Blue Hen Standouts Devlin, Bratton, Walters Earn Associated Press All-American Honors
December 15, 2010
Pictured top to bottom: Anthony Bratton (4), Pat Devlin (17), Anthony Walters (9) (Photos by Mark Campbell)
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NEW YORK -- University of Delaware senior quarterback Pat Devlin, senior strong safety Anthony Bratton, and senior cornerback Anthony Walters, who have led the Blue Hen football team to a berth in the NCAA semifinals this weekend, have been selected to the Associated Press Football Championship Subdivision All-American team as third team selections.
The three will lead the No. 3 seed and fifth-ranked Blue Hens (11-2) into the NCAA semifinals this Saturday, Dec. 18 vs. No. 20 Georgia Southern (10-4) at Delaware Stadium at 12 noon. Ticket information is available at www.bluehens.com. The winner will advance to the national title game Jan. 7 at Frisco, Texas. Villanova will take on Eastern Washington in the other semifinal game Friday, Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. ET.
Devlin, a 6-4, 220 lb. senior from Downingtown, Pa. (Downingtown East HS); Bratton, a 6-2, 205 lb. senior from Manassas, Va. (Osbourn Park HS); and Walter, a 6-1, 200 lb. senior from Philadelphia, Pa. (Cardinal O’Hara), were among 11 Colonial Athletic Association players selected to the three teams.
The Blue Hens have now had at least one player earn All-American honors each of the last nine seasons.
Devlin, the 2010 CAA Offensive Player of the Year, becomes the 10th quarterback in Delaware football history to earn All-American honors, joining Don Miller (1954), Tom DiMuzio (1969), Jeff Komlo (1978), Scott Brunner (1979), Rick Scully (1982), Rich Gannon (1986), Matt Nagy (2000), Andy Hall (2003), and Joe Flacco (2007).
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A second-year transfer from Penn State, Devlin has enjoyed an outstanding senior campaign and was named the Colonial Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year in November. He completed 225 of 330 passes for 2,675 yards and 20 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He leads all FCS quarterbacks in completion pct. with a mark of 68.2 percent and ranks third in passing rating with a mark of 155.06. He also ranks 23rd in passing yards per game (222.9) and No. 28 in total offense per game (232.3)
He has thrown for over 200 yards eight times this season, including each of the last six games. He has been nearly flawless over the last five games, including two playoff appearances, completing 121 of 169 passes (71.6 percent) for 1,380 (276.0 yards per game) and 14 touchdowns with just one interception. He threw for a season-high 318 yards vs. Towson on Nov. 6 and threw for four touchdowns against Massachusetts and Lehigh.
Bratton, who earned first team All-CAA honors this season, has anchored a defense that has led the nation in scoring defense all season long and allows just 11.6 points per game entering the Georgia Southern game. The Blue Hens also rank No. 5 nationally in total defense (274.9 yards per game) and No. 8 in passing efficiency defense. He ranks third on the team with 78 tackles (45 solo), has posted three tackles for loss, intercepted two passes, forced two fumbles, and recorded a team-high 11 pass breakups. He posted a season-high 11 tackles in an early season win over James Madison.
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Walters, who earned second team All-CAA honors this fall after being a first team pick in 2009, also keyed the defense and a secondary that was considered one of the strongest units in the country. Despite missing two games with injuries, he ranked No. 7 on the team with 63 tackles (50 solo), had three tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble, and a team-high seven interceptions. He ranks No. 4 nationally in interceptions and has picked off three passes in Delaware’s two NCAA playoff games this fall. He had two interceptions each this season vs. West Chester and Lehigh.
Other CAA players honored were first team picks Ben Ijalana (OT/Villanova), Martin Parker (DL/Richmond), and Tyler Holmes (LB/Massachusetts); second team picks Matt Evans (LB/New Hampshire), Eric McBride (LB/Richmond), Dino Vasso (DB/New Hampshire), David Miller (P/William & Mary); and third team selection Justin Rogers (DB/Richmond).
AGATE:
1st Team
Offense: QB - Jeremy Moses (S.F. Austin); RB - Taiwan Jones (Eastern Washington), Nate Eachus (Colgate); OL - Ben Ijalana (Villanova), Curt Porter (Jacksonville State), David Arkin (Missouri State), Mike Person (Montana State), Will Rackley (Lehigh); TE - Shadrae King (Robert Morris); WR - Raymond Webber (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Tysson Poots (Southern Utah); AP - Gralyn Crawford (S.F. Austin); K - Jason Cunningham (Montana State).
Defense - DL - Kendrick Ellis (Hampton), Jabari Fletcher (Appalachian State), Martin Parker (Richmond), Brent Russell (Georgia Southern); LB - J.C. Sherritt (Eastern Washington), Kyle Glazier (Western Illinois), Tyler Holmes (Massachusetts); DB - Mark Legree (Appalachian State), Trumaine Johnson (Montana), Korey Lindsay (Southern Illinois), Eugene Clifford (Tennessee State); P - David Harrington (Idaho State).
Other Colonial Athletic Association Players:
2nd Team - LB - Matt Evans (New Hampshire), LB Eric McBride (Richmond), DB Dino Vasso (New Hampshire), P - David Miller (William & Mary)
3rd Team - QB - Pat Devlin (Delaware); DB - Justin Rogers (Richmond); Anthony Bratton (Delaware); Anthony Walters (Delaware)
