NEWS RELEASE 100 Legends Lane • Waco, Texas 76706 • (254) 754-9900 • Fax: (254) 754-7373 • www.afca.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DECEMBER 18, 2008 AFCA CONTACT: Vince Thompson, Manager of Publications and Media Relations Assistant 254 754-9900 WESTERN ILLINOIS’ DONALDSON AND EASTERN WASHINGTON’S PEACH Team Background HEADLINE THE 2008 AFCA FCS COACHES’ ALL-AMERICA TEAM The AFCA has selected an All- America team every year since 1945. WACO, TEX. — Football Championship Subdivision’s (FCS) leading rusher and the What makes these teams so special is nation’s leading sack artist headline the American Football Coaches Association 2008 that they are the only ones chosen Football Championship Subdivision Coaches’ All-America Team announced today. exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches THE OFFENSE themselves. The runningbacks on the 2008 FCS Coaches’All-America Team are Herb Donaldson of The five teams now chosen for Western Illinois and Javarris Williams of Tennessee State. Donaldson, the Missouri Valley each AFCA division evolved from a Football Conference (MVFC) Offensive Player of the Year, ranks first nationally in rushing single 11-player squad in 1945. From (162.18 ypg) and scoring (12 ppg). He is the all-time leading rusher in both Western Illinois 1945 until 1967, only one team was and MVFC history. Williams was named the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the chosen. From 1967 through 1971, Year after he led the league in rushing (103.7 ypg, 1,037 total yards) and touchdowns (15). two teams, University Division and The signal caller on this year’s squad is Armanti Edwards of Appalachian State. College Division, were selected. In Edwards, a Walter Payton Award finalist, is second nationally in passing efficiency (170.2) 1972, the College Division was split and ranks seventh in total offense (295.6 ypg) this season. He scored 11 rushing touch- into College I and College II. In 1979, downs and passed for 30 more. the University Division was split into Colgate’s Nick Hennessey, Albany’s Raphael Nguti, Southern Illinois’ Aaron two teams — Division I-A and Lockwood, Gardner-Webb’s Demario Deese and Youngstown State’s Brad Samsa make Division I-AA. In 1996, the College I up the offensive line for 2008. Hennessey was an anchor on an offensive unit that finished and College II teams were renamed fifth nationally in rushing offense with 267.67 yards per game, and 12th in total offense Division II and Division III respec- with 416.5 yards per game. Nguti led the way for an Albany offense ranked 16th nation- tively. The AFCA started selecting an ally in rushing (200.58 ypg) and first in the NEC in total offense (363.17 ypg). Lockwood NAIA-only team in 2006. was a fixture of SIU’s offense which ranks among the top-five in the league in both pass- From 1965-81, a 22-player (11 ing (2nd, 186.8 ypg) and scoring (4th, 29.6 ppg). Deese is the first person in Big South offensive, 11 defensive) team was cho- Conference history to earn first-team All-Big South Conference honors all four seasons he sen. In 1982, a punter and placekicker played. He helped the Bulldogs rank 16th nationally in passing yards at 258 yards per were added to the team. In 1997, a game. Samsa graded at 83 percent or better in four of the final five games this season, and return specialist was added, giving us started at center, guard and tackle during his career. the current 25-player team. The return The wide receivers on this year’s team are Andre Roberts of The Citadel and Ramses specialist position was replaced by an Barden of Cal Poly. Roberts ended the 2008 campaign with 95 catches for 1,334 yards, all-purpose player in 2006. both single-season school records and good enough for No. 1 in the conference and No. 2 in the nation. One of two returning AFCA All-Americans on this year’s team, Barden Selection Process caught 67 passes for 1,257 yards and 18 touchdowns, which tied his own school record. The AFCA’s Football Champion- The tight end is John Nalbone of Monmouth (N.J.). Nalbone paced the Hawks in ship Subdivision All-America receptions (42), receiving yardage (491) and touchdowns caught (five) in 2008. Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches from each of the THE DEFENSE AFCA’s nine districts, one of whom The defensive line is headlined by Eastern Washington’s Greg Peach. Peach, a finalist serves as a district chairman, along with for the Buck Buchanan Award, was the FCS leader in quarterback sacks (1.64 per game) another head coach who serves as the and tackles for loss (2.00). He recorded 72 tackles, including 18 sacks and 23.5 total tack- chairman of the selection committee. les for loss. Northern Iowa’s James Ruffin, the MVFC Defensive Player of the Year, The coaches in each district are racked up a team-high 15 tackles for loss and eight quarterback sacks to go along with his responsible for ranking the top play- 57 total tackles. Villanova’s Greg Miller had 41 total tackles (30 solo), 13 tackles for loss, ers in their respective districts prior to 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Jovan Belcher of Maine was named Colonial Athletic a conference call between the district Association Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league in tackles for loss (17.5). chairmen and the committee chair- He also added 7.5 sacks. man on which the team is chosen. -(MORE)- 2008 AFCA FCS COACHES’ ALL-AMERICA TEAM PAGE 2 OF 3 Western Illinois’ Jason Williams, Jackson State’s Marcellus Speaks and Yale’s Bobby Abare make up the linebackers on the Coaches’ All-America Team. Williams recorded 67 total tackles, 17 tackles for a loss and six forced fumbles in 2008. He set the all- time FCS record of 14 career forced fumbles. Speaks, the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year, led the league with 122 tackles, while also recording five sacks, one interception and three forced fumbles. Abare was the Ivy leader with 55 solo tackles. He also had a team-high 86 total tackles with four interceptions and four sacks. Lardarius Webb of Nicholls State leads a group of four talented defensive backs on the All-America team. He was second on his team this season with 55 tackles, while ranking first in interceptions with two. William Middleton of Furman racked up 95 tackles and a team leading four interceptions and nine pass deflections. Tennessee-Martin’s Dontrell Miller had 78 total tackles, four inter- ceptions, four fumble recoveries and five defensive touchdowns. Colt Anderson of Montana was a unanimous All-Big Sky pick for the third straight season. The Buchanan Award candidate is the team leader with 121 total tackles, while also recording 5.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions. THE SPECIALISTS James Madison’s Scotty McGee is this year’s all-purpose player. McGee ranked third nationally in kickoff return average at 30.05 yards per return. He scored four touchdowns on returns and had 15 passes defended as a defensive back. In 2008, punter Doug Spada of Southeast Missouri State ranked third nationally in punting, averaging 44.74 yards per punt. He had a long of 65 yards and downed 12 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Placekicker Robbie Dehaze of Northern Arizona ranked fourth nationally in field goals per game with 1.45 per game. He was 16 of 20 on field goal attempts and 34 of 36 on PATs this season. 2008 AFCA FCS Coaches’ All-America Team Offense Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School) WR Andre Roberts 5-11 175 Jr. The Citadel Kevin Higgins Columbia, S.C. (Spring Valley) WR Ramses Barden* 6-6 227 Sr. Cal Poly Rich Ellerson Altadena, Calif. (Flintridge Prep) TE John Nalbone 6-4 255 Sr. Monmouth (N.J.) Kevin Callahan Lawrenceville, N.J. (Lawrence) OL Nick Hennessey 6-6 300 Sr. Colgate Dick Biddle Danvers, Mass. (Phillips Andover) OL Raphael Nguti 6-7 330 Sr. Albany Bob Ford Rochester, N.Y. (Brighton) OL Aaron Lockwood 6-2 303 Sr. Southern Illinois Dale Lennon Topeka, Kan. (Seaman) OL Demario Deese 6-4 305 Sr. Gardner-Webb Steve Patton Charlotte, N.C. (Independence) OL Brad Samsa 6-3 290 Sr. Youngstown St. Jon Heacock Warren, Ohio (Howland) QB Armanti Edwards 6-0 184 Jr. Appalachian St. Jerry Moore Greenwood, S.C. (Greenwood) RB Javarris Williams 5-11 215 Sr. Tennessee St. James Webster Richmond, Texas (Foster) RB Herb Donaldson 5-11 225 Sr. Western Illinois Don Patterson St. Louis, Mo. (CBC) Defense Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School) DL James Ruffin 6-4 265 Jr. Northern Iowa Mark Farley Burnsville, Minn. (Burnsville) DL Jovan Belcher 6-2 228 Sr. Maine Jack Cosgrove West Babylon, N.Y. (West Babylon) DL Greg Miller 6-3 250 Sr. Villanova Andy Talley Willow Grove, Pa. (Abington) DL Greg Peach 6-3 255 Sr. Eastern Washington Beau Baldwin Vancouver, Wash. (Evergreen) LB Jason Williams* 6-3 235 Sr. Western Illinois Don Patterson Chicago, Ill. (DuSable) LB Marcellus Speaks 6-2 230 Sr. Jackson St. Rick Comegy Jackson, Miss. (Provine) LB Bobby Abare 6-2 220 Sr. Yale Jack Siedlecki Acton, Mass. (Acton-Boxboro) DB Lardarius Webb 5-10 205 Sr. Nicholls St. Jay Thomas Opelika, Ala. (Beauregard) DB William Middleton 5-11 186 Sr. Furman Bobby Lamb Atlanta, Ga. (Marist) DB Dontrell Miller 5-8 175 Jr.