CSJ Announces 2012 Preseason FCS All-America Team
College Sports Journal
Special Report
PHILADELPHIA, PA. — Towson sophomore running back Terrance West, the freshman of the year on the 2011 All-America team, heads up a star-studded group named to the first 2012 College Sports Journal preseason Football Championship Subdivision All-America squad.
Other players who were honored on the 2011 All-America team and are included in the preseason offensive squad include running backs Shakir Bell of Indiana State, Tim Flanders of Sam Houston State and Miguel Maysonet of Stony Brook, fullback Eric Breitenstein of Wofford, all-purpose back Jordan Brown of Bryant, receivers Nicholas Edwards of Eastern Washington, Aaron Mellette of Elon and Ryan Spadola of Lehigh.
Defensive players that were selected to the preseason unit from the 2011 All-America team include defensive ends Ben Obaseki of Indiana State and Blake Oliaro of San Diego, defensive tackle Brent Russell of Georgia Southern, linebackers Matt Evans of New Hampshire, Jeremy Kimbrough of Appalachian State and Keith Pough of Howard, cornerback Marcus Williams of North Dakota State, strong safeties Jordan Dangerfield of Towson and Darnell Taylor of Sam Houston State and free safety Kejuan Riley of Alabama State.
Senior punter Jonathan Plisco of Old Dominion is the lone special teams player from last year's All-America squad to make the preseason team.
The Colonial Athletic Association led all leagues with 21 selections, followed by the Big Sky Conference with 16, the Southland Conference with 13, the Missouri Valley Football Conference with 12 and the Southern Conference with 10.
In all, all 13 leagues in FCS are represented and 61 teams — nearly half of the squads in FCS — had at least one player on the 99-player unit.
Indiana State and Sam Houston State led all teams with four players each on the squad, while James Madison, Liberty, Maine, McNeese State, Old Dominion, Stephen F. Austin and Towson landed three players apiece on the unit.
Appalachian State, Cornell, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Washington, Elon, Georgia Southern, Harvard, Montana State, New Hampshire, Norfolk State, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Portland State, Samford, Southern Utah, Villanova and William & Mary each had a pair of athletes each selected.
Though this is the first College Sports Journal preseason FCS All-America unit, it is not the first time that the people behind the team have chosen All-American squads at the FCS level.
The team was selected by a panel of FCS experts that include the co-owners of College Sports Journal, David Coulson and Chuck Burton.
Coulson is a 35-year veteran of covering college football at every level from Division I to the junior college ranks, including 20 years as the leading written voice of FCS. He authored an award-winning, coffee-table book on Appalachian State's run to the 2005 national championship, entitled "Magic on the Mountain."
A 1980 graduate of Fresno State, Coulson also spent two years as sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times, three seasons running the FCS awards program as the executive director of The Sports Network and was one of the pioneers of College Sporting News in 2001.
Burton cut his teeth in FCS as a student at Lehigh. After graduating, he began the popular blog, Lehigh Sports Nation, covering the Mountain Hawks and the Patriot League in depth.
Burton also spent nearly a decade writing a successful FCS column for College Sporting News before beginning the College Sports Journal web site with Coulson last year.
College Sports Journal also publishes a postseason All-America team for FCS and released the first All-FCS Freshman squad last season, besides its work covering other NCAA sports.
2012 College Sports Journal FCS Preseason All-America Team
First Team
Offense
QB Brad Sorensen, Senior, Southern Utah
RB Tim Flanders, Junior, Sam Houston State
RB Terrance West, Sophomore, Towson
FB Eric Breitenstein, Senior, Wofford
AP Shakir Bell, Junior, Indiana State
WR Aaron Mellette, Senior, Elon
WR Ryan Spadola, Senior, Lehigh
WR Nicholas Edwards, Senior, Eastern Washington
TE Colin Anderson, Senior, Furman
T Aaron Adams, Senior, Eastern Kentucky
T Danny Kistler, Junior, Montana
G Malcolm Boyd, Senior, Liberty
G Earl Watford, Senior, James Madison
C Ray Wilburn, Senior, UC Davis
Defense
DE Ben Obaseki, Senior, Indiana State
DE Blake Oliaro, Junior, San Diego
DT Zach Minter, Senior, Montana State
DT Brent Russell, Senior, Georgia Southern
DL Marquis Jackson, Senior, Portland State
OLB Jody Owens, Senior, Montana State
OLB Keith Pough, Senior, Howard
ILB Matt Evans, Senior, New Hampshire
ILB Jeremy Kimbrough, Senior, Appalachian State
CB B.W. Webb, Senior, William & Mary
CB Marcus Williams, Junior, North Dakota State
SS Darnell Taylor, Senior, Sam Houston State
FS Kejuan Riley, Senior, Alabama State
DB Charles James, Senior, Charleston Southern
Special Teams
K Zach Brown, Senior, Portland State
P Jonathan Plisco, Senior, Old Dominion
KR Kevin Fogg, Senior, Liberty
PR Graylyn Crawford, Senior, Stephen F. Austin
LS Richard Wright, Junior, Liberty
Second Team
Offense
QB Jeff Mathews, Junior, Cornell
RB Zach Bauman, Junior, Northern Arizona
RB Andrew Pierce, Junior, Delaware
FB Dominique Swope, Sophomore, Georgia Southern
AP Jordan Brown, Senior, Bryant
WR Xavier Boyce, Senior, Norfolk State
WR Brandon Kaufman, Junior, Eastern Washington
WR Norman White, Senior, Villanova
TE Justin Perillo, Senior, Maine
T Evan Conrad, Senior, Southeast Missouri State
T Blake Matthews, Senior, Norfolk State
G Chris Howley, Senior, Maine
G Tytan Timoteo, Senior, Weber State
C Sherman Carter, Senior, Tennessee State
Defense
DE Willie Jefferson, Senior, Stephen F. Austin
DE Joseph LeBeau, Senior, Jackson State
DT J.T. Cleveland, Senior, Sam Houston State
DT Kayon Swanson, Senior, Southern Illinois
DL Michael Cole, Junior, Maine
OLB Alvin Scioneaux, Junior, Wofford
OLB Tyler Starr, Junior, South Dakota
ILB Clarence Bumpas, Junior, Northern Colorado
ILB Stephon Robertson, Junior, James Madison
CB Dax Swanson, Senior, Sam Houston State
CB Demetrius McCray, Senior, Appalachian State
SS Jamaal White, Senior, Northwestern State
FS Malcolm Bronson, Senior, McNeese State
DB Jestin Love, Junior, Central Arkansas
Special Teams
K Cameron Yaw, Senior, Samford
P Patrick Murray, Senior, Fordham
KR AJ Cruz, Senior, Brown
PR Darius Carey, Senior, McNeese State
LS Chris Beaver, Senior, James Madison
Third Team
Offense
QB DeNarius McGhee, Junior, Montana State
RB Matt Denham, Senior, Eastern Kentucky
RB Miguel Maysonet, Senior, Stony Brook
FB Kendall Gaskins, Senior, Richmond
AP Fabian Truss, Junior, Samford
WR Rodrick Rumble, Senior, Idaho State
WR Cordell Roberson, Senior, Stephen F. Austin
WR Shane Savage, Senior, Cornell
TE Kyle Juszczyk, Senior, Harvard
T Terron Armstead, Senior, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
T Alex Savoie, Senior, McNeese State
G Ricky Archer, Junior, New Hampshire
G Lamar Mady, Senior, Youngstown State
C FN Lutz, Senior, Indiana State
Defense
DE Frank Beltre, Senior, Towson
DE Nate Palmer, Senior, Illinois State
DT Cody Larsen, Senior, Southern Utah
DT Caraun Reid, Senior, Princeton
DL Chris Burnette, Senior, Old Dominion
OLB Kennith Jackson, Senior, Cal Poly
OLB Craig Wilkins, Senior, Old Dominion
ILB Doug Johnson, Senior, Rhode Island
ILB Aaron Archie, Senior, Indiana State
CB Jeremy Moore, Senior, Georgetown
CB Robert Alford, Senior, Southeastern Louisiana
SS Brian Thompson, Senior, William & Mary
FS Jordan Dangerfield, Senior, Towson
DB Colton Heagle, Junior, North Dakota State
Special Teams
K Tyler Sievertsen, Junior, Northern Iowa
P Mark Hamilton, Senior, Villanova
KR Seitu Smith, Sophomore, Harvard
PR Darius Drummond, Junior, South Carolina State
LS John Hubbard, Senior, Northern Iowa
Selections By Conference
Big Sky: (16) Zach Bauman, Junior, Northern Arizona; Zach Brown, Senior, Portland State; Clarence Bumpas, Junior, Northern Colorado; Nicholas Edwards, Senior, Eastern Washington; Kennith Jackson, Senior, Cal Poly; Marquis Jackson, Senior, Portland State; Brandon Kaufman, Junior, Eastern Washington; Danny Kistler, Junior, Montana; Cody Larsen, Senior, Southern Utah; DeNarius McGhee, Junior, Montana State; Zach Minter, Senior, Montana State; Jody Owens, Senior, Montana State; Rodrick Rumble, Senior, Idaho State; Brad Sorensen, Senior, Southern Utah; Tytan Timoteo, Senior, Weber State; Ray Wilburn, Senior, UC Davis.
Big South: (5) Malcolm Boyd, Senior, Liberty; Kevin Fogg, Senior, Liberty; Charles James, Senior, Charleston Southern; Miguel Maysonet, Senior, Stony Brook; Richard Wright, Junior, Liberty;
Colonial Athletic Association: (21) Ricky Archer, Junior, New Hampshire; Chris Beaver, Senior, James Madison; Frank Beltre, Senior, Towson; Chris Burnette, Senior, Old Dominion; Michael Cole, Junior, Maine; Jordan Dangerfield, Senior, Towson; Matt Evans, Senior, New Hampshire; Kendall Gaskins, Senior, Richmond; Mark Hamilton, Senior, Villanova; Chris Howley, Senior, Maine; Doug Johnson, Senior, Rhode Island; Justin Perillo, Senior, Maine; Andrew Pierce, Junior, Delaware; Jonathan Plisco, Senior, Old Dominion; Stephon Robertson, Junior, James Madison; Brian Thompson, Senior, William & Mary; Earl Watford, Senior, James Madison; B.W. Webb, Senior, William & Mary; Terrance West, Sophomore, Towson; Norman White, Senior, Villanova; Craig Wilkins, Senior, Old Dominion.
Ivy League: (6) AJ Cruz, Senior, Brown; Kyle Juszczyk, Senior, Harvard; Jeff Matthews, Junior, Cornell; Caraun Reid, Senior, Princeton; Shane Savage, Senior, Cornell; Seitu Smith, Sophomore, Harvard.
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference: (4) Xavier Boyce, Senior, Norfolk State; Darius Drummond, Junior, South Carolina State; Blake Matthews, Senior, Norfolk State; Keith Pough, Senior, Howard.
Missouri Valley Conference: (12) Aaron Archie, Senior, Indiana State; Shakir Bell, Sophomore Indiana State; Colton Heagle, Junior, North Dakota State; John Hubbard, Senior, Northern Iowa; FN Lutz, Senior, Indiana State; Lamar Mady, Senior, Youngstown State; Ben Obaseki, Senior, Indiana State; Nate Palmer, Senior, Illinois State; Tyler Sievertsen, Junior, Northern Iowa; Kayon Swanson, Senior, Southern Illinois; Tyler Starr, Junior, South Dakota; Marcus Williams, Junior, North Dakota State.
Northeast Conference: (1) Jordan Brown, Senior, Bryant.
Ohio Valley Conference: (4) Aaron Adams, Senior, Eastern Kentucky; Sherman Carter, Senior, Tennessee State; Evan Conrad, Senior, Southeast Missouri State; Matt Denham, Senior, Eastern Kentucky;
Patriot League: (3) Jeremy Moore, Senior, Georgetown; Patrick Murray, Senior, Fordham; Ryan Spadola, Senior, Lehigh;
Pioneer Football League: (1) Blake Oliaro, Junior, San Diego.
Southern Conference: (10) Colin Anderson, Senior, Furman; Eric Breitenstein, Senior, Wofford; Jeremy Kimbrough, Senior, Appalachian State; Demetrius McCray, Senior, Appalachian State; Aaron Mellette, Senior, Elon; Brent Russell, Senior, Georgia Southern; Alvin Scioneaux, Junior, Wofford; Dominique Swope, Sophomore, Georgia Southern; Fabian Truss, Junior, Samford; Cameron Yaw, Senior, Samford.
Southland Conference: (13) Robert Alford, Senior, Southeastern Louisiana; Malcolm Bronson, Senior, McNeese State; Darius Carey, Senior, McNeese State; J.T. Cleveland, Senior, Sam Houston State; Graylyn Crawford, Senior, Stephen F. Austin; Tim Flanders, Junior, Sam Houston State; Willie Jefferson, Senior, Stephen F. Austin; Jestin Love, Junior, Central Arkansas; Cordell Roberson, Senior, Stephen F. Austin; Alex Savoie, Senior, McNeese State; Dax Swanson, Senior, Sam Houston State; Darnell Taylor, Senior, Sam Houston State; Jamaal White, Senior, Northwestern State.
Southwestern Athletic Conference: (3) Terron Armstead, Senior, Arkansas-Pine Bluff; Joseph LeBeau, Senior, Jackson State; Kejuan Riley, Senior, Alabama State.
