Phil Steele Publications Names Four Eagles to Preseason All-America Lists
7/17/2013 12:03:00 AM | Football
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Four Georgia Southern Football players were ¬ were selected as preseason All-Americans by the Phil Steele Publications group Tuesday, July 16th, with junior running back Dominique Swope heading the list on the first team offense. Senior quarterback Jerick McKinnon and senior offensive tackle Dorian Byrd were named to the All-America third team with offensive tackle Garrett Frye listed on the fourth team.
Swope, who amassed 1,246 rushing yards in 2012 for back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, combined with McKinnon (1,817) to set the NCAA FCS record for most yards by teammates in the same season with 3,063. Byrd and Frye return to an Eagle offensive line that racked up an average of 399.4 rushing yards per game, best in NCAA Division I.
All four Eagles earned All-America honors for their performances in the 2012 season. McKinnon led Georgia Southern in rushing yards and scored 20 touchdowns, with his 1,817 rushing total third on the single-season list behind only legends Adrian Peterson (1,932 – 1998) and Jayson Foster (1,844 - 2007). Swope finished second behind McKinnon in rushing and had 17 touchdowns on the ground.
Frye was one of only four Eagles to start every game in 2012 and had the second most knockdowns in the regular season with 72. Veteran tackle Byrd has 29 starts in 39 career games and helped the Eagles to four of the top six single-game rushing totals in FCS last year.
The Eagles report for preseason camp on July 31st and begin practice the following day, August 1st. Georgia Southern plays host to Savannah State on August 31st at 6 p.m. at Paulson Stadium. Season tickets may be purchased online 24/7 at GSEagles.com/tickets, by phone by calling 1-800-GSU-WINS and in person at the Cowart Athletics Ticket Office at 203 Lanier Drive in Statesboro. Business hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics and twitter.com/GSAthletics, and its new "Eagles GATA" mobile app for Android and iOS. Fans can follow Coach Jeff Monken on his official twitter account, @CoachJeffMonken.
2013 PRESEASON FCS ALL-AMERICANS
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
FB Dominique Swope, Georgia Southern, Jr.
RB Zach Zenner, South Dakota State, Jr.
RB Terrance West, Towson, Jr.
WR Sean Price, Appalachian State, Soph.
WR Erik Lora, Eastern Illinois, Sr.
WR Jordan Harris, Bryant, Sr.
TE J.C. Leonard, Tennessee State, Jr.
OL Danny Kistler, Montana, Sr.
OL Billy Turner, North Dakota State, Sr.
OL Kadeem Edwards, Tennessee State, Sr.
OL Chris Elkins, Youngstown State, Sr.
OL Dakota Dozier, Furman, Sr.
QB Jeff Mathews, Cornell, Sr.
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL Colton Underwood, Illinois State, Sr.
DL Davis Tull, Chattanooga, Jr.
DL Caraun Reid, Princeton, Sr.
DL Zachariah Kerr, Delaware, Sr.
LB Stephon Robertson, James Madison, Sr.
LB Jordan Tripp, Montana, Sr.
LB Tyler Starr, South Dakota, Sr.
LB Alvin Scioneaux, Wofford, Sr.
DB Marcus Williams, North Dakota State, Sr.
DB Steven Godbolt, Tennessee State, Jr.
DB Jaquiski Tartt, Samford, Jr.
DB Dean Marlowe, James Madison, Jr.
FIRST TEAM SPECIALISTS
K Cameron Berra, Eastern Illinois, Sr.
P Andy Wilder, Northern Arizona, Sr.
KR Kevin Fogg, Liberty, Sr.
PR Walter Powell, Murray State, Sr.
LS Richard Wright, Liberty, Sr.
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
WR Greg Hardin, North Dakota, Sr.
WR Walter Powell, Murray State, Sr.
WR R.J. Harris, New Hampshire, Jr.
TE MyCole Pruitt, Southern Illinois, Jr.
OL Bryan Witzmann, South Dakota State, Sr.
OL Eric Pike, Towson, Sr.
OL Terrance Hackney, Bethune-Cookman, Jr.
OL Steven Forgette, Eastern Washington, Sr.
OL Dan Shirey, Villanova, Sr.
QB Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois, Sr.
RB Timothy Flanders, Sam Houston State, Sr.
RB Shakir Bell, Indiana State, Sr.
FB Jordan Neukirch, Illinois State, Sr.
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL Zach Hodges, Harvard, Jr.
DL Michael Cole, Maine, Sr.
DL Zach Wagenmann, Montana, Jr.
DL LeBrandon Richardson, Bethune-Cookman, Jr.
LB Clarence Bumpas, Northern Colorado, Sr.
LB Grant Olson, North Dakota State, Sr.
LB Ronnie Hamlin, Eastern Washington, Sr.
LB Dorian Bell, Duquesne, Sr.
DB Qua Cox, Jackson State, Sr.
DB Jordan Love, Towson, Sr.
DB Caleb Schaffitzel, Missouri State, Jr.
DB Jestin Love, Central Arkansas, Sr.
SECOND TEAM SPECIALISTS
K Colton Cook, Southern Utah, Sr.
P Bobby Wenzig, Alabama State, Sr.
KR Greg Hardin, North Dakota, Sr.
PR Ryan Smith, North Dakota State, Sr.
LS Hudson Smith, Gardner-Webb, Sr.
THIRD TEAM OFFENSE
OL Dorian Byrd, Georgia Southern, Sr.
OL Seamus O'Neill, New Hampshire, Sr.
OL Kadeem Williams, Albany, Sr.
OL Gavin Farr, Southern Utah, Sr.
OL Jared Singleton, Wofford, Sr.
QB Jerick McKinnon, Georgia Southern, Sr.
RB Zach Bauman, Northern Arizona, Sr.
RB Isaiah Crowell, Alabama State, Jr.
FB Darien Robinson, The Citadel, Sr.
WR Tony Washington, Appalachian State, Sr.
WR Kelsey Pope, Samford, Sr.
WR Tre McBride, William & Mary, Jr.
TE Faysal Shafaat, Chattanooga, Jr.
THIRD TEAM DEFENSE
DL Rakim Cox, Villanova, Sr.
DL Terrence Fede, Marist, Sr.
DL Antoine Lewis, Villanova, Sr.
DL Sullivan Grosz, Cal Poly, Sr.
LB Lynden Trail, Norfolk State, Jr.
LB Wes Dothard, Chattanooga, Sr.
LB Jeff Williams, Delaware, Soph.
LB Quinn Backus, Coastal Carolina, Jr.
DB Bookie Sneed, Sam Houston State, Sr.
DB Kadeem Wise, Chattanooga, Sr.
DB Julien David, Howard, Sr.
DB D.J. Key, Chattanooga, Sr.
THIRD TEAM SPECIALISTS
K Zeb Miller, North Dakota, Sr.
P Chad Zinchini, Tennessee Tech, Sr.
KR Tony Washington, Appalachian State, Sr.
PR Niccolo Mastromatteo, Coastal Carolina, Sr.
LS Chris Highland, Illinois State, Jr.
FOURTH TEAM OFFENSE
OL Garrett Frye, Georgia Southern, Jr.
OL Dominic Pagliara, Eastern Illinois, Sr.
OL Randall Harris, Towson, Sr.
OL A.J. Dalton, Robert Morris, Sr.
OL Doug Shaw, Towson, Sr.
WR Shane Savage, Richmond, Sr.
WR Ben Edwards, Richmond, Sr.
WR Jace Davis, Northern Colorado, Sr.
TE Justin Perillo, Maine, Sr.
QB DeNarius McGhee, Montana State, Sr.
RB Marcus Coker, Stony Brook, Sr.
RB David Johnson, Northern Iowa, Jr.
FB Rakeem Sims, Jackson State, Jr.
FOURTH TEAM DEFENSE
DL Jonathan Woodard, Central Arkansas, Soph.
DL Brad Daly, Montana State, Sr.
DL Cole Jirik, North Dakota State, Sr.
DL Robert Simpson, Mississippi Valley State, Sr.
LB Tanner Burch, Gardner-Webb, Jr.
LB Anthony Brown, Eastern Kentucky, Sr.
LB Ben Johnson, Tennessee Martin, Sr.
LB Anthony Morales, Weber State, Sr.
DB Nick Addison, Bethune-Cookman, Jr.
DB Todd Washington, Southeastern Louisiana, Sr.
DB Kendall James, Maine, Sr.
DB Tye Smith, Towson, Jr.
FOURTH TEAM SPECIALISTS
K Adam Keller, North Dakota State, Jr.
P Mark Hamilton, Villanova, Sr.
KR Fabian Truss, Samford, Sr.
PR Tony Washington, Appalachian State, Sr.
LS Michael Murphy, North Dakota State, Sr.
