Posted by kstater

And of the opinion of the voters of the actual award. In fact, as stated several times, he wasn't good enough to even make the 2nd or 3rd team.

And like I said many times, sophomore offensive linemen don't get honored as All-Americans. Look at the history. They are forced to wait their turn.

[Hermcock]

Originally Posted by kstater

So were the lineman selected to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd team All-America list last year just figure heads that performed in a system?

Yep. Kirk Barton was.

[kstater]

Originally Posted by Hermcock

Yep. Kirk Barton was.

The unsung figurhead.