Dec. 8, 2009
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Eighteen Southern Miss football players were honored by Conference USA, Tuesday, as the league announced its all-conference and all-freshman teams. The teams were chosen by a vote of the league's head coaches.
The Golden Eagles, which finished the regular season 7-5 overall and 5-3 in East Division of Conference USA, garnered two first-two accolades and five second-team nods, while 10 players were named honorable mention. Two Southern Miss players also earned all-freshman honors.
The first team selections included offensive lineman Ryan Hebert (Shriever, La.) and defensive back Eddie Hicks (Clarksdale, Miss.). The second team honorees were running back Damion Fletcher (Biloxi, Miss.), tight end Leroy Banks (Memphis, Tenn.), wide receiver DeAndre Brown (Moss Point, Miss.), linebacker Korey Williams (New Orleans, La.) and long snapper Cody Tawater (Philadelphia, Miss.).
As for honorable mention, the picks consisted of offensive linemen Kyle Burkhart (Kinsley, Kan.) and Cameron Zipp (Mandeville, La.), wide receiver Gerald Baptiste (New Orleans, La.), defensive linemen Terrance Conner (Clarksdale, Miss.), Anthony Gray (Philadelphia, Miss.), and Cordarro Law (Whitfield, Ala.), linebacker Ronnie Thornton (Miami, Fla.), defensive back C.J. Bailey (Moss Point, Miss.), kick returner Freddie Parham (Margaret, Ala.) and punt returner Tracy Lampley (Waynesboro, Miss.).
Lampley also was named punt returner on the all-freshman team, while Peter Boehme (Birmingham, Ala.) garnered punter honors on that squad.
Of the first team choices, Hebert has started the last 25 games for the Golden Eagles on the offensive line as the Golden Eagles went over 5,000 yards of total offensive for the third-straight season, while Hicks ranks as the active interception leader in C-USA, including five this season.
Fletcher, the school's all-time leading rusher, needs just 63 yards for his fourth-straight 1,000-yard season to highlight the second team picks. In addition, Banks ranks third on the team in catches (27) and receiving yards (362) to go along with three touchdowns, while leading receiver Brown paces the Golden Eagles with 43 receptions and 720 yards to go along with seven touchdown catches. Willams leads the defense in tackles with 112 stops, while Tawater snapped punts for the league's freshman punter which had no blocks and 26 of 49 attempts inside the 20-yard line.
These Golden Eagles will have one more time to showcase their talents this fall as they play in their eighth-straight bowl game. Southern Miss will play in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome, Dec. 20, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available for $40 and can be purchased at the Ferlise Ticket Office from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or over the phone at 1-800-844-TICK (8425) as well as online at SouthernMiss.com.
2009 C-USA FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB- Case Keenum, Jr., Houston
RB- Curtis Steele, Sr., Memphis
RB- Donald Buckram, Jr., UTEP
OL- Sean Allen, Sr., East Carolina
OL- Ryan Hebert, Sr., Southern Miss
OL- Jake Seitz, Sr., UAB
OL- Jah Reid, Jr., UCF
OL- Mike Aguayo, Jr., UTEP
TE- Cody Slate, Sr., Marshall
WR- Dwayne Harris, Jr., East Carolina
WR- James Cleveland, Jr., Houston
WR- Emmanuel Sanders, Sr., SMU
DEFENSE
DL- Linval Joseph, Jr., East Carolina
DL- C.J. Wilson, Sr., East Carolina
DL- Jarvis Geathers, Sr., UCF
DL- Bruce Miller, Jr., UCF
LB- Mario Harvey, Sr., Marshall
LB- Chase Kennemer, Sr., SMU
LB- Cory Hogue, Sr., UCF
DB- Emmanuel Davis, So., East Carolina
DB- Van Eskridge, Sr., East Carolina
DB- Eddie Hicks, Sr., Southern Miss
DB- Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith, Sr., UTEP
SPECIAL TEAMS
K- Craig Ratanamorn, Sr., Marshall
P- Matt Dodge, Sr., East Carolina
KR- Tyron Carrier, So., Houston
PR- Emmanuel Sanders, Sr., SMU
LS- Sean McClellan, Sr., Marshall
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB- Joe Webb, Sr., UAB
RB- Darius Marshall, Jr., Marshall
RB- Damion Fletcher, Sr., Southern Miss
OL- Terence Campbell, Sr., East Carolina
OL- Jarve Dean, Jr., Houston
OL- Daniel Baldridge, Sr., Marshall
OL- Scott Mitchell, Jr., Rice
OL- Kelvin Beachum, So., SMU
TE- Leroy Banks, Sr., Southern Miss
WR-Patrick Edwards, So., Houston
WR- Duke Calhoun, Sr., Memphis
WR- DeAndre Brown, So., Southern Miss
WR- Damaris Johnson, So., Tulsa
DEFENSE
DL- Tyrell Graham, Sr., Houston
DL- Albert McClellan, Sr., Marshall
DL- Scott Solomon, Jr., Rice
DL- Torrell Troup, Sr., UCF
LB- Nick Johnson, Sr., East Carolina
LB- Marcus McGraw, So., Houston
LB- Korey Williams, So., Southern Miss
DB- Brandon Brinkley, Sr., Houston
DB- James Lockett, Sr., Tulsa
DB- Hiram Atwater, Jr., UAB
DB- Josh Robinson, Fr., UCF
SPECIAL TEAMS
K- Ben Hartman, Sr., East Carolina
P- Matt Reagan, Sr., Memphis
KR- Dwayne Harris, Jr., East Carolina
PR- Damaris Johnson, So., Tulsa
LS- Cody Tawater, Sr., Southern Miss
HONORABLE MENTION
(received at least one vote)
OFFENSE
QB- Brett Hodges, Sr., UCF
QB- Trevor Vittatoe, Jr., UTEP
RB- Dominique Lindsay, Sr., ECU
RB- Shawnbrey McNeal, Jr., SMU
RB- Andre Anderson, Sr., Tulane
RB- Charles Clay, Jr., Tulsa
RB- Brynn Harvey, So., UCF
OL- D.J. Scott, Jr., ECU
OL- Willie Smith, Jr., ECU
OL- Carl Barnett, Sr., Houston
OL- Chris Thompson, So., Houston
OL- Chad Schofield, Jr., Marshall
OL- Dominik Riley, Jr., Memphis
OL- Davon Allen, So., Rice
OL- Jake Hicks, So., Rice
OL- J.T. Brooks, So., SMU
OL- Josh LeRibeus, So., SMU
OL- Kyle Burkhart, Sr., Southern Miss
OL- Cameron Zipp, Jr., Southern Miss
OL- Nick Landry, Sr., Tulane
OL- Andrew Nierman, Jr., Tulane
OL- Matt McCants, So., UAB
OL- Tanner Cullumber, Jr., UTEP
OL- Rod Huntley, Jr., UTEP
OL- Alex Solot, Jr., UTEP
OL- Cameron Rashcke, Sr., UTEP
TE- Lee Smith, Fr., Marshall
TE- Charles Clay, Jr., Tulsa
TE- Jeffrey Anderson, Jr., UAB
WR- Tyron Carrier, So., Houston
WR- Carlos Singleton, Sr., Memphis
WR- Gerald Baptiste, Sr., Southern Miss
WR- Jeremy Williams, Sr., Tulane
WR- Jeff Moturi, Sr., UTEP
DEFENSE
DL- Scotty Robinson, Sr., East Carolina
DL- Jay Ross, Sr., East Carolina
DL- Vinny Curry, Jr., Marshall
DL- Michael Janac, Jr., Marshall
DL- Cheta Ozougwu, Jr., Rice
DL- Marquis Frazier, Jr., SMU
DL- Margus Hunt, Fr., SMU
DL- Taylor Thompson, So., SMU
DL- Terrance Conner, Sr., Southern Miss
DL- Anthony Gray, Jr., Southern Miss
DL- Cordarro Law, So., Southern Miss
DL- Adam Kwentua, Jr., Tulane
DL- Cory Dorris, Fr., Tulsa
DL- Wilson Garrison, Sr., Tulsa
DL- Bryant Turner, Jr., UAB
DL- Steve Riddick, Sr., UTEP
DL- Aaron King, Sr., UTEP
DL- Robert Soleyjacks, Jr., UTEP
LB- Jeremy Chambliss, Sr., East Carolina
LB- Youri Yenga, Jr., SMU
LB- Pete Fleps, Jr., SMU
LB- Ronnie Thornton, So., Southern Miss
LB- Travis Burks, Sr., Tulane
LB- Mike Bryan, Sr., Tulsa
LB- Derrick Hallman, Jr., UCF
LB- Lawrence Young, Jr., UCF
DB- Levin Neal, Sr., East Carolina
DB- Travis Simmons, Jr., East Carolina
DB- DeQuan Bembry, So., Marshall
DB- Ashton Hall, Sr., Marshall
DB- Travis Bradshaw, So., Rice
DB- Andrew Sendejo, Sr., Rice
DB- Rock Dennis, Sr., SMU
DB- Bryan McCann, Sr., SMU
DB- C.J. Bailey, Jr., Southern Miss
DB- Chinonso Echebelm, Sr., Tulane
DB- Cornelius Brown, Sr., UTEP
DB- Braxton Amy, Jr., UTEP
DB- Clarence Ward, Sr., UTEP
SPECIAL TEAMS
K- Matt Reagan, Sr., Memphis
K- Matt Syzmanski, Jr., SMU
K- Kevin Fitzpatrick, So., Tulsa
P- Michael Such, Jr., Tulsa
P- Greg Hiett, Sr., UTEP
KR- Bryce McCann, Sr., SMU
KR- Freddie Parham, Sr., Southern Miss
KR- Damaris Johnson, So., Tulsa
PR- Tracy Lampley, Fr., Southern Miss
PR- Jeff Moturi, Sr., UTEP
LS- William Smith, So., East Carolina
LS- Keenan Bratcher, Jr., Memphis
LS- Charley Hughlett, So., UCF
2009 C-USA FOOTBALL ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
OFFENSE
QB- Kyle Padron, SMU
RB- Charles Sims, Houston
RB- Charles Ross, Rice
OL- Jamie McCoy, Memphis
OL- Zack Morgan, Tulane
OL- Trent Dupy, Tulsa
OL- Chris Hubbard, UAB
OL- Theo Goins, UCF
TE- Vance McDonald, Rice
WR- Antavious Wilson, Marshall
WR- Darius Johnson, SMU
WR- Ricky Johnson, Tulsa
DEFENSE
DL- Michael Brooks, East Carolina
DL- Zeke Riser, Houston
DL- Dontari Poe, Memphis
DL- Cory Dorris, Tulsa
LB- Phillip Steward, Houston
LB- Taylor Reed, SMU
LB- Shakiel Smith, Tulane
LB- Daniel White, UAB
DB- Kevin Gaddis, Rice
DB- Dexter McCoil, Tulsa
DB- Josh Robinson, UCF
DB- Deshawn Grayson, UTEP
SPECIAL TEAMS
K- Matt Hogan, Houston
P- Peter Boehme, Southern Miss
KR- Marlon McClure, UTEP
PR- Tracy Lampley, Southern Miss
LS- Taylor Klein, UAB