McKinnie and Reed Are First-Teamers On 2001 AP All-America Team
Dec 11, 2001
By RICHARD ROSENLBATT
AP Football Writer
Quarterbacks Eric Crouch and Rex Grossman added a new twist to the APAll-America team – the Heisman Trophy winner and runner-up are both on it.
Crouch, Nebraska’s option whiz, was selected as the all-purpose player,while Grossman, Florida’s sensational passer, won the quarterback spot on theteam announced Tuesday.
Miami’s Ken Dorsey was the second-team quarterback and Fresno State’s DavidCarr made third team.
Crouch directed the Huskers to an 11-1 record and into the BCS’ nationaltitle game against Miami in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 3. He was the choice in acategory that replaced return specialist 10 years ago. The change was made torecognize college football’s more versatile players.
Crouch ran for 1,115 yards and 18 TDs, passed for 1,510 yards and sevenscores and also caught a 63-yard TD pass. Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle Elwas the second-team all-purpose pick.
Grossman, who topped the nation in passing with 3,896 yards and 34touchdowns, led four Florida players – the most of any school – chosen for the26-player AP team. He guided the Gators to a 9-2 record, an Orange Bowl berth,and was selected AP player of the year last week.
Wide receiver Jabar Gaffney, offensive tackle Mike Pearson and defensive endAlex Brown are the other Gators on the team. It also includes two players fromNo. 1 Miami – Outland Trophy winning offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie and freesafety Edward Reed, one of three repeat All-Americans.
BYU’s Luke Staley and Tennessee’s Travis Stephens are the running backs,with LSU’s Josh Reed joining Gaffney at wide receiver.
Staley, the Doak Walker Award winner who ran for 1,673 yards, led the nationin scoring with 28 touchdowns. Stephens ran for 1,464 yards and 10 TDs.
Josh Reed caught 94 passes for 1,740 yards and seven TDs in helping LSU winthe Southeastern Conference title and a spot in the Sugar Bowl. Gaffney had 67catches for 1,191 yards and 13 TDs.
Along the defensive line are four standout ends – North Carolina’s JuliusPeppers, Syracuse’s Dwight Freeney, Tennessee’s John Henderson and Brown.
Peppers had 9{ sacks and returned one of his three interceptions for a TD,Freeney led the nation with 17{ sacks and forced eight fumbles, Henderson,injured early in the season, finished strong to come up with eight tackles forlosses, and Brown had 10{ sacks for a defense that allowed just 14.1 points pergame.
Oklahoma’s Roy Williams, the Nagurski Trophy and Thorpe Award winner, headsup the secondary along with Edward Reed, Texas’ Quentin Jammer and WashingtonState’s Lamont Thompson.
Williams had 101 tackles, five interceptions and 22 pass breakups, EdwardReed led the Hurricanes’ tenacious defense with nine interceptions, Jammer had55 tackles and 24 pass breakup for the nation’s top-rated pass defense, andThompson led the Pac-10 with eight interceptions, including four against UCLA.
The rest of the offense includes Colorado tight end Dan Graham, Ohio Statecenter LeCharles Bentley, and two more beefy linemen – Nebraska’s Toniu Fonotiand Colorado’s Andre Gurode.
Graham caught 51 passes for 753 yards and six TDs for the Buffaloes, who wonthe Big 12 title and will play in the Fiesta Bowl.
Auburn’s David Duval, who kicked winning field goals in three consecutivegames, including a 44-yarder against Florida, is the place-kicker. Duval hit 16of 27 field goals and all 30 extra-point tries.
The other defensive All-Americans are linebackers Rocky Calmus of Oklahoma,Levar Fisher of North Carolina State, E.J. Henderson of Maryland and RobertThomas of UCLA.
Purdue’s Travis Dorsch has a unique distinction – he’s the All-Americanpunter and also made third team as kicker. His 48.4-yard punting averagematched the fourth best in NCAA history, and he was 20 of 25 on field goals.
In addition to Edward Reed, the other repeaters are Calmus and Henderson.
The first team has 15 seniors, nine juniors and two sophomores – Grossmanand Gaffney.
The SEC was the top conference with eight All-Americans, with the Big 12next at seven, followed by the ACC and Big East with three each, the Big Tenand Pac-10 with two each and the Mountain West with one.
The All-America team was selected by the following sports writers:
Kevin Acee (San Diego Union-Tribune), Dennis Dodd (CBS SportsLine), BruceHooley (Cleveland Plain Dealer), Steve Kirk (The Birmingham News), Tom Luicci(The Star-Ledger, Newark, N.J.), Jaime Aron (AP Dallas), Landon Hall (APPortland, Ore.), Mark Long (AP Miami), Rob Maaddi (AP Philadelphia), EddiePells (AP Jacksonville), and Richard Rosenblatt (AP college football writer).
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback – Rex Grossman, Florida, 6-1, 223, sophomore, Bloomington, Ind.
Running backs – Luke Staley, BYU, 6-2, 225, junior, Tualatin, Ore., Travis Stephens, Tennessee, 5-9, 190, senior, Clarksville, Tenn.
Wide receivers – Jabar Gaffney, Florida, 6-1, 197, sophomore, Jacksonville, Fla., Josh Reed, LSU, 5-11, 200, junior, Rayne, La.
Tight End – Dan Graham, Colorado, 6-3, 245, senior, Denver.
Center – LeCharles Bentley, Ohio State, 6-2, 300, senior, Cleveland.
Guards-Tackles – Toniu Fonoti, Nebraska, 6-4, 340, junior, Hauula, Hawaii, Andre Gurode, Colorado, 6-4, 320, senior, Houston, Bryant McKinnie, Miami, 6-9, 335, senior, Woodbury, N.J., Mike Pearson, Florida, 6-7, 300, junior, Seffner, Fla.
Placekicker – Damon Duval, Auburn, 6-1, 186, junior, Chattanooga, Tenn.
All-Purpose – Eric Crouch, Nebraska, 6-1, 200, senior, Omaha, Neb.
DEFENSE
Linemen – Alex Brown, Florida, 6-4, 254, senior, White Springs, Fla., Dwight Freeney, Syracuse, 6-1, 250, senior, Bloomfield, Conn., John Henderson, Tennessee, 6-7, 290, senior, Nashville, Tenn., Julius Peppers, North Carolina, 6-6, 285, junior, Bailey, N.C.
Linebackers – Rocky Calmus, Oklahoma, 6-3, 235, senior, Jenks, Okla., Levar Fisher, North Carolina State, 6-2, 233, senior, Beaufort, N.C., E.J. Henderson, Maryland, 6-2, 243, junior, Aberdeen, Md., Robert Thomas, UCLA, 6-2, 237, senior, Imperial, Calif.
Backs – Quentin Jammer, Texas, 6-1, 200, senior, Angleton, Texas, Edward Reed, Miami, 6-0, 198, senior, St. Rose, La., Lamont Thompson, Washington State, 6-2, 213, senior, Richmond, Calif., Roy Williams, Oklahoma, 6-0, 221, junior, Union City, Calif.
Punter – Travis Dorsch, Purdue, 6-6, 222, junior, Bozeman, Montana.
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback – Ken Dorsey, Miami.
Running backs – William Green, Boston College, Larry Ned, San Diego State.
Wide receivers – Lee Evans, Wisconsin, Marquise Walker, Michigan.
Tight end – Jeremy Shockey, Miami.
Center – Seth McKinney, Texas A&M.
Guards-Tackles – Jonathan Goodwin, Michigan, Terence Metcalf, Mississippi, Fred Weary, Tennessee, Mike Williams, Texas.
Place-kicker – Todd Sievers, Miami.
All-purpose – Antwaan Randle El, Indiana.
DEFENSE
Linemen – Wendell Bryant, Wisconsin, Alan Harper, Fresno State, Cory Redding, Texas, Larry Tripplett, Washington.
Linebackers – Kalimba Edwards, South Carolina, Trev Faulk, LSU, Larry Foote, Michigan, Ben Taylor, Virginia Tech.
Backs – Phillip Buchanon, Miami, Keyou Craver, Nebraska, Troy Polamalu, USC, Lito Sheppard, Florida.
Punter – David Zastudil, Ohio.
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THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback – David Carr, Fresno State.
Running backs – Clinton Portis, Miami, Chester Taylor, Toledo.
Wide receivers – Kevin Curtis, Utah State, Ashley Lelie, Hawaii.
Tight end – Tracey Wistrom, Nebraska.
Center – Luke Butkus, Illinois.
Guards-Tackles – Martin Bibla, Miami, Eric Heitman, Stanford, Victor Rogers, Colorado, Frank Romero, Oklahoma.
Place-kicker – Travis Dorsch, Purdue.
All-purpose – Keenan Howry, Oregon.
DEFENSE
Linemen – William Joseph, Miami, Jerome McDougle, Miami, Will Overstreet, Tennessee, Ryan Sims, North Carolina.
Linebackers – Andra Davis, Florida, Lawrence Flugence, Texas Tech, Ben Leber, Kansas State, D.D. Lewis, Texas.
Backs – Mike Doss, Ohio State, Michael Lewis, Colorado, Ronyell Whitaker, Virginia Tech, Tank Williams, Stanford.
Punter – Jeff Ferguson, Oklahoma.
