Athlon Sports Names Davis And Pruitt Preseason All-Americans
Hattiesburg, Miss. - Athlon Sports, America's Premier Sports Annuals, has named its 2003 Preseason All-America teams. Southern Miss senior linebacker Rod Davis was named to its first team, and senior defensive back Etric Pruitt was named to its third team.

The Golden Eagles were picked to win Conference USA, ranked No. 37 nationally and the linebackers were picked as eighth best in the nation. The linebackers and defensive backs were picked as the best positions in Conference USA. Senior defensive end Terrell Paul, linebackers Davis and junior Michael Boley, defensive back Pruitt and punt returner Marvin Young were named to its All-Conference USA Team.

In 2003, Davis has been named to the Playboy Preseason All-America team, joining Ray Guy (1972) as the only Southern Miss players ever to receive this award. He was also named to The Sporting News, CollegeFootballNews.com and NationalChamps.net first-team All-American lists.

One of only two returning AP All-American linebackers, Davis averaged 12.9 tackles a game, 0.81 sacks a game and 1.8 tackles for loss per game. He also registered two interceptions, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He led Conference USA in tackles, solo tackles and sacks and was second in tackles for loss.

Davis, who received the 2002 Conerly Trophy signifying the top player in the state of Mississippi, was also a first-team All-Conference USA member for the second year in a row in 2002. He led Southern Miss in tackles (168), solo tackles (122), sacks (10.5) and tackles for loss (23.5) and was ranked among the nation’s best in each of the listed categories, No. 3 in solo tackles, tied for No. 6 in total tackles, tied for 13th in tackles for loss and No. 18 in sacks.

Pruitt was named as a 2002 second-team All-American by CNNSI.com and CollegeFootballNews.com and earned Fourth Team All-American honors from The Sporting News. A first team all-Conference USA selection, he was a 2002 Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist.

He started all 13 games last season, finishing third on the Southern Miss defense in tackles with 139 (10.7 average). Pruitt collected six interceptions (tying a C-USA record with three vs. Army), and added 13 pass breakups, 1.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and three blocked punts.

Paul, a second-team All-Conference USA defensive end in 2002, finished with 67 tackles, including 39 solo stops. He also had six sacks and a blocked kick. Boley, a first-team All-Conference USA honoree, was second on the team in tackles with 142, including 89 solos, eight sacks and 16 tackles for loss. He also had one interception he returned 54 yards for a touchdown, six pass breakups, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. He was also named to the All-America watch list by CollegeFootballNews.com.Young finished with 29 punt returns for 388 yards, an average of 13.4 yards per return and had a long return of 40 yards.

2003 Athlon Sports' Preseason All-American Teams

FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICA

OFFENSE

QB – Cody Pickett, Washington

RB – Steven Jackson, Oregon State

RB – Darren Sproles, Kansas State

WR – Reggie Williams, Washington

WR – Rashaun Woods, Oklahoma State

TE – Kellen Winslow, Miami

OL – Sawn Andrews, Arkansas

OL – Jammal Brown, Oklahoma

OL – Nick Leckey, Kansas State

OL – Antonio Hall, Kentucky

OL – Jacob Rogers, USC

DEFENSE

DL – Claude Harriott, Pittsburgh

DL – Tommie Harris, Oklahoma

DL – Darrion Scott, Ohio State

DL – David Pollack, Georgia

LB – Teddy Lehman, Oklahoma

LB – Courtney Watson, Notre Dame

LB – Rod Davis, Southern Miss

DB – Chris Gamble, Ohio State

DB – Brandon Everage, Oklahoma

DB – Marlin Jackson, Michigan

SPECIALISTS

K – Nate Kaeding, Iowa

KR – Broderick Clark, Louisville

P – Andy Lee, Pittsburgh

PR – Derek Abney, Kentucky

SECOND-TEAM ALL-AMERICA

OFFENSE

QB – Brad Smith, Missouri

RB – Anthony Davis, Wisconsin

RB – Maurice Clarett, Ohio State

WR – Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh

WR – Mike Williams, USC

TE – Ben Utecht, Minnesota

OL – Robert Gallery, Iowa

OL – David Baas, Michigan

OL – Stephen Peterman, LSU

OL – Rob Petitti, Pittsburgh

OL – Calvin Armstrong, Washington State

DEFENSE

DL – Will Smith, Ohio State

DL – Jason Babin, Western Michigan

DL – Nathaniel Adibi, Virginia Tech

DL – Andrew Shull, Kansas State

LB – Derek Johnson, Texas

LB – Karlos Dansby, Auburn

LB – Kirk Morrison, San Diego State

DB – Vontez Duff, Notre Dame

DB – Jamaal Brimmer, UNLV

DB – Jim Lionhard, Wisconsin

DB – DeAngelo Hall, Virginia Tech

SPECIALISTS

K – Mike Nugent, Ohio State

KR – Jason Wright, Northwestern

P – Matt Payne, BYU

PR – Dan Sheldon, Northern Illinois

THIRD TEAM ALL-AMERICA

OFFENSE

QB – Matt Schaub, Virginia

RB – Michael Turner, Northern Illinois

RB – Kevin Jones, Virginia Tech

WR – Bernard Berrian, Fresno State

WR – James Newson, Oregon State

TE – Heath Miller, Virginia

OL – Wesley Britt, Alabama

OL – Rob Droege, Missouri

OL – Nick Kaczur, Toledo

OL – Chris Colmer, NC State

OL – Tony Pape, Michigan

DEFENSE

DL – Kenechi Udeze, USC

DL – Brandon Kennedy, North Texas

DL – Cedric Hilliard, Notre Dame

DL – Howard Hodges, Iowa

LB – Matt Grootegoed, USC

LB – Grant Wiley, West Virginia

LB – Jonathan Vilma, Miami

DB – Etric Pruitt, Southern Miss

DB – Derrick Strait, Oklahoma

DB – Bob Sanders, Iowa

DB – Corey Webster, LSU

SPECIALSTS

K – Billy Bennett, Georgia

KR – Nate Jones, Rutgers

P – Cody Scates, Texas A&M

PR – Wes Welker, Texas Tech