2007 Preseason All-Americans?

[smallcollegefbfan]

I know it is early but what do you think the preseason All-American teams will look like next year? Here is what I came up with. Anyone major missing?

I bolded the players who I think should be unanimous picks. What do you all think?

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN TEAMS

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
WR Alex Watson, Northern Arizona, Sr.
WR Micah Rucker, Eastern Illinois, Sr.
TE Blake Martin, Sam Houston State, Sr.
OT Chad Rinehart, Northern Iowa, Sr.
OT Nate Safe, North Dakota State, Sr.
OG Kerry Brown, Appalachian State, Sr.
OG Brennan Carvalho, Portland State, Sr.
C Stephen Field, Cal Poly, Jr.
QB Ricky Santos, New Hampshire, Sr.
RB Kevin Richardson, Appalachian State, Sr.
RB Jerome Felton, Furman, Sr.

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL Bryan Smith, McNeese State, Sr.
DL Kroy Biermann, Montana, Sr.
DL Kendall Langford, Hampton, Sr.
DL James Amos, UC Davis, Sr.
LB Gian Villante, Hofstra, Sr.
LB Mike Gallihugh, Colgate, Sr.
LB Kye Stewart, Illinois State, Sr.
DB Corey Lynch, Appalachian State, Sr.
DB Tony LeZotte, James Madison, Sr.
DB Dominique Rodgers, Tennessee State, Sr.
DB Bobbie Williams, Bethune-Cookman, Sr.

FIRST TEAM SPECIALISTS
K Rob Zarrilli, Hofstra, Sr.
P Mike Dragosavich, North Dakota State, Sr.
RS Steven Whitehead, McNeese State, Sr.

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
WR Bruce Hocker, Duquesne, Sr.
WR Clyde Edwards, Grambling State, Sr.
TE Chris Wagner, South Dakota State, Sr.
OT Matt Austin, Massachusetts, Sr.
OT David Hale, Weber State, Sr.
OG Mitch Erickson, South Dakota State, Sr.
OG Colin Dow, Montana, Jr.
C George Yarno, Idaho State, Sr.
QB Josh Johnson, San Diego, Sr.
RB Herb Donaldson, Western Illinois, Jr.
RB Donald Chapman, UT-Martin, Sr.

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL Brian Johnston, Gardner-Webb, Sr.
DL Eric Bakhtiari, San Diego, Sr.
DL John Faletoese, UC Davis, Jr.
DL Gary Tharrington, Appalachian State, Soph.
LB Jason Hatchell, Massachusetts, Sr.
LB Joe Mays, North Dakota State, Sr.
LB Donald Thomas, Eastern Illinois, Sr.
DB Brandon Jackson, Georgia Southern, Jr.
DB Marion Rumph, Western Kentucky, Sr.
DB Torrey Thomas, Montana, Sr.
DB Quintez Smith, UTC, Sr.

SECOND TEAM SPECIALISTS
K Blake Bercegay, McNeese State, Jr.
P Benjamin Dato, Fordham, Sr.
RS Jess Burton, Tennessee-Martin, Sr.

HONORABLE MENTION
QB Steve Walker, North Dakota State, Sr.
QB Liam Coen, Massachusetts, Jr.
QB Armanti Edwards, Appalachian State, Soph.
QB Sedale Threat, Lehigh, Sr.
QB Eric Sanders, Northern Iowa, Sr.
RB Jordan Scott, Colgate, Jr.
RB Omar Cuff, Delaware, Sr.
RB Lex Hilliard, Montana, Sr.
RB James Noble, Cal Poly, Jr.
WR Maurice Price, Charleston Southern, Sr.
WR Ramses Barden, Cal Poly, Jr.
WR Terrell Hudgins, Elon, Soph.
WR Larry Shipp, Tennessee Tech, Sr.
WR Jerome Simpson, Coastal Carolina, Sr.
WR Shaheer McBride, Delaware State, Sr.
OT Cody Balogh, Montana, Sr.
OT Isaiah Wiggins, Illinois State, Sr.
OT Adam Hansen, UT-Martin, Sr.
OT Anthony Rubican, Eastern Illinois, Sr.
OT Rocky Hanni, Eastern Washington, Sr.
OG Jeremy Breath, Delaware State, Sr.
OG Nick Diana, Massachusetts, Sr.
C Billy Krause, UT-Martin, Jr.
C Scott Suttle, Appalachian State, Sr.
DT Mychal Savage, Youngstown State, Jr.
DT Rio Stotler, Weber State, Jr.
LB Tyler Joyce, Montana, Sr.
LB Andrew Jones, Furman, Sr.
LB Adam Casper, Southeast Missouri State, Sr.
LB Colin Disch, Albany, Sr.
LB Pierre Banks, Appalachian State, Sr.
LB James Terry, Youngstown State, Sr.
LB Bobby Daly, Montana State, Jr.
K Dan Carpenter, Montana, Sr.
P Wesley Taylor, Florida A&M, Sr.
P Michael Hanna, Gardner-Webb, Jr.

[bodoyle]

Watson: 82/1017/15TDs/7.45 receptions a game/12.40 per catch/92.45 yards a game

Rucker: 49/966/13TDs/3.77 receptions a game/19.71 per catch/74.31 yards a game

Hocker: 61/1,070/16TDs/6.10 receptions a game/17.54 per catch/107.00 yards a game

Edwards: 56/789/11TDs/5.09 receptions a game/14.09 per catch/71.73 yards a game

Price: 103/985/10TDs/9.36 receptions a game/9.56 per catch/89.55 yards a game

Hudgins: 69/1,027/8TDs/6.9 receptions a game/14.88 per catch/102.70 yards a game

Shipp: 51/799/8TDs/4.64 receptions a game/15.67 per catch/72.64 yards a game

Simp: 61/1,077/16TDs/5.08 receptions a game/17.66 per catch/89.75 yards a game

And Simpson is honorable mention b/c...............

1st in yards, 4th in receptions, T1st in TDs, 2nd in yards per grab, 3rd in yards per game, and 6th receptions per game

[slostang]

The list looks pretty good. I would think that Cal Poly WR Ramses Barden would at least make the HM list.

A couple of Cal Poly defensive players that will probably not make the 2007 preseason All-American lists, but will probably make the post season lists are DE Ryan Shotwell (brother of 2006 Buchanan winner Kyle Shotwell) and Rover/LB Mark Restelli (he will probably move in 2007 to MLB to replace Kyle Shotwell).

[Jerbearasu]

Pretty ambitious with K Richardson being unanimous 1st team. Need to include Lex Hillard somewhere on the list as well. Overall impressions are pretty good though.

[PantherRob82]

Pretty ambitious with K Richardson being unanimous 1st team. Need to include Lex Hillard somewhere on the list as well. Overall impressions are pretty good though.

I don't think you can include Lex on the list yet. He's got a lot of work to do. It's possible he might not even play.

[Jerbearasu]

And Simpson is honorable mention b/c...............

1st in yards, 4th in receptions, T1st in TDs, 2nd in yards per grab, 3rd in yards per game, and 6th receptions per game

Losing your All-American QB, two 1st team all-conference linemen, and all-conference TE could hurt production for Simpson. He is a great player and should definitely be in the discussion of 1st and 2nd teamers but I can understand why someone would leave his as an HM.

[Jerbearasu]

I don't think you can include Lex on the list yet. He's got a lot of work to do. It's possible he might not even play.

I understand rehab is going to be hard but are people in Missoula really thinking Brooks-Fletcher is the starter next year? I thought he did admirable work this year but it was my understanding Lex would be back and if he is anything like he was pre-injury, he will be a force for the Griz Nation. I'd like insight from Montana fans the likelihood of Hilliard's return.

[NDSUFREAK]

I think Joe Mays would be a 1st team and Ramon Humbar as a 2nd team. They are beasts at the linebacker position.

[AppGuy04]

Pretty ambitious with K Richardson being unanimous 1st team. Need to include Lex Hillard somewhere on the list as well. Overall impressions are pretty good though.

What's so ambitious about it?

[ucdtim17]

Jr. John Faletoese might be on there somewhere at DT for UC Davis instead of/in addition to James Amos

[PantherRob82]

I understand rehab is going to be hard but are people in Missoula really thinking Brooks-Fletcher is the starter next year? I thought he did admirable work this year but it was my understanding Lex would be back and if he is anything like he was pre-injury, he will be a force for the Griz Nation. I'd like insight from Montana fans the likelihood of Hilliard's return.

I don't think anyone has a clue from the sound of things in Missoula. He's rehabbing, but until he's closer to 100%, you never know what could go wrong. Things can go south on that kind of rehab very quickly.

[bodoyle]

Jer: why is that ambitious? IMO, he should have won the Payton this past year. He should be a shoe in for 1st team this year unless his shoulder acts up or he blows something out.

Also, our OL isn't a big deal we played with back-ups a lot of the year that would come in and out as we ran a no huddle offense for the most part. Those fatties couldn't stay in for an entire drive. xlolx j/k

[smallcollegefbfan]

Watson: 82/1017/15TDs/7.45 receptions a game/12.40 per catch/92.45 yards a game

Rucker: 49/966/13TDs/3.77 receptions a game/19.71 per catch/74.31 yards a game

Hocker: 61/1,070/16TDs/6.10 receptions a game/17.54 per catch/107.00 yards a game

Edwards: 56/789/11TDs/5.09 receptions a game/14.09 per catch/71.73 yards a game

Price: 103/985/10TDs/9.36 receptions a game/9.56 per catch/89.55 yards a game

Hudgins: 69/1,027/8TDs/6.9 receptions a game/14.88 per catch/102.70 yards a game

Shipp: 51/799/8TDs/4.64 receptions a game/15.67 per catch/72.64 yards a game

Simp: 61/1,077/16TDs/5.08 receptions a game/17.66 per catch/89.75 yards a game

And Simpson is honorable mention b/c...............

1st in yards, 4th in receptions, T1st in TDs, 2nd in yards per grab, 3rd in yards per game, and 6th receptions per game

I predict losing 36 seniors hurts and his production falls a little. I also think he will attract numerous double teams as well.

Simpson, regardless, is one of the best in the FCS and he will be a draft pick IMO.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Pretty ambitious with K Richardson being unanimous 1st team. Need to include Lex Hillard somewhere on the list as well. Overall impressions are pretty good though.

That was a mistake. I have added him to the honorable mention list. Once his health is determined I will move him up.

[smallcollegefbfan]

I think Joe Mays would be a 1st team and Ramon Humbar as a 2nd team. They are beasts at the linebacker position.

I thought his last name was spelled Humber? He is a great player. LB is very tough and to be honest he was one of about 5 more I could have mentioned but I did not want to list too many. OT was tough enough and after listing them I thought that was too many.

[th0m]

As far as the JMU players I don't have anything to add. We're very young. Holloman is definitely a great RB, but can't argue with the other selections. McCarter showed a lot of promise, he will be a soph next year, but WR's from JMU never really get a lot of credit (can't blame people) in our run-first offense. D-Lineman Baranowsky impressed me a lot this year, transfer from UConn who contributed pretty much from the get-go. Our linebackers always step up when needed, never really have problems in that department.

Some other players I'm hoping to see a lot of next year: Theo Sherman (OL), Griff Yancey (WR), Landers at QB of course, but maybe also Drew Dudzik and/or Keith McPherson as back-up QB's to see if they're as highly touted as everybody thought they were.

[*****]

Teams??? There's 12 players at only three positions on defense, 11 at seven positions on offense????? That might work in "SmallCollegeFB" but this is the FCS.

[Jerbearasu]

Jer: why is that ambitious? IMO, he should have won the Payton this past year. He should be a shoe in for 1st team this year unless his shoulder acts up or he blows something out.

I was not surprised with the selection to the first team. I was only surprised that people think it is unanimous. I thought some people would push a Noble, Felton, or some other backs up on the ballot. If you take his performances in the playoffs, I agree he should have deserved more love in the Payton awards. But the regular season, when the Payton is awarded, will show you he barely reached 1k in yardage with weak outings vs tough competition (34 yards {2.4 ypc} vs NC State; 79 yards {3.3 ypc} vs James Madison) and he was out of most games during the middle part of the season because the games were blowouts. When you look at it from a numbers standpoint he really only had 2 stellar regular season games (173 yards, 4 TD's vs Furman; 148 yards, 3 TD's vs Cit). Those really aren't the stats of someone that garners a lot of attention. Like I said, it is not ambitious to put him 1st team; just a little bit of a push IMO for a unanimous selection...

[smallcollegefbfan]

Teams??? There's 12 players at only three positions on defense, 11 at seven positions on offense????? That might work in "SmallCollegeFB" but this is the FCS.

I used the format the Sports Network uses except I specified OT, OG, C.

I can just take out a LB on each team and drop them down. Just fixed it.

[bodoyle]

I predict losing 36 seniors hurts and his production falls a little. I also think he will attract numerous double teams as well.

Simpson, regardless, is one of the best in the FCS and he will be a draft pick IMO.

Understood SCFF, but Simp has been double and triple teamed since he was a Sophomore.

[bodoyle]

I was not surprised with the selection to the first team. I was only surprised that people think it is unanimous. I thought some people would push a Noble, Felton, or some other backs up on the ballot. If you take his performances in the playoffs, I agree he should have deserved more love in the Payton awards. But the regular season, when the Payton is awarded, will show you he barely reached 1k in yardage with weak outings vs tough competition (34 yards {2.4 ypc} vs NC State; 79 yards {3.3 ypc} vs James Madison) and he was out of most games during the middle part of the season because the games were blowouts. When you look at it from a numbers standpoint he really only had 2 stellar regular season games (173 yards, 4 TD's vs Furman; 148 yards, 3 TD's vs Cit). Those really aren't the stats of someone that garners a lot of attention. Like I said, it is not ambitious to put him 1st team; just a little bit of a push IMO for a unanimous selection...

IMO, Felton is not a complete RB. He is more of a Jerome Bettis type back. Short yardage, goal line etc.

I agree about K.R. and his regular season stats, but that is one of numerous reasons why the award should not go out until the Champ is decided.

[lizrdgizrd]

IMO, Felton is not a complete RB. He is more of a Jerome Bettis type back. Short yardage, goal line etc.

I agree about K.R. and his regular season stats, but that is one of numerous reasons why the award should not go out until the Champ is decided.
I think it's better to judge based on regular season because all the players have the same number of games (barring injuries) to show what they can do.

[bodoyle]

I think it's better to judge based on regular season because all the players have the same number of games (barring injuries) to show what they can do.

But what about the level of competition?

If Thigpen put up his numbers against 11 Savannah States noone would give him credit. But he put it up against furman, ga south, sc state and appy.

The playoffs is where you can see how the "good RB" stacks up against the "great run defense" etc.

[Jerbearasu]

IMO, Felton is not a complete RB. He is more of a Jerome Bettis type back. Short yardage, goal line etc.

I agree about K.R. and his regular season stats, but that is one of numerous reasons why the award should not go out until the Champ is decided.

Felton averages about 20 touches a game and he is a bruiser of a back. I am not sure how much you have seen of him. I have only seen him in 3 games vs App in person, but have seen a few more on TV and he is more than just that short yardage back you speak of. He has the speed to bust it up the middle and he is big and strong enough to break those tackles. He does line-up in the FB position but ask anyone in the SoCon and they will tell you he is the real deal. His numbers would have been there moreso this year had he not been hurt in the late stages of the season. I am thankful he was out in the App game because I watched him bust our D in the '05 season both the regular season but especially in the playoffs. He put Furman on his back in the 2nd period when FU was down 14-0 and pushed them into a half-time lead.

The Payton should go out for the regular season. A great player should not be punished because he is on a bad/mediocre team. Jerry Azumah would never have won it if that were the case.

[MTGrizzFan]

I understand rehab is going to be hard but are people in Missoula really thinking Brooks-Fletcher is the starter next year? I thought he did admirable work this year but it was my understanding Lex would be back and if he is anything like he was pre-injury, he will be a force for the Griz Nation. I'd like insight from Montana fans the likelihood of Hilliard's return.


the latest info on Lex that i'v heard was that he was doing some light jogging and hitting the weights hard. According to Hauck his prognosis is excellent. Only time will tell for sure though.

[TexasTerror]

Blake Martin gets some love! Nice to see a Bearkat getting a nod...hopefully he does in August!

[kats89]

LT Brandon Hale 6-3,324

Anchored the SHSU O-line on the left side that only gave up 10 sacks all year. Was voted 2006 Southland Conference First Team O-Line and was preseason 2005 All-Southland Conference Lineman until his season was ended early by an injury. This guy should be playing on Sundays after his senior season in 2007.:nod:

Blake Martin will definitely be getting some looks in 2007. He is a VERY SOLID tight end.

[smallcollegefbfan]

LT Brandon Hale 6-3,324

Anchored the SHSU O-line on the left side that only gave up 10 sacks all year. Was voted 2006 Southland Conference First Team O-Line and was preseason 2005 All-Southland Conference Lineman until his season was ended early by an injury. This guy should be playing on Sundays after his senior season in 2007.:nod:

Blake Martin will definitely be getting some looks in 2007. He is a VERY SOLID tight end.

I almost added Hale. There were so many OTs that I just left him off. 6'3, 324 is pretty big. Is he lean or does he have a bit of a gut? 324 on a 6'6 guy sounds right but he is only 6'3. You know how schools are too. He will probably measure closer to 6'2 when the NFL gets a hold of him... :D

[VictorG]

I understand rehab is going to be hard but are people in Missoula really thinking Brooks-Fletcher is the starter next year? I thought he did admirable work this year but it was my understanding Lex would be back and if he is anything like he was pre-injury, he will be a force for the Griz Nation. I'd like insight from Montana fans the likelihood of Hilliard's return.

I don't know of any reason why Lex wouldn't be able to play next year. Lex will put in the hard work and get to where he needs to be physically. Besides, my wife tore her Achilles a couple of years ago and 6 months later she was kicking my a$$ like it never happened!xlolx

As far as Brooks-Fletcher, no way he challenges Lex for the starting position. He'll team with Bradshaw as a change of pace back. I see him any where from #2 to #4 on the debth chart depending upon how spring practice and injuries go. He has talent and did real well to-wards the end of the season but one has to wonder if it was him, or was the OL finally starting to play with more consistency and he benefited from it. I tend to think a bit of both maybe.

[HENJOHN]

I would add Delaware QB Joe Flacco to at least the Honorable Mention list. The 6-6, 235 signal caller really came on the second half of 2006 and threw for about 2,700 yds. With Ten of UD's offensive starters back in 2007 and hopefully a heatlhy Omar Cuff, look for him to have a real good year.

[bodoyle]

Felton averages about 20 touches a game and he is a bruiser of a back. I am not sure how much you have seen of him. I have only seen him in 3 games vs App in person, but have seen a few more on TV and he is more than just that short yardage back you speak of. He has the speed to bust it up the middle and he is big and strong enough to break those tackles. He does line-up in the FB position but ask anyone in the SoCon and they will tell you he is the real deal. His numbers would have been there moreso this year had he not been hurt in the late stages of the season. I am thankful he was out in the App game because I watched him bust our D in the '05 season both the regular season but especially in the playoffs. He put Furman on his back in the 2nd period when FU was down 14-0 and pushed them into a half-time lead.

The Payton should go out for the regular season. A great player should not be punished because he is on a bad/mediocre team. Jerry Azumah would never have won it if that were the case.

I saw him in person when I flew down to Conway from Chicago for the CCU fu game. I saw him a few times on the satellite tv up here as well. He is good, don't get me wrong, but I didn't see him bust anything huge. I never saw him run away from the defense to show his speed you talk of. In fact, I believe the first 2 runs from scrimmage he went backwards against us. He had 86 yards on 14 carries and 1 TD vs us.

[Mr. C]

On the two Jeromes, Simpson and Felton. Simpson was hands down the best receiver I saw in person this season. Not even close with the next best guy. He had improved tremendously between his sophomore and juniors seasons from being simply a talented guy to a GREAT player. He will do fine next season and the fact that CCU has a tremendous group of receivers will take some pressure off him and allow him to get more chances than he otherwise would get. The Chanticleers are committed to their new offense and Simpson will be the centerpiece of it next season.

Jerome Felton is probably, pound-for-pound, the best player in the FCS. He is an absolute beast. Talent-wise he most reminds me of All-Pro fullback Lorenzo Neal. I think Felton will be a star in the NFL as a fullback. He is more versatile than he is being given credit for. He has good speed for a 250-pound guy and a quick start. He has exceptional hands that are very soft. He is a good receiver. I could see him getting loose on wheel routes when he gets into the NFL. I would like to see Furman utilize him even more than they do, as a ball carrier and a receiver. He is also a tremendous blocker. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a better prototype fullback that has come from the I-AA/FCS ranks than Felton. Also, he is a very nice kid and a good student.

[bodoyle]

Jerome Felton is probably, pound-for-pound, the best player in the FCS. He is an absolute beast. Talent-wise he most reminds me of All-Pro fullback Lorenzo Neal. I think Felton will be a star in the NFL as a fullback. He is more versatile than he is being given credit for. He has good speed for a 250-pound guy and a quick start. He has exceptional hands that are very soft. He is a good receiver. I could see him getting loose on wheel routes when he gets into the NFL. I would like to see Furman utilize him even more than they do, as a ball carrier and a receiver. He is also a tremendous blocker. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a better prototype fullback that has come from the I-AA/FCS ranks than Felton. Also, he is a very nice kid and a good student.

Dave, let's assume that Felton gets loose on a wheel route or two. How far will he go once he gets the ball? He can't out-run NFL LB's, he surely can't run them over. While he could run over some NFL DBs and CBs they could trip him up. I'm just picturing him catching a ball out in the flat and trying to get past, over, through, or around Urlacher, Lewis, Briggs, etc. Or Roy Williams, Mike Brown etc.

[PantherRob82]

Dave, let's assume that Felton gets loose on a wheel route or two. How far will he go once he gets the ball? He can't out-run NFL LB's, he surely can't run them over. While he could run over some NFL DBs and CBs they could trip him up. I'm just picturing him catching a ball out in the flat and trying to get past, over, through, or around Urlacher, Lewis, Briggs, etc. Or Roy Williams, Mike Brown etc.

Does it matter how far he gets? 5-10 yards is enough.

[bodoyle]

Does it matter how far he gets? 5-10 yards is enough.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see him getting that much. And YAC is pretty important.

[BrevardMountaineer03]

I gotta say, I enjoy the fact that Kevin Richardson is getting mentioned as a possible 1st teamer, he's an excellent back with tremendous heart. ( I remember the 3rd down against UNI in the Championship in 2005, he needed 7 and used a 2nd and 3rd effort to make it and seal the win.) I just don't know if he would be unianimous. The list looked good.

But I do have to weigh in on the Felton issue. He's the one player that I am fearful of from Furman. He looks like a tough boy to bring down. I don't know about the NFL stuff, but for the FCS and even FBS he's a brute. If I coached Furman, there would be 2 plays in the playbook....Felton Left and Felton Right. That would be my bread and butter.

[Mountaineer#96]

TE Blake Martin, Sam Houston State, Sr

any Sam Houston fans got some specs/stats on this guy ? Don't be fluffing them either.

[OL FU]

I saw him in person when I flew down to Conway from Chicago for the CCU fu game. I saw him a few times on the satellite tv up here as well. He is good, don't get me wrong, but I didn't see him bust anything huge. I never saw him run away from the defense to show his speed you talk of. In fact, I believe the first 2 runs from scrimmage he went backwards against us. He had 86 yards on 14 carries and 1 TD vs us.

I will be the homer. I have seen a lot of I-AA football over the years and I have not seen a better true fullback than Felton. The GSU people may scream, but we all know there fullbacks are tailbacks.

I do think he is as you said a knock you over short yardage back. But he is also one that will occasionally break through and pick up 30. Below are the plays against CCU. There are lots of short runs but as you can see there are many longer ones.

Felton is not a tail back that is going to shuck and jive his way down the field.


F 1-10 F28 Jerome Felton rush for loss of 1 yard to the FUR27 (ALLEN, C.;LEATH, J.).
F 1-10 F47 Jerome Felton rush for 8 yards to the CCU45 (LEATH, J.).
F 1-10 C28 Jerome Felton rush for 5 yards to the CCU23 (LEATH, J.;MIDDLETON, R.).
F 2-5 C23 Jerome Felton rush for 15 yards to the CCU8, 1ST DOWN FUR (TEAL, Q.).
F 4-G C01 Jerome Felton rush for 1 yard to the CCU0, TOUCHDOWN, clock 03:54.


F 1-10 C40 Jerome Felton rush for 3 yards to the CCU37 (MASON, R.;RICE, D.).
F 1-10 C28 Jerome Felton rush for 7 yards to the CCU21 (STEELE, A.;RICE, D.).
F 1-10 F19 Jerome Felton rush for 3 yards to the FUR22 (TEAL, Q.;LEATH, J.).
F 1-10 C46 Jerome Felton rush for 14 yards to the CCU32, 1ST DOWN FUR
(FEATHERSTONE,A.;REESE, W.).

F 2-7 C12 Jerome Felton rush for 12 yards to the CCU0, 1ST DOWN FUR, TOUCHDOWN,
clock 11:06.
F 1-10 F31 Jerome Felton rush for 3 yards to the FUR34 (STEELE, A.;LEATH, J.).
F 1-10 C47 Jerome Felton rush for 5 yards to the CCU42 (LEATH, J.;FEATHERSTONE,A.).
F 4-1 C24 Jerome Felton rush for 2 yards to the CCU22 (LEATH, J.;FEATHERSTONE,A.),
F 1-10 F13 Jerome Felton rush for 9 yards to the FUR22 (ALLEN, C.;WILLIAMS, T.).
F 1-10 C41 Jerome Felton rush for 1 yard to the CCU40 (CHAMBERS,

[Mr. C]

Dave, let's assume that Felton gets loose on a wheel route or two. How far will he go once he gets the ball? He can't out-run NFL LB's, he surely can't run them over. While he could run over some NFL DBs and CBs they could trip him up. I'm just picturing him catching a ball out in the flat and trying to get past, over, through, or around Urlacher, Lewis, Briggs, etc. Or Roy Williams, Mike Brown etc.
You are under the mistaken notion that Jerome Felton is SLOW. He is not slow. By the way, he is used as a tailback in one-back sets at times. He will do just fine with the big boys when he gets to the NFL.

[Mr. C]

I will be the homer. I have seen a lot of I-AA football over the years and I have not seen a better true fullback than Felton. The GSU people may scream, but we all know there fullbacks are tailbacks.

I do think he is as you said a knock you over short yardage back. But he is also one that will occasionally break through and pick up 30. Below are the plays against CCU. There are lots of short runs but as you can see there are many longer ones.

Felton is not a tail back that is going to shuck and jive his way down the field.
I am not a Furman homer (not saying you are OL FU) and I'll say it again. Pound for pound, he is the best player in the FCS and he is the best pure fullback I've seen in I-AA ever.

[Black Saturday]

You are under the mistaken notion that Jerome Felton is SLOW. He is not slow. By the way, he is used as a tailback in one-back sets at times. He will do just fine with the big boys when he gets to the NFL.

Yep, I'm hoping to hear that he has declared for the draft in '07.
He is a man among boys in the FCS.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Yep, I'm hoping to hear that he has declared for the draft in '07.
He is a man among boys in the FCS.

He is not declaring for the draft. I have heard that from a reliable source at Furman I know.

[PantherRob82]

He is not declaring for the draft. I have heard that from a reliable source at Furman I know.

was he really even considering? you don't see too many fcs players declare early.

[Jerbearasu]

He is not declaring for the draft. I have heard that from a reliable source at Furman I know.

I assume he was making a joke. The point being App would rather see a Felton-less Furman team when we head down there this year. I am glad others have weighed in on this because IMO Felton is a legit 1st team AA.

[PantherRob82]

I assume he was making a joke. The point being App would rather see a Felton-less Furman team when we head down there this year. I am glad others have weighed in on this because IMO Felton is a legit 1st team AA.

I knew the ASU guy was joking, but when someone mentioned hearing from a source at FU I wasn't sure.

[bodoyle]

You are under the mistaken notion that Jerome Felton is SLOW. He is not slow. By the way, he is used as a tailback in one-back sets at times. He will do just fine with the big boys when he gets to the NFL.

Dave, if his 40 time is 4.5 or faster I would be amazed.

[Jackluv]

2 additions that i think we should look out for:

Skyler Moore, WR, Jr. NAU and
Kevin Meagher, C, Jr. NAU

both for honorable mention

[smallcollegefbfan]

Dave, if his 40 time is 4.5 or faster I would be amazed.

I would think he is a 4.6 guy. No way he runs a 4.5 for the scouts. I still think he is a late rounder. Some have said he might go 4th round or higher but I don't think he is so dominant at FB that he will go that high. People have to remember that FBs don't get drafted high nor do a lot get drafted.

[mainejeff]

For Maine:

LBs Brian Downey and Jovan Belcher (both will be Juniors)

[smallcollegefbfan]

was he really even considering? you don't see too many fcs players declare early.

I was told he wanted to know what his grade was but never asked for it from the NFL. He has always planned on coming back but has been curious as to what round he might go in. He wanted to get a 2nd-3rd round grade or better but knows he would only get a late round grade so he never considered it.

[smallcollegefbfan]

I assume he was making a joke. The point being App would rather see a Felton-less Furman team when we head down there this year. I am glad others have weighed in on this because IMO Felton is a legit 1st team AA.

I was just making sure. You can't always tell on message boards... :D

[OL FU]

I am not a Furman homer (not saying you are OL FU) and I'll say it again. Pound for pound, he is the best player in the FCS and he is the best pure fullback I've seen in I-AA ever.

I never would have guessed:D :smiley_wi

[Kill'em]

After this disaster in '06, I understand why no one from Georgia Southern made the list but given more opportunities, Jayson Foster should make the post season list. Also, watch out for DT Jerry Barker and CB Brandon Jackson.

[Kill'em]

Yep, I'm hoping to hear that he has declared for the draft in '07.
He is a man among boys in the FCS.
He would be in the BS, as well.:nod:

[OL FU]

He is not declaring for the draft. I have heard that from a reliable source at Furman I know.

Interesting story, supposedly after agreeing to come to Furman the subject of red-shirting came up. Felton supposedly told Lamb that was his (Lamb's)decision, but that he (Felton) would be at Furman for four years.

He was not red-shirted.

[smallcollegefbfan]

After this disaster in '06, I understand why no one from Georgia Southern made the list but given more opportunities, Jayson Foster should make the post season list. Also, watch out for DT Jerry Barker and CB Brandon Jackson.

I had Brandon Jackson on there.

[PantherRob82]

Interesting story, supposedly after agreeing to come to Furman the subject of red-shirting came up. Felton supposedly told Lamb that was his (Lamb's)decision, but that he (Felton) would be at Furman for four years.

He was not red-shirted.

interesting. xcoffeex

[Mr. C]

I never would have guessed:D :smiley_wi
Well, my wife does drive a PURPLE GMC Jimmy SUV. Funny, but off-topic story. When we were in Chattanooga for the 2001 championship game, all of the Furman fans kept honking and waving at us, thinking that anyone driving a purple vehicle must be a Paladin fan.
:D xlolx :smiley_wi

Anyway, back on topic, Jerome Felton is the man. Classy, well-liked kid and a great player. I hope he has a healthy 2007 season, so we all can see this kid at his absolute best.

[OL FU]

Well, my wife does drive a PURPLE GMC Jimmy SUV. Funny, but off-topic story. When we were in Chattanooga for the 2001 championship game, all of the Furman fans kept honking and waving at us, thinking that anyone driving a purple vehicle must be a Paladin fan.
:D xlolx :smiley_wi

Anyway, back on topic, Jerome Felton is the man. Classy, well-liked kid and a great player. I hope he has a healthy 2007 season, so we all can see this kid at his absolute best.

I can understand. I mean why else would you drive a purple automobile:nod:

When I am in Gville and I see an orange one, I think Clemson. :nod: :)

[gofurman]

I saw him in person when I flew down to Conway from Chicago for the CCU fu game. I saw him a few times on the satellite tv up here as well. He is good, don't get me wrong, but I didn't see him bust anything huge. I never saw him run away from the defense to show his speed you talk of. In fact, I believe the first 2 runs from scrimmage he went backwards against us. He had 86 yards on 14 carries and 1 TD vs us.

Four objective points here:

The entire CCU defensive scheme was to stop Felton - they had 8 men in the box keying on him !!! . That is why Gipson did so well that day - EVERYONE at CCU was aiming for Felton. I believe Gipson ran for well over 100?

Our Oline never performed all that great this year with a few exceptions (Wofford, UNC, Western). NO back is good without a good Oline.

Also, in the CCU game, we lost our 1st QB AND Center mid-game. Our QB, Gray, was to run the option. Our second QB is more of a drop-back passer. I think if Gray had stayed in things would have been different. Note that when our backup QB came in his first or second play a botched snap/fumble that CCU recovered.

Lastly, we lost 27-29 to CCU. Congrats to CCU on the win! It was our inability to stop the pass that lost the game for us. Our offense, even without our QB and center, still put up four touchdowns.

---

We will see in Greenville if CCU really is to be good long-term or was a one year wonder with the most seniors in the nation in D1. See ya in September !

[NDSUFREAK]

I also saw that you forgot one more possibility at Special Teams. RS Shamen Wahington is returning from an injury that sat him out the entire season. He is probably IMO the most explosive return man in FCS. Watch out for him in '07.

[smallcollegefbfan]

I also saw that you forgot one more possibility at Special Teams. RS Shamen Wahington is returning from an injury that sat him out the entire season. He is probably IMO the most explosive return man in FCS. Watch out for him in '07.

I was not sure on his status so I left him off. If healthy, he should certainly be on the list.

[NDSUFREAK]

I was not sure on his status so I left him off. If healthy, he should certainly be on the list.


Word on the street is that he'll be back in full force.:thumbsup:
(name that tv show.)

[smallcollegefbfan]

Word on the street is that he'll be back in full force.:thumbsup:
(name that tv show.)

Bad news for the rest of the league. He is a fun one to watch!

[kats89]

TE Blake Martin, Sam Houston State, Sr

any Sam Houston fans got some specs/stats on this guy ? Don't be fluffing them either.


Blake Martin 6-2,236lbs

Statistics GP Catches Yards TD Long Gain Avg
2004 (Fr) 14 7 78 0 19 11.1
2005 (So) 9 25 268 1 25 10.7
2006 (Jr) 11 39 481 2 31 12.3

Career to date 71 827 3 11.6

Not gaudy stats, but didnt become full time starte until 2006. Great run blocker, can play on line or in slot. Superb hands. Was backup tight end as a true freshman in 2004 behind behind Keith Heinrich, who ended up in the NFL and in 2005 split time with All-American Corey Roberts.

Martin is a 2006 First Team All SLC Tight End and should have a bang up year in 2007. He is just another, in a long line of very good tight ends at SHSU. There are two very good backups behind him after he graduates...

Josh Brown 6-5, 228 Jr
Dustin Dzuik 6-5,247 Soph

Maybe SmallCollege can give you some of his insight on Martin.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Blake Martin 6-2,236lbs

Statistics GP Catches Yards TD Long Gain Avg
2004 (Fr) 14 7 78 0 19 11.1
2005 (So) 9 25 268 1 25 10.7
2006 (Jr) 11 39 481 2 31 12.3

Career to date 71 827 3 11.6

Not gaudy stats, but didnt become full time starte until 2006. Great run blocker, can play on line or in slot. Superb hands. Was backup tight end as a true freshman in 2004 behind behind Keith Heinrich, who ended up in the NFL and in 2005 split time with All-American Corey Roberts.

Martin is a 2006 First Team All SLC Tight End and should have a bang up year in 2007. He is just another, in a long line of very good tight ends at SHSU. There are two very good backups behind him after he graduates...

Josh Brown 6-5, 228 Jr
Dustin Dzuik 6-5,247 Soph

Maybe SmallCollege can give you some of his insight on Martin.

You know more than I do on him I am sure.

He is a great player. I personally believe he is the best returning TE in the FCS along with Brad Listorti of UMASS. Listorti is fast and has a future in the NFL if he can bulk up some more.

Martin is going to be an h-back in the NFL. Not sure on his 40 time. He could convert to a FB with his blocking skills. He is a glorified OG IMO except he has hands and runs pretty good routes.

[kats89]

You know more than I do on him I am sure.

He is a great player. I personally believe he is the best returning TE in the FCS along with Brad Listorti of UMASS. Listorti is fast and has a future in the NFL if he can bulk up some more.

Martin is going to be an h-back in the NFL. Not sure on his 40 time. He could convert to a FB with his blocking skills. He is a glorified OG IMO except he has hands and runs pretty good routes.


not sure of his speed either. I am guessing he is a 4.7 guy, but dont quote me on that. Coach Whitten has split him out in the slot some. He does have very good hands and runs good routes. Not a bad run blocker either. Not as big as some of the guys we have had in the past, but does get the job done.

[carney2]

Like most of you, my view of CS (formerly I-AA) football is fairly narrow, only seeing what passes before my eyes "live" on Saturday afternoons. Having established my "homer" credentials, I would like to add the following comments to this thread:

1. Not one Ivy League player? C'mon! There are some great players in the Ivy League. I am throwing out one name for at least an honorable mention slot - Mike McLeod, RB, Yale. A list that goes three deep plus honorable mentions deserves more than just this one Ivy representative, however.

2. Closer to home, I propose the following trio from the Patriot League for some recognition:

Dominic Randolph, QB, Holy Cross. If coach Tom Gilmore can't surround Randolph with better support, I'm thinking that he will be forced to put up some numbers that cannot be ignored. (Actually, you might want to add WR Ryan Maher to this list. He will be Randolph's number one target and made all league and All New England in 2006.)

Andy Romans, LB, Lafayette. Romans is a legitimate candidate for Defensive Player of the Year in the Patriot League.

Jason Leo, K, Lehigh. As a sophomore, Leo was the Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Year for 2006.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Like most of you, my view of CS (formerly I-AA) football is fairly narrow, only seeing what passes before my eyes "live" on Saturday afternoons. Having established my "homer" credentials, I would like to add the following comments to this thread:

1. Not one Ivy League player? C'mon! There are some great players in the Ivy League. I am throwing out one name for at least an honorable mention slot - Mike McLeod, RB, Yale. A list that goes three deep plus honorable mentions deserves more than just this one Ivy representative, however.

2. Closer to home, I propose the following trio from the Patriot League for some recognition:

Dominic Randolph, QB, Holy Cross. If coach Tom Gilmore can't surround Randolph with better support, I'm thinking that he will be forced to put up some numbers that cannot be ignored. (Actually, you might want to add WR Ryan Maher to this list. He will be Randolph's number one target and made all league and All New England in 2006.)

Andy Romans, LB, Lafayette. Romans is a legitimate candidate for Defensive Player of the Year in the Patriot League.

Jason Leo, K, Lehigh. As a sophomore, Leo was the Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Year for 2006.

This was just my VERY EARLY guess and just trying to create talk. I personally think Randolph is worth mentioning too. You can't list everyone who is possibly worthy or else the list will be 150 players long! :D

The Ivy League really does not have a dominant OL, WR, QB, or TE returning. The big name guys like Artis, DeOssie, etc. on defense are all gone. McCleod would be the only one who should be listed in the preseason at this point. However, we all know players breakout big time.

[RockJMUStar]

If he can learn to hold on to the football, add LC Baker from JMU to the list as a return specialist.

[smallcollegefbfan]

If he can learn to hold on to the football, add LC Baker from JMU to the list as a return specialist.

He is good! He was all-league this past year and the year before right? I have seen his name before.

Anyone else want to take a stab at the All-American teams? I would be interesting in seeing other's opinions.

[FCS_13]

I was not surprised with the selection to the first team. I was only surprised that people think it is unanimous. I thought some people would push a Noble, Felton, or some other backs up on the ballot. If you take his performances in the playoffs, I agree he should have deserved more love in the Payton awards. But the regular season, when the Payton is awarded, will show you he barely reached 1k in yardage with weak outings vs tough competition (34 yards {2.4 ypc} vs NC State; 79 yards {3.3 ypc} vs James Madison) and he was out of most games during the middle part of the season because the games were blowouts. When you look at it from a numbers standpoint he really only had 2 stellar regular season games (173 yards, 4 TD's vs Furman; 148 yards, 3 TD's vs Cit). Those really aren't the stats of someone that garners a lot of attention. Like I said, it is not ambitious to put him 1st team; just a little bit of a push IMO for a unanimous selection...


I believe that you must take into account that during the NC State and James Madison games Richardson was known as the only offensive threat for ASU. Those two teams were keying on nothing but Richardson, as stated by Amato himself. Also, they are two of the best rushing defense teams in the country...not many backs could have done much better. and Richardson came out in the 3rd quarter vs. NC State with cramps after busting an 18 yard run. Also, IMO its amazing what he does out of the shotgun set EVERY play...the Whitlocks, Baylarks etc dont have to do what Richardson does. KR must gain 3-5 yards everytime he touches the ball just to get back to the line of scrimmage. However, like you, I believe that James Noble is a special back also.

[bodoyle]

Four objective points here:

The entire CCU defensive scheme was to stop Felton - they had 8 men in the box keying on him !!! . That is why Gipson did so well that day - EVERYONE at CCU was aiming for Felton. I believe Gipson ran for well over 100?

Our Oline never performed all that great this year with a few exceptions (Wofford, UNC, Western). NO back is good without a good Oline.

Also, in the CCU game, we lost our 1st QB AND Center mid-game. Our QB, Gray, was to run the option. Our second QB is more of a drop-back passer. I think if Gray had stayed in things would have been different. Note that when our backup QB came in his first or second play a botched snap/fumble that CCU recovered.

Lastly, we lost 27-29 to CCU. Congrats to CCU on the win! It was our inability to stop the pass that lost the game for us. Our offense, even without our QB and center, still put up four touchdowns.

---

We will see in Greenville if CCU really is to be good long-term or was a one year wonder with the most seniors in the nation in D1. See ya in September !

Correct we did key on Felton thus letting Gipson run for well over 100 yards. We had a very porus run D this year.

[bodoyle]

Dave the best big RB/FB I have seen this year was Texas A&M's. He's a horse. Jarvorskie Lane 6'0" 274 lbs vs felton at 6'0" 248 lbs. He could run over an NFL LB, felton can't

[smallcollegefbfan]

Dave the best big RB/FB I have seen this year was Texas A&M's. He's a horse. Jarvorskie Lane 6'0" 274 lbs vs felton at 6'0" 248 lbs. He could run over an NFL LB, felton can't

I would also say that Brian Leonard of Rutgers is a little better.

[mtgrizfan4life]

Great subject, I am not very informed about teams from outside of BSC. Just want to add a few names to consider for the GRIZ, if not preseason a few could emerge on post season teams.

OL- JD Quinn (the OK transfer most of us know from the OK scandal). Word is he loves MT and staying put! Hope that is true.
CB- Jimmy Wilson
S- Colt Anderson: Great story, walk on, hard worker, on his way to becoming legendary in GRIZ nation.
WR- Allen, Bagley, and Chambers are legit 1's. Due to Lex returning and not enough footballs to go around, neither will have the stats unless there are injuries. Whoever QB is in 07 will have more weapons than ever to work with. Griznation is praying OC opens up the playbook and lets this talent shine. If offense lives up to its talent, a few other than LEX may emerge at year's end. Speaking of LEX, I have yet to hear any negatives on his rehab. In fact, a few have said he is well ahead of schedule and looking better than ever as for condition. If he can cutback, he will be a nightmare again!!! GO GRIZ

[lizrdgizrd]

But what about the level of competition?

If Thigpen put up his numbers against 11 Savannah States noone would give him credit. But he put it up against furman, ga south, sc state and appy.

The playoffs is where you can see how the "good RB" stacks up against the "great run defense" etc.
If you make the choice based on playoffs then you punish great players on bad/mediocre teams.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Great subject, I am not very informed about teams from outside of BSC. Just want to add a few names to consider for the GRIZ, if not preseason a few could emerge on post season teams.

OL- JD Quinn (the OK transfer most of us know from the OK scandal). Word is he loves MT and staying put! Hope that is true.
CB- Jimmy Wilson
S- Colt Anderson: Great story, walk on, hard worker, on his way to becoming legendary in GRIZ nation.
WR- Allen, Bagley, and Chambers are legit 1's. Due to Lex returning and not enough footballs to go around, neither will have the stats unless there are injuries. Whoever QB is in 07 will have more weapons than ever to work with. Griznation is praying OC opens up the playbook and lets this talent shine. If offense lives up to its talent, a few other than LEX may emerge at year's end. Speaking of LEX, I have yet to hear any negatives on his rehab. In fact, a few have said he is well ahead of schedule and looking better than ever as for condition. If he can cutback, he will be a nightmare again!!! GO GRIZ

You forgot your OG Colin Dow. I have heard from some around Griz country that he could a future pro.

[mtgrizfan4life]

You forgot your OG Colin Dow. I have heard from some around Griz country that he could a future pro.

I was just mentioning players not previously mentioned. Dow was mentioned already.

[bodoyle]

I would also say that Brian Leonard of Rutgers is a little better.

He isn't big though. We were talking bigger then normal RB/FB

[bodoyle]

If you make the choice based on playoffs then you punish great players on bad/mediocre teams.

No you don't. I'm not saying only playoff teams can have the MVP, howeva (in a Stephen A Smith annoying accent) I think getting to the playoffs is pretty damn important. When is the last time an MLB MVP didn't make the playoffs? Same with NFL?

[Jerbearasu]

[QUOTE=bodoyle] When is the last time an MLB MVP didn't make the playoffs? [QUOTE]

Hate to do this because I get your point but this year's MVP in baseball was Ryan Howard from the Phillies.

[Jerbearasu]

I believe that you must take into account that during the NC State and James Madison games Richardson was known as the only offensive threat for ASU. Those two teams were keying on nothing but Richardson, as stated by Amato himself. Also, they are two of the best rushing defense teams in the country...not many backs could have done much better. and Richardson came out in the 3rd quarter vs. NC State with cramps after busting an 18 yard run. Also, IMO its amazing what he does out of the shotgun set EVERY play...the Whitlocks, Baylarks etc dont have to do what Richardson does. KR must gain 3-5 yards everytime he touches the ball just to get back to the line of scrimmage. However, like you, I believe that James Noble is a special back also.

Every player mentioned in this list is going to get special attention on the pre-game strategy; that is why it is an all-american list... The truly great backs have good games against those D's (I will concede those games would have been different with Armanti running the show). App had a great run D this year and Baylark really showed me the talent he is by having a good game against us. I'd say he had a much better game against us than Mason did. Also, every back is essentially lined up 5 yards back and gets the ball on the QB's third-step back when the QB is lined up under center. IMO, K-Rich has an advantage because the ball is in his hands as soon as the snap reaches Armanti's hands on designed runs so Kevin can watch the holes open up. I am not trying to argue that Kevin does not deserve the all-american plaudits because he really is one of the best; I just think there are other backs out there that should be mentioned on some first team ballots.

[foghorn]

I would add Delaware QB Joe Flacco to at least the Honorable Mention list. The 6-6, 235 signal caller really came on the second half of 2006 and threw for about 2,700 yds. With Ten of UD's offensive starters back in 2007 and hopefully a heatlhy Omar Cuff, look for him to have a real good year.

Henjohn, I agree that Flacco should, at least, get HM, if not higher. I feel the same way about Mike Byrne, 6'6", 300 lb. OT, who will be starting his 4th season in 2007. :thumbsup:

[FCS_13]

Every player mentioned in this list is going to get special attention on the pre-game strategy; that is why it is an all-american list... The truly great backs have good games against those D's (I will concede those games would have been different with Armanti running the show). App had a great run D this year and Baylark really showed me the talent he is by having a good game against us. I'd say he had a much better game against us than Mason did. Also, every back is essentially lined up 5 yards back and gets the ball on the QB's third-step back when the QB is lined up under center. IMO, K-Rich has an advantage because the ball is in his hands as soon as the snap reaches Armanti's hands on designed runs so Kevin can watch the holes open up. I am not trying to argue that Kevin does not deserve the all-american plaudits because he really is one of the best; I just think there are other backs out there that should be mentioned on some first team ballots.


Point well taken. Baylark really is an amazing back, also I think an underrated back because of the team he plays on is Justise Harrison(sp?) form CCSU, that kid can play.

[bodoyle]

[QUOTE=bodoyle] When is the last time an MLB MVP didn't make the playoffs? [QUOTE]

Hate to do this because I get your point but this year's MVP in baseball was Ryan Howard from the Phillies.

Exactly...and before that? How many times was Delgado up there for the MVP and didn't make it cause he can't get in the playoffs?

I say if you are good enough you can get your team on the brink of making the playoffs, but that's JMO

[Jerbearasu]

[QUOTE=Jerbearasu][QUOTE=bodoyle] When is the last time an MLB MVP didn't make the playoffs?

Exactly...and before that? How many times was Delgado up there for the MVP and didn't make it cause he can't get in the playoffs?

I say if you are good enough you can get your team on the brink of making the playoffs, but that's JMO

Yeah the time before that was A Rod when we was with the Rangers. It was either '02 or '03 but I digress on this point. One player can not make a team in football. This sport is not like basketball where you are 20% of your team on the floor. A great player can be a great player on an absolutely sucky team.

[bodoyle]

[QUOTE=bodoyle][QUOTE=Jerbearasu]

Yeah the time before that was A Rod when we was with the Rangers. It was either '02 or '03 but I digress on this point. One player can not make a team in football. This sport is not like basketball where you are 20% of your team on the floor. A great player can be a great player on an absolutely sucky team.

I still disagree that it should go out before the playoffs. You could have a kid toss 35 td's 1 int, pass for 4500 yards not make the playoffs becuase they have a crappy defense. But he should be up for the Payton? No way. :nonono2:

[smallcollegefbfan]

Henjohn, I agree that Flacco should, at least, get HM, if not higher. I feel the same way about Mike Byrne, 6'6", 300 lb. OT, who will be starting his 4th season in 2007. :thumbsup:

He is really good too. Why doesn't someone else take a guess at this too? People want to see many people's opinions. I don't know why people don't take a stab at this. It is fun! :thumbsup:

[lizrdgizrd]

[QUOTE=Jerbearasu][QUOTE=bodoyle]

I still disagree that it should go out before the playoffs. You could have a kid toss 35 td's 1 int, pass for 4500 yards not make the playoffs becuase they have a crappy defense. But he should be up for the Payton? No way. :nonono2:
Why shouldn't this guy be up for the Payton? I'm not saying he should win, but not be in the running for it?

What if the kid plays for say a Gateway team and puts those numbers up against 3 or 4 teams that do make the playoffs. The defense sucks so they're on the bubble and miss the playoffs. This kid shouldn't get thought about for the Payton?

[Maroons]

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL Brian Johnston, Gardner-Webb, Sr.
DL Eric Bakhtiari, San Diego, Sr.
DL John Faletoese, UC Davis, Jr.
DL Gary Tharrington, Appalachian State, Soph.
LB Jason Hatchell, Massachusetts, Sr.
LB Joe Mays, North Dakota State, Sr.
LB Donald Thomas, Eastern Illinois, Sr.
DB Brandon Jackson, Georgia Southern, Jr.
DB Marion Rumph, Western Kentucky, Sr.
DB Torrey Thomas, Montana, Sr.
DB Quintez Smith, UTC, Sr.

I'm pretty sure Rumph won't even be eligible as WKU is officially a program in transition. They aren't FCS anymore.

[bodoyle]

[QUOTE=bodoyle][QUOTE=Jerbearasu]
Why shouldn't this guy be up for the Payton? I'm not saying he should win, but not be in the running for it?

What if the kid plays for say a Gateway team and puts those numbers up against 3 or 4 teams that do make the playoffs. The defense sucks so they're on the bubble and miss the playoffs. This kid shouldn't get thought about for the Payton?

Be up for it? Yes w/o a doubt. Win it? Not a chance.

[smallcollegefbfan]

I'm pretty sure Rumph won't even be eligible as WKU is officially a program in transition. They aren't FCS anymore.

Very good point. I will replace him. I forgot about that. It will take me a little while to get used to not having them in the FCS. WKU will be missed!

[smallcollegefbfan]

Here is my attempt with Rumph. Anyone else care to take a stab?

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN TEAMS

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
WR Alex Watson, Northern Arizona, Sr.
WR Micah Rucker, Eastern Illinois, Sr.
TE Blake Martin, Sam Houston State, Sr.
OT Chad Rinehart, Northern Iowa, Sr.
OT Nate Safe, North Dakota State, Sr.
OG Kerry Brown, Appalachian State, Sr.
OG Brennan Carvalho, Portland State, Sr.
C Stephen Field, Cal Poly, Jr.
QB Ricky Santos, New Hampshire, Sr.
RB Kevin Richardson, Appalachian State, Sr.
RB Jerome Felton, Furman, Sr.

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL Bryan Smith, McNeese State, Sr.
DL Kroy Biermann, Montana, Sr.
DL Kendall Langford, Hampton, Sr.
DL James Amos, UC Davis, Sr.
LB Gian Villante, Hofstra, Sr.
LB Mike Gallihugh, Colgate, Sr.
LB Kye Stewart, Illinois State, Sr.
DB Corey Lynch, Appalachian State, Sr.
DB Tony LeZotte, James Madison, Sr.
DB Dominique Rodgers, Tennessee State, Sr.
DB Bobbie Williams, Bethune-Cookman, Sr.

FIRST TEAM SPECIALISTS
K Rob Zarrilli, Hofstra, Sr.
P Mike Dragosavich, North Dakota State, Sr.
RS Steven Whitehead, McNeese State, Sr.

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
WR Bruce Hocker, Duquesne, Sr.
WR Jerome Simpson, Coastal Carolina, Sr.
TE Brad Listorti, UMASS, Sr.
OT Matt Austin, Massachusetts, Sr.
OT David Hale, Weber State, Sr.
OG Mitch Erickson, South Dakota State, Sr.
OG Colin Dow, Montana, Jr.
C George Yarno, Idaho State, Sr.
QB Josh Johnson, San Diego, Sr.
RB Herb Donaldson, Western Illinois, Jr.
RB Donald Chapman, UT-Martin, Sr.

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL Brian Johnston, Gardner-Webb, Sr.
DL Eric Bakhtiari, San Diego, Sr.
DL John Faletoese, UC Davis, Jr.
DL Gary Tharrington, Appalachian State, Soph.
LB Jason Hatchell, Massachusetts, Sr.
LB Joe Mays, North Dakota State, Sr.
LB Donald Thomas, Eastern Illinois, Sr.
DB Brandon Jackson, Georgia Southern, Jr.
DB Jamelle Juneau, McNeese State, Sr.
DB Torrey Thomas, Montana, Sr.
DB Quintez Smith, UTC, Sr.

SECOND TEAM SPECIALISTS
K Blake Bercegay, McNeese State, Jr.
P Benjamin Dato, Fordham, Sr.
RS Jess Burton, Tennessee-Martin, Sr.

HONORABLE MENTION
QB Steve Walker, North Dakota State, Sr.
QB Liam Coen, Massachusetts, Jr.
QB Armanti Edwards, Appalachian State, Soph.
QB Sedale Threat, Lehigh, Sr.
QB Eric Sanders, Northern Iowa, Sr.
QB Dominic Randolph, Holy Cross, Jr.
QB Chris Wallace, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Sr.
QB Joe Flacco, Delaware, Sr.
RB Jordan Scott, Colgate, Jr.
RB Omar Cuff, Delaware, Sr.
RB Lex Hilliard, Montana, Sr.
RB Eugene Holloman, James Madison, Sr.
RB Maurice Murray, Northeastern, Sr.
RB Joe Casey, Rhode Island, Jr.
RB Rashad Jennings, Liberty, Jr.
RB James Noble, Cal Poly, Jr.
WR Maurice Price, Charleston Southern, Sr.
WR Ramses Barden, Cal Poly, Jr.
WR Terrell Hudgins, Elon, Soph.
WR Larry Shipp, Tennessee Tech, Sr.
WR Clyde Edwards, Grambling State, Sr.
WR Shaheer McBride, Delaware State, Sr.
TE Shaun Fitzpatrick, Northern Arizona, Jr.
TE Chris Wagner, South Dakota State, Sr.
OT Cody Balogh, Montana, Sr.
OT Isaiah Wiggins, Illinois State, Sr.
OT Demario Deese, Gardner-Webb, Jr.
OT Adam Hansen, UT-Martin, Sr.
OT Anthony Rubican, Eastern Illinois, Sr.
OT Rocky Hanni, Eastern Washington, Sr.
OT Tim Silver, Richmond, Sr.
OT Joel Bell, Furman, Jr.
OT Mike Byrne, Delaware, Sr.
OG Jeremy Breath, Delaware State, Sr.
OG Nick Diana, Massachusetts, Sr.
C Billy Krause, UT-Martin, Jr.
C Scott Suttle, Appalachian State, Sr.
DT Mychal Savage, Youngstown State, Jr.
DT Rio Stotler, Weber State, Jr.
LB Tyler Joyce, Montana, Sr.
LB Andrew Jones, Furman, Sr.
LB Adam Casper, Southeast Missouri State, Sr.
LB Colin Disch, Albany, Sr.
LB Pierre Banks, Appalachian State, Sr.
LB James Terry, Youngstown State, Sr.
LB Bobby Daly, Montana State, Jr.
K Dan Carpenter, Montana, Sr.
P Wesley Taylor, Florida A&M, Sr.
P Michael Hanna, Gardner-Webb, Jr.
RS Shamen Washington, North Dakota State, Jr.

[leatherneck177]

Looks pretty good to me. I agree with the Herb Donaldson pick. His numbers may suffer a bit with a new QB and a new O-line, however he will have a solid season.

I think you could even add Jerome Bennett at LB from WIU.

[MSULB#47]

Make room on your 1st Team Defense....

Jeron Poole, Senior 6'1 245 LB Missouri State 2006 All Gateway Newcomer Team LB

Ranked between 6th - 8th in the conference in tackles,led the team in tackles until injured. Only played 5 games. Still made All Gateway Newcomer.

[seantaylor]

Jayson Foster is the best pound for pound player. Now that Van Douche is gone, he is going to have a monster year.

[Mr. C]

Jayson Foster is the best pound for pound player. Now that Van Douche is gone, he is going to have a monster year.
Where do you think Foster will play next season, in addition to returning kicks?

[Mr. C]

Jayson Foster is the best pound for pound player. Now that Van Douche is gone, he is going to have a monster year.
Where do you think Foster will play next season, in addition to returning kicks?

[Ronbo]

JD Quinn will be a 1st team All American at FCS level. He started for Oklahoma for God's sake.

[Kill'em]

Where do you think Foster will play next season, in addition to returning kicks?
I look for him to play receiver. I have a feeling, though, Hatch is going to get the ball in his hands any way he can. Unlike under "he, who shall remain nameless" Foster is going to see a lot of action.

[Tod]

Absolutely nothing wrong with honorable mention All-American, but I hope Lex Hilliard heals to the point that he is 100%. If that doesn't mean 1st team, ok. I just hope he can prove it either way.

Not that I'm a homer or anything. :D

[bjtheflamesfan]

Part of me wants to see the a couple of the LU boys really bust out this year after the fine turnaround last year and get some consideration for Honorable Mention:

Rashad Jennings RB
Zack Terrell RB
Wynton Jackson WR/KR
Brandon Turner WR
Stephen Sene OL
Stevie Ray Lloyd LB
Ryan Greiser WR/KR

[blackfordpu]

Bomar should be considered for pre-season awards. I know he hasn't played a down in the FCS but his previous stats speak for themselves.

If he doesn't get a pre-season nod, I feel pretty confident he will be an AA by the end of the season.:nod:

[Lionsrking]

Bomar should be considered for pre-season awards. I know he hasn't played a down in the FCS but his previous stats speak for themselves.



If you're rationale is previous stats "speaking for themselves," Bomar has no business being named to any pre-season All-American list.

The following are his 2005 OU stats. Hardly earth shattering..

PASSING GP-GS Effic Att-Cmp-Int Pct Yds TD Lng Avg/G
------------------------------------------------------------------
Bomar, Rhett 12-10 113.48 308-167-10 54.2 2018 10 55 168.2

[BALD EAGLE]

I am sure everyone on this list is deserving of being considered a Preseason All-American.

But Ga. Southern's JAYSON FOSTER is as deserving as anyone on this list to be considered a Preseason All-American, not only for his outstanding playing ability but for his tremendous character.

I hope I made a mistake and that he is on the list because for him to be left off is inexcusable.

Having watched GSU Football for more than 20 years I believe Jayson is as good a playmaker as the Eagles have ever had.


GO EAGLES

"JUST ONE MORE TIME"

[Kill'em]

We gave "the coach who shall not be named" hell for not playing Jayson as much as he should have but apparently he had injuries all season and this was part of the reason he didn't play as much. If he is healthy this year, look for him to be an All-American. He might be the most dangerous player in the country.

[Death Dealer]

I am not a Furman homer (not saying you are OL FU) and I'll say it again. Pound for pound, he is the best player in the FCS and he is the best pure fullback I've seen in I-AA ever.
Coming from you Mr. C, that is a huge compliment! I agree, but I am a homer, to deny that would be,....well, denial.xlolx

[PapaBear]

For Maine:

LBs Brian Downey and Jovan Belcher (both will be Juniors)

Downey's first name is Andrew.

[Jerbearasu]

But Ga. Southern's JAYSON FOSTER is as deserving as anyone on this list to be considered a Preseason All-American, not only for his outstanding playing ability but for his tremendous character. "

I agree he should be on the short list for players to make it but you don't get awards for character. I've never met Jayson but everyone talks about what a great guy he is which is a testament to his personality. Hopefully he will see a resurgance in the Hatch Attack's playbook.

[FlyYtown]

TE Louis Irizarry of Youngstown St. will shine in 2007 if Heacock allows him and Zetts to hook up.

[Jackluv]

throw in some guys from NAU OTHER than alex watson hah

DB Kevin Gerard
OL Kevin Meagher

[PaladinFan]

Let me weigh in.

I have watched live nearly every game Jerome Felton has played in. Understand that every team keys on him above all others. This guy is putting up great numbers (when healthy), from the fullback position, and when an entire defense is built around stopping him.

Granted he is a fullback. However, there are precious few players in the FCS that can win a game by themselves. Felton is one of those players. If he can stay injury free (and he will have a nice shot as his backup is eligible this year to give him a rest) he will be a front runner for Peyton.

One more to add, though. OT Joel Bell at Furman is one to watch for. He is often the reason Felton has been so successful. At 6'7 320 it's hard for other teams to match up against him.

[UNH SUPERFAN]

I don't know if UNH's WR Kieth Levan is on that list anywhere but he should be.

[Kill'em]

Let me weigh in.

I have watched live nearly every game Jerome Felton has played in. Understand that every team keys on him above all others. This guy is putting up great numbers (when healthy), from the fullback position, and when an entire defense is built around stopping him.

Granted he is a fullback. However, there are precious few players in the FCS that can win a game by themselves. Felton is one of those players. If he can stay injury free (and he will have a nice shot as his backup is eligible this year to give him a rest) he will be a front runner for Peyton.

One more to add, though. OT Joel Bell at Furman is one to watch for. He is often the reason Felton has been so successful. At 6'7 320 it's hard for other teams to match up against him.
That's a big boy. :eek:

[BALD EAGLE]

I agree he should be on the short list for players to make it but you don't get awards for character. I've never met Jayson but everyone talks about what a great guy he is which is a testament to his personality. Hopefully he will see a resurgance in the Hatch Attack's playbook.

I understand that a person does not get awards for character, but if awards were given for character Jayson Foster would be First Team All American for sure.

The reason I mentioned his character is that after the way he handled last season I wanted everyone to know what tremendous character he has.

[Cocky]

You must not have seen Antonio Heffner. There's no way he doesn't make the list at QB. This guy maybe the best QB in FCS but I understand Santos getting the top spot.

[PaladinFan]

That's a big boy. :eek:

You ain't lying. Look for #74 next year. You can't miss him.

[GannonFan]

I would add Delaware QB Joe Flacco to at least the Honorable Mention list. The 6-6, 235 signal caller really came on the second half of 2006 and threw for about 2,700 yds. With Ten of UD's offensive starters back in 2007 and hopefully a heatlhy Omar Cuff, look for him to have a real good year.

Agreed, Flacco might surprise people this year and Cuff should be on a first or second team list.

[THE HERD]

I also saw that you forgot one more possibility at Special Teams. RS Shamen Wahington is returning from an injury that sat him out the entire season. He is probably IMO the most explosive return man in FCS. Watch out for him in '07.
Shamen was a preseason all america last year wasn't he? Anyway I can't wait to watch that guy again, he gives new meaning to the term burner.......this guy is ultra fast. I believe he runs a 4.3 or even a little less! HAIL THE BISON!:hurray:

[appfan2008]

K rich does deserve to be unanimous

[Kill'em]

K rich does deserve to be unanimous
Agreed. :nod: If I wasn't a homer, I would say Preseason POTY.

[Peems]

Agreed. :nod: If I wasn't a homer, I would say Preseason POTY.

ricky santos?:confused:

[lizrdgizrd]

ricky santos?:confused:
Who? :D

[Mr. C]

What's up with the derogatory stuff on David Ball and Ricky Santos of New Hampshire. Frankly, I don't get the joke.

[SunCoastBlueHen]

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN TEAMS

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
WR Alex Watson, Northern Arizona, Sr.
WR Micah Rucker, Eastern Illinois, Sr.
TE Blake Martin, Sam Houston State, Sr.
OT Chad Rinehart, Northern Iowa, Sr.
OT Nate Safe, North Dakota State, Sr.
OG Kerry Brown, Appalachian State, Sr.
OG Brennan Carvalho, Portland State, Sr.
C Stephen Field, Cal Poly, Jr.
QB Ricky Santos, New Hampshire, Sr.
RB Kevin Richardson, Appalachian State, Sr.
RB Jerome Felton, Furman, Sr.

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL Bryan Smith, McNeese State, Sr.
DL Kroy Biermann, Montana, Sr.
DL Kendall Langford, Hampton, Sr.
DL James Amos, UC Davis, Sr.
LB Gian Villante, Hofstra, Sr.
LB Mike Gallihugh, Colgate, Sr.
LB Kye Stewart, Illinois State, Sr.
DB Corey Lynch, Appalachian State, Sr.
DB Tony LeZotte, James Madison, Sr.
DB Dominique Rodgers, Tennessee State, Sr.
DB Bobbie Williams, Bethune-Cookman, Sr.

FIRST TEAM SPECIALISTS
K Rob Zarrilli, Hofstra, Sr.
P Mike Dragosavich, North Dakota State, Sr.
RS Steven Whitehead, McNeese State, Sr.

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
WR Bruce Hocker, Duquesne, Sr.
WR Clyde Edwards, Grambling State, Sr.
TE Chris Wagner, South Dakota State, Sr.
OT Matt Austin, Massachusetts, Sr.
OT David Hale, Weber State, Sr.
OG Mitch Erickson, South Dakota State, Sr.
OG Colin Dow, Montana, Jr.
C George Yarno, Idaho State, Sr.
QB Josh Johnson, San Diego, Sr.
RB Herb Donaldson, Western Illinois, Jr.
RB Donald Chapman, UT-Martin, Sr.

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL Brian Johnston, Gardner-Webb, Sr.
DL Eric Bakhtiari, San Diego, Sr.
DL John Faletoese, UC Davis, Jr.
DL Gary Tharrington, Appalachian State, Soph.
LB Jason Hatchell, Massachusetts, Sr.
LB Joe Mays, North Dakota State, Sr.
LB Donald Thomas, Eastern Illinois, Sr.
DB Brandon Jackson, Georgia Southern, Jr.
DB Marion Rumph, Western Kentucky, Sr.
DB Torrey Thomas, Montana, Sr.
DB Quintez Smith, UTC, Sr.

SECOND TEAM SPECIALISTS
K Blake Bercegay, McNeese State, Jr.
P Benjamin Dato, Fordham, Sr.
RS Jess Burton, Tennessee-Martin, Sr.

HONORABLE MENTION
QB Steve Walker, North Dakota State, Sr.
QB Liam Coen, Massachusetts, Jr.
QB Armanti Edwards, Appalachian State, Soph.
QB Sedale Threat, Lehigh, Sr.
QB Eric Sanders, Northern Iowa, Sr.
RB Jordan Scott, Colgate, Jr.
RB Omar Cuff, Delaware, Sr.
RB Lex Hilliard, Montana, Sr.
RB James Noble, Cal Poly, Jr.
WR Maurice Price, Charleston Southern, Sr.
WR Ramses Barden, Cal Poly, Jr.
WR Terrell Hudgins, Elon, Soph.
WR Larry Shipp, Tennessee Tech, Sr.
WR Jerome Simpson, Coastal Carolina, Sr.
WR Shaheer McBride, Delaware State, Sr.
OT Cody Balogh, Montana, Sr.
OT Isaiah Wiggins, Illinois State, Sr.
OT Adam Hansen, UT-Martin, Sr.
OT Anthony Rubican, Eastern Illinois, Sr.
OT Rocky Hanni, Eastern Washington, Sr.
OG Jeremy Breath, Delaware State, Sr.
OG Nick Diana, Massachusetts, Sr.
C Billy Krause, UT-Martin, Jr.
C Scott Suttle, Appalachian State, Sr.
DT Mychal Savage, Youngstown State, Jr.
DT Rio Stotler, Weber State, Jr.
LB Tyler Joyce, Montana, Sr.
LB Andrew Jones, Furman, Sr.
LB Adam Casper, Southeast Missouri State, Sr.
LB Colin Disch, Albany, Sr.
LB Pierre Banks, Appalachian State, Sr.
LB James Terry, Youngstown State, Sr.
LB Bobby Daly, Montana State, Jr.
K Dan Carpenter, Montana, Sr.
P Wesley Taylor, Florida A&M, Sr.
P Michael Hanna, Gardner-Webb, Jr.

Only one Delaware guy on the list, but like Lou Holtz once said, "I don't mind starting the season with a bunch on no-names, as long as we don't finish that way". :)

[Mr. C]

Shamen was a preseason all america last year wasn't he? Anyway I can't wait to watch that guy again, he gives new meaning to the term burner.......this guy is ultra fast. I believe he runs a 4.3 or even a little less! HAIL THE BISON!:hurray:
He always downplays guys coming off injuries. He thought I was crazy for pushing Marques Colston for preseason All-American because he was coming off a shoulder injury. I guess I showed I knew something about that one.

How is Washington coming off his injury. I'd expect a great year, if he is healthy.

[lizrdgizrd]

What's up with the derogatory stuff on David Ball and Ricky Santos of New Hampshire. Frankly, I don't get the joke.
We're just messin', Mr. C. We all know both of these guys are really good. Can't be an FCS fan and not know them. :nod:

[Kill'em]

ricky santos?:confused:
Santos is a great player but let's see how he does now that Ball is gone. I'll admit I think he will be a finalist for the Payton.