Sports Network 2003 Preseason All-America Team Announced
Ten HBCU Players Selected
July 1, 2003
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Big Sky Conference leads all I-AA
leagues by placing 14 players on The Sports
Network’s 2003 Division I-AA Preseason All-America Team, including five
selected to the First-Team. Big Sky co-champ and
2002 national quarterfinalist Montana placed two on the initial squad,
while Idaho State, Montana State, and Northern
Arizona each garnered one selection. Tackle Dylan McFarland (Montana) was
selected to the First-Team offense, while
defensive end Jared Allen (Idaho State), defensive tackle Blake Horgan
(Montana), safety Kane Ioane (Montana State), and
punter Mark Gould (Northern Arizona) were among those recognized on the
defense.
Two finalists for the 2002 Walter Payton Award - Grambling quarterback
Bruce Eugene and Fordham tailback Kirwin Watson -
help make up the First-Team backfield. Eugene placed third in balloting
after throwing for 4,483 yards and 43 touchdowns
last season, while Watson finished 10th after compiling 1,467 rushing yards
for the national quarterfinalist Rams. Southern
Illinois’ RB Mo Abdulqaadir, who led I-AA in rushing last season before
succumbing to injury, completes the First-Team
backfield.
The first-team wide receivers - Grambling State’s Tramon Douglas and
William & Mary’s Rich Musinski - each come off
prolific 2002 seasons. Douglas was among the nation’s leaders with 92
catches, 1,704 yards, and 18 touchdowns a year ago,
while Musinski hauled in 58 balls for 1,140 yards and eight scores.
Joining Montana’s McFarland on the first-team offensive line are center
Jelani Clement (Hampton), guards Dwight Hudler
(McNeese State) and Fred Layne (Western Illinois), tackle Joe Wilson
(Richmond), and tight end Casey Cramer (Dartmouth).
Kicker Justin Langan (Western Illinois) and return specialist DaShaun
Morris (Delaware State) round out the first-team
offense.
The first-team defense is highlighted by two linebackers - Illinois State’s
Boomer Grigsby and Eastern Illinois’ Nick Ricks
- who served as finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, bestowed upon the
I-AA defensive player of the year, last season.
Grigsby led the nation with 179 tackles for the Redbirds, while Ricks paced
the Panthers with 127 stops and four sacks. The
pair is joined by McNeese State’s Roderick Royal and Hofstra’s Renauld
Williams at linebacker. Joining Allen and Horgan on
the first-team defensive line are end K.T. Stovall (Appalachian State) and
tackle John Paul Jones (McNeese State). In the
secondary along with Ioane are cornerbacks Chris Thompson (Nicholls State)
and Tony Tiller (East Tennessee State), as well
as safety Alexis Moreland (Southern Illinois). Gould, who led all of
Division I with a 48.2 punting average last season,
finishes out the First-Team.
In all, 77 players from 12 different conferences were selected to the team,
along with one player from an independent
program. As mentioned, the Big Sky Conference led all leagues with 14
players, followed by the Gateway with 12 selections
and the Atlantic 10 and Southern Conferences with eight each.
The Preseason All-America Team is the first of TSN’s many services to I-AA
for the 2003 season. The Sports Network also
administers the Walter Payton, Buck Buchanan, and Eddie Robinson Awards,
which are presented annually to the division’s top
player, defensive player, and coach, respectively. The 2003 I-AA Awards
ceremony will be held on December 18rd, 2003, on
the eve of the I-AA national championship game in Chattanooga, TN. TSN also
administers I-AA’s most widely recognized
weekly Top 25 poll for the division, as well as Players of the Week,
Postseason All-America Team, and regular features and
columns dealing with I-AA college football.
THE SPORTS NETWORK 2003 PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA OFFENSE
First-Team School Pos. Cl. Ht. Wt.
Bruce Eugene Grambling State QB Jr. 6-1 245
Mo Abdulqaadir Southern Illinois RB Sr. 5-7 190
Kirwin Watson Fordham RB Sr. 5-9 215
Tramon Douglas Grambling State WR Sr. 6-1 205
Rich Musinski William & Mary WR Sr. 6-1 195
Casey Cramer Dartmouth TE Sr. 6-2 235
Jelani Clement Hampton C Jr. 6-2 310
Dwight Hudler McNeese State G Jr. 6-2 304
Fred Layne Western Illinois G Jr. 6-4 295
Dylan McFarland Montana T Sr. 6-6 290
Joe Wilson Richmond T Sr. 6-3 285
Justin Langan Western Illinois K Jr. 5-11 180
DaShaun Morris Delaware State RS Sr. 5-11 180
Second-Team School Pos. Cl. Ht. Wt.
Chaz Williams Georgia Southern QB Jr. 5-10 210
Jermaine Austin Georgia Southern RB So. 5-7 200
Marcus Williams Maine RB Jr. 5-10 216
Fred Amey Sacramento State WR Jr. 5-11 187
Javarus Dudley Fordham WR Sr. 6-0 195
Nick Eller Eastern Illinois TE Sr. 6-3 273
Larry Turner Eastern Kentucky C Sr. 6-3 296
Jason Gunning Towson G Sr. 6-2 300
Mataio Toilolo Montana State G Sr. 6-5 286
Buster Ashley Western Kentucky T Jr. 6-4 300
Brent Swaggert Montana State T Sr. 6-4 293
Chris Snyder Montana K Sr. 6-0 204
Ari Confesor Holy Cross RS Jr. 6-0 180
Honorable Mention:
QB: Russ Michna, Western Illinois (Sr., 6-3, 230); RB: Ryan Fuqua, Portland
State (Jr., 5-11, 200), Gary Jones, Albany
(Sr., 5-10, 215); WR: Luke Graham, Colgate (Jr., 6-3, 195), C.J. Johnson,
Tennessee State (Sr., 5-10, 175); TE: Matt Chila,
Villanova (Sr., 6-3, 250); C: Matt Raivio, Northern Arizona (Sr., 6-1,
296); G: Chris Clark, Pennsylvania (Sr., 6-1, 285),
Jason Nerys, Delaware (Sr., 6-4, 278); T: Mike Bujnak, Eastern Illinois
(Jr., 6-6, 288), Robertville Louis, Alabama A&M
(Jr., 6-2, 275); K: Peter Veldman, Pennsylvania (Sr., 6-2, 190); RS:
Cortland Finnegan, Samford (So., 5-9, 165)
THE SPORTS NETWORK 2003 PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA DEFENSE
First-Team School Pos. Cl. Ht. Wt.
Jared Allen Idaho State DE Sr. 6-6 275
K.T. Stovall Appalachian State DE Sr. 6-2 235
John Paul Jones McNeese State DT So. 6-3 285
Blake Horgan Montana DT Jr. 6-3 275
Boomer Grigsby Illinois State LB Jr. 6-0 245
Nick Ricks Eastern Illinois LB Sr. 6-0 229
Roderick Royal McNeese State LB Sr. 6-1 241
Renauld Williams Hofstra LB Sr. 6-0 215
Kane Ioane Montana State S Sr. 5-11 207
Alexis Moreland Southern Illinois S Jr. 6-1 205
Chris Thompson Nicholls State CB Sr. 6-0 190
Tony Tiller East Tennessee St. CB Sr. 6-1 185
Mark Gould Northern Arizona P Sr. 6-2 206
Second-Team School Pos. Cl. Ht. Wt.
Tim Bush Montana DE Sr. 6-3 245
Isaac Hilton Hampton DE Sr. 6-5 250
Valdamar Brower Massachusetts DT Sr. 6-5 258
Mike O’Brien Western Illinois DT Sr. 6-3 280
Dante Balestracci Harvard LB Sr. 6-2 240
Liam Ezekiel Northeastern LB Jr. 6-1 245
Lee Russell Western Illinois LB Sr. 6-0 230
Sam Smalls Appalachian State LB Sr. 6-0 225
Levy Brown Florida A&M S Sr. 5-11 180
Mario Williams Gardner-Webb S Jr. 6-2 208
Victor Campbell Western Illinois CB Sr. 6-0 185
Vernon Smith Montana CB Sr. 6-1 175
Richie Rhodes Jacksonville State P Sr. 6-1 195
Honorable Mention:
DE: Steve Baggs, Bethune-Cookman (Sr., 6-2, 220), Michale Spicer, Western
Carolina (Sr., 6-3, 260); DT: Aaron DeBerry,
Liberty (Sr., 5-11, 285), Josh Sabo, Colgate (Sr., 6-2, 263); LB: Erik
Dandy, Western Kentucky (Sr., 6-0, 205), Ryan
Garrison, McNeese State (Sr., 6-1, 235), Tem Lukabu, Colgate (Sr., 6-1,
235), Matt McFadden, Weber State (Sr., 6-2, 230);
S: Weston Borba, Saint Mary’s (CA) (Sr., 6-3, 210), Antonio Veals, Western
Kentucky (Sr., 6-0, 190); CB: Derrick Black,
Appalachian State (Jr., 5-9, 180), Lenny Williams, Southern (So., 6-0,
185); P: Jimmy Miner, Wofford (Sr., 6-3, 195)
