College Sports Journal Recognizes McKinnon and Westbrooks for All-America honors
1/27/2014 3:19:00 PM | Football
Eagles earn first-team national honors for 27th year
<strong>PHILADELPHIA, Pa.</strong> – Jerick McKinnon, who finished his career with the third-highest total for career rushing yards at Georgia Southern was named a College Sports Journal All-American Monday, January 27th. Sixty-three players, voted on as the best in the nation for offense, defense and special teams at the Football Championship Subdivision level, were named to the annual CSJ squad today. Cornerback Lavelle Westbrooks earned honorable mention All-America status.<br />
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McKinnon, who scored the game-winning touchdown in the Eagles' win at Florida, led the Georgia Southern and the Southern Conference with 105 rushing yards per game for his second-straight 1,000-plus yard rushing season. His 42 career rushing touchdowns ties him for sixth with Ernest Thompson on that all-time list. The Marietta, Ga., native had 4,728 yards of total offense, eighth among the Eagle leaders, which included his 3,899 career rushing yards.<br />
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Westbrooks was the league's regular-season leader for passes defended with seven breakups and two interceptions. With 20 career pass breakups, he tied Eagles Rob Stockton and David Young on Georgia Southern's all-time list in that category. From Riverdale, Ga., Westbrooks started in 41 of the 49 games in which he played, at either cornerback or safety, and recorded 120 solo tackles and 167 total for his career.<br />
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Both seniors played in Saturday's Reese's Senior Bowl on special teams, and offense and defense, respectively, with McKinnon carrying five times for 11 yards and Westbrooks credited for a solo tackle.<br />
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The CSJ All-America team, one of only two announced after all games are completed, was selected by a blue ribbon panel of FCS experts put together by College Sports Journal executive editor David Coulson and CSJ publisher and managing editor Chuck Burton.<br />
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Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels <a href="http://facebook.com/GSAthletics" target="_blank">facebook.com/GSAthletics</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/GSAthletics" target="_blank">twitter.com/GSAthletics</a>, and its "Eagles GATA" mobile app.<br />
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