CHICAGO (Nov. 28) - Conference USA announced its 2000 All-Conference football teams Nov. 28,
as selected by the nine C-USA head football coaches and media members in each conference city. The league concludes its fifth regular season on December 2 when Army plays Navy in Baltimore.
Regular season champion Louisville, ranked No. 22 in this week's AP poll, placed five players on the first team and a league-high 12 players on the two teams combined. Four members of the Cardinals offense dot the list, led by quarterback Dave Ragone, who completed a league-high 61 percent of his passes for 2,621 yards and 27 TDs. Louisville's first team defensive selection was defensive back Anthony Floyd, who tied for the Division I-A lead in interceptions with a Conference USA-record 10.
Memphis tied with Louisville for the most first team selections with five. All five Tigers came from the nation's sixth-ranked defense, tying for the most players ever named from the same team to an all-conference defensive unit. Defensive lineman Andre Arnold, who tied for the conference lead in sacks with 13, and linebacker Kamal Shakir, who registered 115 tackles (second in the conference) headline the Memphis selections.
Four schools (Cincinnati, East Carolina, Southern Miss and Tulane) each placed three players on the first team, with Cincinnati garnering the second-most overall players with seven. Among the Bearcats selections is kicker Jonathon Ruffin, a Lou Groza Award finalist after leading the nation in field goals with 26, the sixth-highest total in NCAA history. East Carolina has two of the five players that were also named first team All-Conference last season in offensive lineman Sherwin Lacewell and Pernell Griffin (87 tackles in eight games). The three Southern Miss selections are highlighted by defensive end Cedric Scott (19 TFL's, 12 sacks) and defensive back Leo Barnes (102 tackles, five INTs). Tulane's all-league honorees include wide receiver Adrian Burnette (1,075 yards, league-high 14 TDs) and punter Casey Roussel (fifth in the nation with a 44.2 avg.).
Houston had two players named to the first team, including linebacker Wayne Rogers, the conference's leading tackler (130), who set a school-record with 26 tackles for loss this season. Army is represented by running back Michael Wallace, C-USA's top rusher who needs just two yards against Navy on Saturday to become Army's first 1,000-yard rusher since 1990.
Conference USA will announce its Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Year, as well as the Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year on Wednesday, November 29.
2000 C-USA FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback - Dave Ragone, So., Louisville
Running Back - Ray Jackson, Jr., Cincinnati
Running Back - Michael Wallace, Sr., Army
Offensive Lineman - Sherwin Lacewell, Sr., East Carolina
Offensive Lineman - Josh Lovelady, Sr., Houston
Offensive Lineman - Jason Padget, Sr., Louisville
Offensive Lineman - Bernard Robertson, Sr., Tulane
Offensive Lineman - Doug Rosfeld, Sr., Cincinnati
Tight End - Ronnie Ghent, So., Louisville
Wide Receiver - Deion Branch, Jr., Louisville
Wide Receiver - Adrian Burnette, Sr., Tulane
DEFENSE
Defensive Lineman - Andre Arnold, Jr., Memphis
Defensive Lineman - Marcus Bell, Sr., Memphis
Defensive Lineman - Cedric Scott, Sr., Southern Miss
Defensive Lineman - DeQuincy Scott, Sr., Southern Miss
Linebacker - Pernell Griffin, Jr., East Carolina
Linebacker - Wayne Rogers, Sr., Houston
Linebacker - Kamal Shakir, Sr., Memphis
Defensive Back - Idrees Bashir, Jr., Memphis
Defensive Back - Leo Barnes, Sr., Southern Miss
Defensive Back - Anthony Floyd, So., Louisville
Defensive Back - Michael Stone, Sr., Memphis
SPECIAL TEAMS
Placekicker - Jonathon Ruffin, So., Cincinnati
Punter - Casey Roussel, Jr., Tulane
Return Specialist - Keith Stokes, Sr., East Carolina
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback - David Garrard, Jr., East Carolina
Quarterback - Patrick Ramsey, Jr., Tulane
Running Back - Jegil Dugger, Jr., UAB
Running Back - Leonard Henry, Jr., East Carolina
Offensive Lineman - Billy Clay, Sr., Southern Miss
Offensive Lineman - Tony Dollison, Sr., UAB
Offensive Lineman - Paul Henderson, Jr., Army
Offensive Lineman - Joe O'Shaughnessy, Sr., Louisville
Offensive Lineman - Andy Weinheimer, Jr., Cincinnati
Tight End - Billy Kendall, Sr., Memphis
Wide Receiver - Arnold Jackson, Sr., Louisville
Wide Receiver - Brian Robinson, So., Houston
DEFENSE
Defensive Lineman - Donovan Arp, Sr., Louisville
Defensive Lineman - Michael Josiah, So., Louisville
Defensive Lineman - Mario Monds, Sr., Cincinnati
Defensive Lineman - Bryan Thomas, Sr., UAB
Linebacker - Troy Evans, Sr., Cincinnati
Linebacker - Rashad Harris, Sr., Louisville
Linebacker - Jerry Phillips, Sr., Tulane
Defensive Back - DeJuan Gossett, Sr., Cincinnati
Defensive Back - Rashad Holman, Sr., Louisville
Defensive Back - Ray Walls, Sr., Southern Miss
Defensive Back - Chad Williams, Jr., Southern Miss
SPECIAL TEAMS
Placekicker - Rhett Gallego, Jr., UAB
Punter - Adam Wulfeck, Jr., Cincinnati
Return Specialist - Zek Parker, Sr., Louisville