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Eight GWFC Players Named to 2006 I-AA.org Preseason All-America Team
July 17, 2006 CHICAGO, Ill. - Defending national champion Appalachian State leads the way on the 2006 I-AA.org preseason All-American football teams announced today with six players named overall. The Great West Football Conference had eight players named including a trio of first team selections. Cal Poly had four players named including defensive tackle Chris White (first team), linebacker Kyle Shotwell (first team), Courtney Brown (first team) and safety Kenny Chicione (second team). UC Davis picks included quarterback Jon Grant (second team) and wide receiver Tony Kays (second team), while North Dakota State placed punter Mike Dragosavich and return specialist Shamen Washington on the second team. Mountaineer senior defensive end Marques Murrell, who forced the fumble that turned into the game-winning touchdown in last year's national championship win leads the first-team defense. He is joined by teammate, senior safety Jeremy Wiggins and senior offensive tackle Matt Isenhour as first-team selections. Cal Poly, Eastern Illinois and New Hampshire all placed four players on the All-American team, while James Madison, Montana and Northern Iowa landed three players each on the 75-player squad. There were 15 teams that received two selections. There are 54 seniors recognized, 21 juniors and no underclassmen from 40 different schools. A total of 11 conferences received All-American picks, led by the Atlantic 10 and the Big Sky Conference with 12 each. The Big Sky also had the most first-team players with five. Murrell and Isenhour were among 13 players who were unanimous selections to the first team. Other unanimous picks were White and Brown of Cal Poly, wide receiver Laurent Robinson and linebacker Cameron Siskowic of Illinois State, quarterback Ricky Santos and wide receiver David Ball of New Hampshire, Eastern Kentucky tight end Patrick Bugg, Brown linebacker Zak DeOssie, Furman fullback Jerome Felton, Eastern Washington tackle Rocky Hanni and James Madison safety Tony LeZotte. Ball, the record-breaking Wildcats receiver is one of only four players to repeat as first-team picks. He is joined by Hanni, LeZotte, the reigning A-10 defensive player of the year and Southeastern Missouri punter David Simonhoff. JMU tackle Corey Davis, a first-team pick in 2005, made the second team this season. Other players who made one of the three teams in 2005 and were among the 75 players honored this year include Northern Iowa cornerback Dre Dokes and kicker Brian Wingert, Northwestern State defensive end Ed Queen and defensive tackle Tory Collins, Eastern Illinois cornerback Ben Brown, Hampton linebacker Justin Durrant, Brown linebacker DeOssie, Montana running back Lex Hilliard, Appalachian safety Lynch, Grambling fullback Reuban Mayes, William & Mary guard Cody Morris and Southern Illinois running back Arkee Whitlock. There are also 14 players from the 40-man, 2005 I-AA.org postseason All-Star team represented on this year's preseason honors' squad. On offense, Ball, Bugg, Felton, Isenhour, Robinson, Santos, Whitlock and UC Davis receiver Tony Kays were 2005 All-Stars. On defense, Lynch, Murrell, Siskowic, Cal Poly linebacker Kyle Shotwell and Georgia Southern linebacker John Mohring were honored. Western Kentucky kicker Chris James completes that group. The complete squad is listed below: I-AA.ORG 2006 PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN TEAMS |
