Five Eagles Named to Sports Network All-America Teams
1/7/2008 5:01:00 AM | Football
STATESBORO, Ga. ? Georgia Southern landed five football players on The Sports Network All-America teams, including three First Team honorees.
Headlining the First Team list was 2007 Walter Payton Award winner Jayson Foster (Canton/Cherokee County). The senior quarterback has now earned All-America honors this year as a quarterback, all-purpose back and running back from various media outlets.
Joining Foster on the First Team were two more offensive players - senior offensive tackle Russell Orr (Thomasville/Thomas County Central) and senior offensive guard Marcelo Estrada (Hinesville/Liberty County). Junior defensive back Chris Covington (Lawrenceville/Brookwood) and junior place kicker Jesse Hartley (Tallahassee, FL/Lincoln) earned Honorable Mention All-America status.
Following last year's 3-8 record, the 17th-ranked Eagles rebounded to a 7-4 overall record and 4-3 mark in the SoCon. The four-win improvement is the Eagles' second-largest increase in regular season play. Only the 1997 team that finished the regular season 9-2 (after finishing 1996 at 4-7) had a bigger improvement.
Foster finished second nationally averaging 167.6 rushing yards per game. His 1,844 rushing yards set a NCAA Division I record for most rushing yards by a quarterback. That yardage was the second-highest total in a Georgia Southern season, and third-most in SoCon history. Foster accounted for 3,047 yards of total offense, setting a Georgia Southern single-season record.
Orr and Estrada, two of five seniors starting on the offensive line, played a key role in Georgia Southern leading the nation in rushing offense at 326 yards per game, while ranking eighth in total offense (456.3 ypg) and scoring offense (36.6 ppg). The Eagles also ranked 23rd nationally allowing just 1.27 sacks per game.
Covington, in his first year playing defense, led the Eagles with 67 tackles and four interceptions. He tied for second in the SoCon and 29th nationally in interceptions. Covington recorded an interception at Coastal Carolina, at Elon and in the wins at Appalachian State and Wofford. Covington also broke up four passes and forced two fumbles. Against South Dakota State he recorded a season-high 11 tackles.
A three-time SoCon ?Player of the Week' pick, Hartley set a GS record for consecutive extra points made in a season at 47-of-47. He tied the GS season record making 17 field goals (in 24 attempts). Hartley finished seventh nationally in field goals and 16th in scoring (8.9 points per game). At Elon he helped tie a Football Championship Subdivision record for combined field goals made at nine, converting four. He kicked a personal-best 54-yard field goal as time expired in the win over South Dakota State. Hartley also converted key fourth quarter field goals in the win at Appalachian State and Wofford.
