EARLY FOOTBALL HONORS:

Four Mid Eastern Athletic Conference standouts and a trio of Southwestern Athletic Conference seniors have been named to The Sports Network preseason FCS All-America football team.

South Carolina State running back William Ford, the reining MEAC offensive player of the year, and Norfolk State free safety Terrell Whitehead, an all-MEAC first teamer, were named to the respective first teams.

Southern WR Juamorris Stewart and Texas Southern punt returner William Osbourne, both SWAC first teamers a year ago, were voted to the second team, along with Hampton defensive tackle Kendrick Ellis who was named to the MEAC second team last season and Florida A&M kick returner LeRoy Vann, an all-MEAC first-teamer. Prairie View A&M cornerback Anthony Beck was voted to the third team.

Ellis, a junior, is the only underclassman of the selectees.

Ford (5-11, 185) led the MEAC in rushing with 1,499 yards, averaging 6.1 yards per carry and 115.3 yards per game. He was tied for third in the conference in scoring (78 points). With 3,640 rushing yards in his career, Ford is just 1,009 yards away from becoming the MEAC's all-time leading rusher. He is also one of the early selectees on the Walter Payton Award Watch List.

In 2008, Whitehead (6-2, 200) led NSU and ranked seventh in the MEAC with 83 tackles. He had the second-most passes defended (15) of any MEAC player, tallying four interceptions and 11 pass deflections. His four picks gave him 13 for his career and tied for fourth-most in the MEAC. Whitehead has been named to the Consensus Draft Services All-America first team and was selected preseason MEAC Defensive Player of the Year by The Sporting News preview magazine.

Stewart, a 6-3, 195-pound wideout, caught 76 passes for 1,138 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2008. He was third in the SWAC in receptions, and led the conference in both receiving yards and touchdown receptions. Stewart was seventh in the nation in receiving yards.

At 5-7, 160 pounds, Osbourne averaged a SWAC-best 15.9-yard average per punt return, seventh best in the nation. Osbourne led the SWAC in all-purpose yards with 2,308 (1,092 receiving yards, 831 kickoff returns yards, 349 punt return yards, 36 rushing yards).

The equally diminutive Vann (5-9, 182), could have been chosen as both the kickoff and punt returner. He was third in the nation in kickoff returns amassing 1,101 yards in returns, averaging 27.6 yards per return while bringing back three for scores. He was fifth in the nation in punt returns bringing back another three punts for touchdowns while averaging 16.0 yards per return.

Ellis (6-5, 340) anchored the defensive line for Hampton totalling 39 tackles, 16 solos and 3.5 sacks.

Beck, at 6-1, 205, was third on the Panthers in tackles with 40 and led his team and was tied for second in the conference with five interceptions last season. He was a first team all-SWAC selection.

© 2009 Azeez Communications, Inc.

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