Complete Sports Network All-America Team
PHILADELPHIA - Eight Ohio Valley Conference players have been named to the 2010 Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) All-America Team as announced on Wednesday.
The eight selections were one more than were picked to the Sports Network team a season ago. The selections included two players on the first-team, five on the second-team and one on the third-team.
The first-team selections were Southeast Missouri State senior running back Henry Harris and Tennessee State senior safety Eugene Clifford. The second-team selections were Murray State senior wide receiver Marcus Harris, Jacksonville State senior offensive tackle Curt Porter, Southeast Missouri State senior offensive guard Frank Knights, Eastern Kentucky junior kick returner Jeremy Caldwell and Murray State junior punt returner Dontrell Johnson. The third-team selection was Southeast Missouri State senior center Sean Middleton.
Of the four FCS All-America teams released so far this year, the OVC has had 16 total selections. There are two more All-America team to be released this year (Phil Steele and College Sporting News).
Harris, the Ohio Valley Conference's Offensive Player of the Year, earned his third All-America honor of the season (he was also selected to the Walter Camp team and the AP second-team) after rushing for a Southeast single-season record 1,735 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. A native of Memphis, Tenn., Harris rushed for over 100 yards in 10 of his 12 starts, including a FCS single-game high 293 yards vs. Southwest Baptist (Nov. 6). Harris led Southeast Missouri to its first-ever OVC Championship and playoff appearance in 2010, as the Redhawks were 9-3 overall and 7-1 in the OVC.
Clifford, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, also earned his third All-America honor of the year (he was a Walter Camp pick and a first-team AP selection). In his senior season he finished with 83 tackles, four interceptions, 10 pass breakups and 14 pass deflections in 11 games (that ranked him 10th nationally in passes defended at 1.27/game). Clifford, a finalist for the Sports Network's Buck Buchanan Award (given to the top defensive players in the FCS), recorded 204 tackles (120 solo), nine interceptions, 26 passes defended, 35 pass breakups, four fumbles recovered, three forced fumbles and 272 All-Purpose yards (197 interception return yards) in his collegiate career.
Harris, a native of North St. Louis, Mo., put together one of the finest single-season performances in school history, as he hauled in 84 passes for 1,057 yards and nine touchdowns. He did all this despite missing two games with an injury. Harris led the FCS in receptions per game (9.33), and ranked second in yards per game (117.4). In just nine games, Harris ranks second on the single-season list for receptions and tied for second in yards. He also tied for fourth on single-season touchdown list, while putting his name in a tie at the top of the list with five 100-yard performances. Against Missouri State he put together one of the best single-game performances as he caught nine passes in the game, covering 213 yards, while setting a school and Ohio Valley Conference record with five touchdowns. Harris closed out his remarkable MSU career as the school's all-time leader in receptions (216) and yards (2,471), while ranking second in touchdowns (21). His 216 receptions also rank second on the all-time OVC list.
Porter, a native of Fayette, Ala. who was also a first-team AP All-American pick this season, was named first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference last month after leading the Gamecocks to a 9-3 record and into the second round of the NCAA playoffs. Porter graded out at 92 percent for the season, and led the team with 81 knockdowns from his offensive tackle position. The senior led the offensive line with 761 snaps, 24 pancakes and finished with 293 bonus points. He was also one of the captains on the 2010 Gamecock team.
Caldwell was dynamic in the defensive backfield and as a return specialist for the Colonels in 2010. The Chattanooga, Tenn., native currently ranks second nationally with an average of 33.7 yards per kickoff return. This past fall, Caldwell scored touchdowns on kickoff returns against Southeast Missouri and Jacksonville State, a punt return against Austin Peay and an interception return against Louisville. He also recorded 32 tackles, three interceptions, four pass breakups, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.
Johnson, a native of Moultrie, Ga., earned his first All-America honor of the season after an explosive year as a punt returner as he led the nation by averaging 22.8 yards per punt return, including two returns for touchdowns. Johnson burst onto the scene as a punt returner against UT Martin as he started the Racers scoring on slot by taking a punt 91-yards for a touchdown in the opening quarter. He followed that up with a 35-yard return later in the quarter and a 22-yard return in the third quarter. He finished the game with 148 yards on three returns on his way to being named the National Punt Returner of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards. He electrified the crowd again the following week as he helped the Racers nearly pull the upset over #4 Jacksonville State by returning a punt 70 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Johnson also played defensive back and finished the year with 67 tackles and two interceptions.
Knights and Middleton were part of an offensive line at Southeast Missouri that had four first-team All-OVC selections this season, only the second time in league history (and first since 1956) that had happened. The duo helped lead a Redhawk offense which ranked nationally in sacks allowed (1st, 0.50/game), least yards penalized per game (8th, 37.92 ypg), third down conversion percentage (6th, 47.34%), rushing (3rd, 265.08 ypg) and fourth down conversion percentage (3rd, 72.2%).
All 14 FCS conferences plus an independent program, Georgia State, had players represented on the three teams. The Big Sky Conference led with 16 selections, while CAA Football was second with 13. The Missouri Valley and Southern conferences had nine each.
A national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries selected the All-America based only on the regular season.
2010 Sports Network All-Americans from the OVC
RB - Henry Harris, Southeast Missouri (1st Team)
S - Eugene Clifford, Tennessee State (1st)
WR - Marcus Harris, Murray State (2nd)
OT - Curt Porter, Jacksonville State (2nd)
OG - Frank Knights, Southeast Missouri (2nd)
KR - Jeremy Caldwell, Eastern Kentucky (2nd)
PR - Dontrell Johnson, Murray State (2nd)
C - Sean Middleton, Southeast Missouri (3rd)