Blue Hen Football Standous Anthony Bratton, Andrew Pierce Earn The Sports Network All-American Honors
Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell
December 23, 2010
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PHILADELPHIA -- Post-season honors continued to pile up for the University of Delaware football team Wednesday as senior safety Anthony Bratton (top right) and freshman running back Andrew Pierce (bottom right) were selected to The Sports Network All-American third team.
Last week, UD quarterback Pat Devlin, cornerback Anthony Walters, and Bratton were all named to the Associated Press third team All-American squad.
Pierce was one of only two freshmen selected from among the 88 players named to the three All-American teams and he becomes the first freshman in Delaware football history to earn a spot on an All-American squad. Linebacker Jer-ryan Harris of Arkansas-Pine Bluff was the only other freshman on the TSN All-American squad.
No. 5 ranked Delaware (12-2) will be looking to capture its seventh national title and first since 2003 when the Hens take on top-ranked Eastern Washington (12-2) in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Jan. 7 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Tex.
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The Sports Network All-American team is selected from a vote of over 100 media members who cover NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision schools and FCS sports information directors. Delaware has placed at least one player on The Sports Network All-American team eight times in the last nine seasons.
Pierce, a freshman from Bridgeton, N.J. (Cumberland Regional High School), and Bratton, a senior from Manassas, Va. (Osbourn Park High School) were among 13 Colonial Athletic Association players selected to the All-American teams. They were joined by first team picks in OT Ben Ijalana (Villanova), DT Martin Parker (Richmond), LB Tyler Holmes (Massachusetts); second team selections in TE Alex Gottlieb (Wm. & Mary), OT Keith Hill (Wm. & Mary), LB Matt Evans (New Hampshire), LB Eric McBride (Richmond), and DB Dino Vasso (New Hampshire); and third team picks in FB Kendall Gaskins (Richmond), DB Justin Rogers, and P David Miller (Wm. & Mary).
A walk-on who earned the starting job late in pre-season camp in August, Pierce has enjoyed a brilliant rookie season for the Blue Hens, starting all 14 games in the single back offense and rushing 301 times for 1,513 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also has caught 28 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns.
Pierce’s 301 carries and 1,513 yards are each the third highest single season mark in school history with his 13 touchdowns ranking ninth. His 108.0 yards per game average ranks No. 18 in the nation, second among all freshmen. He has rushed for over 100 yards six times, including a UD freshman record 200 yards vs. Duquesne on Sept. 18 and 186 yards in the NCAA semifinal win over Georgia Southern last Saturday.
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 11.5 points per game entering the national championship game. The Blue Hens also rank No. 5 nationally in total defense (277.4 yards per game) and No. 8 in passing efficiency defense.
He ranks second on the team with 92 tackles (55 solo), has posted three tackles for loss, intercepted two passes, forced two fumbles, and recorded a team-high 11 pass breakups. He posted 10 more tackles four times, including a career-high 14 stops in the NCAA semifinal win over Georgia Southern and 12 in a regular season victory over nationally-ranked James Madison.
AGATE:
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE: QB - Matt Barr, Western Illinois; or Jeremy Moses, Stephen F. Austin; or DeAndre Presley, Appalachian State; RB - Nate Eachus, Colgate; Henry Harris, Southeast Missouri State; FB - Eric Breitenstein, Wofford; WR - Tysson Poots, Southern Utah; Chris Summers, Liberty; Raymond Webber, Arkansas-Pine Bluff; TE - Andrew Kennedy, Columbia; OT - Ben Ijalana, Villanova; Mike Person, Montana State; OG - David Arkin, Missouri State; Pat Illig, Wofford; C - Chris Powers, Eastern Washington; PK - Matt Bevins, Liberty; KR - Gralyn Crawford, Stephen F. Austin.
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE: DE - Mario Kurn, San Diego; Ameet Pall, Wofford; DT - Martin Parker, Richmond; Brandon Peguese, Hampton; LB - Kyle Glazier, Western Illinois; Tyler Holmes, Massachusetts; J.C. Sherritt, Eastern Washington; D.J. Smith, Appalachian State; CB - Jarard Cribbs, Lehigh; Trumaine Johnson, Montana; S - Eugene Clifford, Tennessee State; Mark LeGree, Appalachian State; P - John Prelvitz, North Dakota State; PR - Shawn Abuhoff, Dartmouth.
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE: QB - Matt Barr, Western Illinois; or Jeremy Moses, Stephen F. Austin; or DeAndre Presley, Appalachian State; RB - Taiwan Jones, Eastern Washington; Frank Warren, Grambling State; FB - Vai Tafuna, Weber State; WR - Marcus Harris, Murray State; Cordell Roberson, Stephen F. Austin, Sr.; Lito Senatus, Western Illinois; TE - Alex Gottlieb, William & Mary; OT - Keith Hill Jr., William & Mary; Curt Porter, Jacksonville State; OG - Frank Knights, Southeast Missouri; J.C. Oram, Weber State; C - Ryan McKnight, South Dakota State; PK - Jason Cunningham, Montana State; KR - Jeremy Caldwell, Eastern Kentucky.
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE: DE - Jabari Fletcher, Appalachian State; Zack Nash, Sacramento State; DT - Kendrick Ellis, Hampton; Brent Russell, Georgia Southern; LB - Matt Evans, New Hampshire; Eric McBride, Richmond; Derek Rose, Northwestern State; A.J. Storms, Idaho State; CB - Korey Lindsey, Southern Illinois; Dino Vasso, New Hampshire; S - Kejuan Riley, Alabama State; James Vercammen, Dayton; P - David Harrington, Idaho State; PR - Dontrelly Johnson, Murray State.
THIRD TEAM OFFENSE: QB - Matt Barr, Western Illinois; Jeremy Moses, Stephen F. Austin; or DeAndre Presley, Appalachian State; RB - Kyle Minnett, South Dakota State; Andrew Pierce, Delaware; FB - Kendall Gaskins, Richmond; WR - Joe Collins, Weber State; Aaron Mellette, Elon; Ryan Spadola, Lehigh; TE - Shadrae King, Robert Morris; OT - Johnny Culbreath, South Carolina State; Will Rackley, Lehigh; OG - Luis Ruffolo, Penn; Kris Poindexter, Northern Arizona; C - Sean Middleton, Southeast Missouri State; PK - Ian Vance, Georgia State; KR - Larrone Moore, Delaware State.
THIRD TEAM DEFENSE: DE - Kenneth Charles, Stephen F. Austin; Dain Taylor, Drake; DT - Andre Caroll, Delaware State; Dan Ogden, Montana State; LB - Dejuan Fulghum, Texas Southern; Jer-ryan Harris, Arkansas-Pine Bluff; Antoine WIlkinson, Missouri State; Jabara Williams, Stephen F. Austin; CB - Asa Jackson, Cal Poly; Justin Rogers, Richmond; S - Anthony Bratton, Delaware; Matt Johnson, Eastern Washington; P - David Miller, William & Mary; PR - Tavoy Moore, Idaho State
Note: Quarterback will be released after the unveiling of the 2010 Walter Payton Award on Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas. The final candidates are Matt Barr of Western Illinois, Jeremy Moses of Stephen F. Austin and DeAndre Presley of Appalachian State.
