Dec. 24, 2002

CHICAGO, ILL. - Six Conference USA football players have been named as Freshman All-Americans by The Sporting News, as released by the publication on Tuesday. Louisville's Broderick Clark headlines the honorees, earning first team honors.

Clark was named Conference USA's Special Teams Player of the Year after leading the nation in kickoff return average at 31.8. He tied U of L and C-USA records with a pair of kick returns for touchdowns and established a new conference mark for kick return yardage with 897, just four yards short of the school record.

Tulane linebacker Anthony Cannon represents the league on the Freshman All-America second team. The true freshman ranks second among all of the nation's freshman in tackles with a team-high 110 stops (65 solo). The first freshman to lead the Green Wave in tackles since 1977, Cannon led the team in stops in four games and added six tackles for loss and two sacks to his totals.

Tulane offensive tackle Chris McGee and East Carolina linebacker Chris Moore earned third team All-America honors.

McGee graded out a team-high 81 percent over the course of 810 plays. He totaled a team-high 27 knockdown blocks and earned the squad's "Sledge Hammer" award, given to the offensive lineman with the most dominant blocks in each game, four different times.

Despite missing nearly four games with a knee injury, Moore registered 72 tackles (fifth on the squad) with a team-best 10.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. He is just the third Pirate ever to receive Freshman All-American recognition, joining fellow linebacker Pernell Griffin (1998) and Robert Jones (1988).

TCU running back Lonta Hobbs, the Conference USA Freshman of the Year, was named a Fourth Team Freshman all-American, along with Memphis free safety O.C. Collins.

A true freshman, Hobbs took his redshirt off for the Houston game on October 5 and proceeded to set new school freshman records for rushing yards (950) and touchdowns (12). Hobbs averaged a league-best 6.9 yards per carry and lost just 12 yards on 137 attempts. His yardage total ranks sixth in C-USA despite not playing in the first four games and he closed out the year with five straight 100-yard games.

Collins ranks fifth among the nation's true freshman in tackles with 75 (second on Memphis) and tied for the team lead with three interceptions.

TSN 2002 FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN TEAMS


FIRST TEAM


Offense
WR Larry Fitzgerald, 6-3, 210, Pittsburgh
WR Mike Williams, 6-5, 210, USC
TE Heath Miller, 6-5, 256, Virginia*
L (T) D'Brickashaw Ferguson, 6-5, 265, Virginia
L (T) Richie Incognito, 6-3, 305, Nebraska*
L (C) Mike Degory, 6-6, 315, Florida*
L (T) Winston Justice, 6-6, 305, USC
L (T) Andrew Whitworth, 6-7, 320, LSU*
QB Brad Smith, 6-3, 200, Missouri*
RB Maurice Clarett, 6-0, 230, Ohio State
RB T.A. McLendon, 6-2, 220, NC State


Defense
L (NG) Nick Leaders, 6-2, 275, Iowa State
L (E) Moe Thompson, 6-4, 265, South Carolina
L (T) Rodrique Wright, 6-5, 320, Texas
L (E) Loren Howard, 6-4, 280, Northwestern
LB Darryl Blackstock,, 6-4, 226, Virginia
LB Freddie Roach, 6-2, 237, Alabama*
LB Spencer Havner, 6-4, 232, UCLA*
DB (CB) Justin Miller, 5-11, 180, Clemson
DB (SS) Eric Bassey, 6-1, 195, Oklahoma*
DB (FS) J.J. Billingsley, 5-11, 180, Colorado
DB (SS) Jarrad Page, 6-1, 200, UCLA


Specialists
K Mike Gruzwalski, 5-8, 165, Central Michigan*
P Greg Johnson, 6-1, 190, Vanderbilt
KR Broderick Clark, 5-11, 184, Louisville*



SECOND TEAM


Offense
WR Jonathon Orr, 6-3, 182, Wisconsin*
WR Brandon Williams, 5-11, 170, Wisconsin
TE Cooper Wallace, 6-3, 252, Auburn*
L (T) Chaz White, 6-4, 300, Arizona State
L (T) Adam Stenavich, 6-5, 294, Michigan*
L (C) Mike McCloskey, 6-5, 280, UCLA*
L (C) Greg Eslinger, 6-3, 250, Minnesota
L (T) Albert Bimper, 6-2, 300, Colorado State*
QB Brett Basanez, 6-2, 200, Northwestern*
RB Wali Lundy, 6-1, 212, Virginia
RB Tyler Ebell, 5-9, 170, UCLA*


Defense
L (T) Darrius Swain, 6-2, 316, Georgia
L (E) Charlton Keith, 6-4, 219, Minnesota*
L (T) Haloti Ngata, 6-4, 324, Oregon
L (E) Melvin Oliver, 6-3, 255, LSU*
LB Brandon Hoyte, 6-0, 226, Notre Dame*
LB Anthony Cannon, 6-0, 210, Tulane
LB John Kerr, 6-0, 240, Indiana
DB (CB) Charlie Peprah, 5-11, 195, Alabama*
DB (CB) Steve Gregory, 5-11, 178, Syracuse*
DB (CB) Tim Jennings, 5-8, 164, Georgia
DB (CB) Fabian Washington, 6-0, 175, Nebraska


Specialists
K David Abdul, 5-10, 175, Pittsburgh
P Tom Malone, 6-0, 185, USC
KR Greg Heaggans, 6-0, 190, Kansas*



THIRD TEAM


Offense
WR Jovon Bouknight, 6-1, 180, Wyoming*
WR Maurice Stovall, 6-6, 205, Notre Dame
TE Dan Haines, 6-4, 245, Oregon State*
L (T) Mike Brisiel, 6-5, 290, Colorado State*
L (G) E.Z. Smith, 6-3, 286, Penn State*
L (T) Chris McGee, 6-4, 265, Tulane*
L (C) Na'Shan Goddard, 6-6, 270, South Carolina*
L (T) Darryn Colledge, 6-5, 288, Boise State*
QB Jay Cutler, 6-3, 208, Vanderbilt*
RB Terry Caulley, 5-7, 178, Connecticut
RB Kwane Doster, 5-11, 175, Vanderbilt


Defense
L (T) Kedric Golston, 6-4, 285, Georgia
L (E) Eric Henderson, 6-2, 260, Georgia Tech*
L (E) Justin Tuck, 6-5, 238, Notre Dame*
L (E) Brennan Schmidt, 6-3, 274, Virginia*
LB Lance Laury, 6-3, 225, South Carolina*
LB Chris Moore, 6-0, 217, East Carolina*
LB A.J. Hawk, 6-2, 230, Ohio State
DB (SS) James Sanders, 5-11, 200, Fresno State*
DB (SS) Michael Huff, 6-1, 190, Texas*
DB (SS) Keon Jackson, 5-11, 199, Toledo*
DB (FS) Jaxson Appel, 5-10, 197, Texas A&M*


Specialists
K Trey DiCarlo, 6-0, 180, Oklahoma
P Tyler Gaus, 6-1, 205, New Mexico
KR Jeremy Bloom, 5-9, 165, Colorado



FOURTH TEAM


Offense
WR Jermaine Jamison, 6-4, 190, Fresno State*
WR Mike Espy, 6-0, 180, Mississippi*
TE Josh Bailey, 6-5, 250, West Virginia*
L (T) Tre Stallings, 6-4, 317, Mississippi*
L (G) Mark Setterstrom, 6-4, 270, Minnesota
L (C) Todd Londot, 6-7, 276, Miami (Ohio)*
L (T) Rob Sims, 6-4, 290, Ohio State
L (G) Tony Palmer, 6-3, 300, Missouri*
QB Paul Pinegar, 6-5, 220, Fresno State*
RB David Horne, 6-0, 190, Nebraska
RB Lonta Hobbs, 6-0, 210, TCU


Defense
L (E) Leon Moore, 6-5, 255, UNLV*
L (T) Jonathan Lewis, 6-2, 290, Virginia Tech
L (NT) T.J. Jackson, 6-1, 280, Auburn
LB Moses Osemwegie, 6-0, 220, Vanderbilt*
LB Terna Nande, 6-1, 210, Miami (Ohio)
LB Doug Justice, 6-2, 238, North Carolina*
LB Rian Wallace, 6-4, 244, Temple*
DB (CB) Kelly Jennings, 6-0, 170, Miami (Fla.)*
DB (CB) Antwan Allen, 5-10, 167, Iowa*
DB (CB) Omar Laurence, 5-11, 185, UCF*
DB (FS) O.C. Collins, 6-0, 175, Memphis


Specialists
K Matt Prater, 5-11, 175, Central Florida
P Thomas Olmsted, 6-4, 215, Troy State
KR Jeff Backes, 5-9, 190, Northwestern*


*denotes redshirt freshman