Several Gators Selected To AP All-SEC Football Teams
Monday, December 5, 2005 | Football
Three members of the University of Florida football team were honored as 2005 AP All-Southeastern Conference first team honorees, while four members were named to the second team and UF had an honorable mention choice.
UF junior wide receiver Chad Jackson and senior center Mike Degory were listed as first-team members, while junior quarterback Chris Leak and senior offensive lineman Randy Hand represented the Gators on the second-team. On defense, junior cornerback Dee Webb was selected to the first-team and senior defensive end Jeremy Mincey made the second-team and junior defensive tackle Marcus Thomas garnered honorable mention recognition. Rounding out UF's list was second-team junior kicker Chris Hetland.
Jackson (Hoover, Ala.) has 81 catches this season for 824 yards and nine touchdowns, he has also carried the ball 15 times for 87 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jackson leads the SEC in receptions per game (7.3), while his 74.9 receiving yards per contest are third in the league. He has caught a pass in 23-straight games, the second-longest active streak in the SEC. His 81 receptions this season are tied for eighth nationally and rate first in the SEC. Jackson enters Florida's Outback Bowl game against Iowa needing seven catches to match the single-season school record (Carlos Alvarez, 88, 1969).
Degory (Palm Bay) was named to the first team after he was a second team pick in 2004 and an honorable mention choice in 2003. He has started each of the 49 games of his collegiate career, marking the fourth-longest active streak in the nation. Degory's steak is one away from matching the school record held by Larry Kennedy (1991-94).
For the second straight season, Leak (Charlotte, NC) was honored by the AP as a second-team selection. He has completed 210-of-334 passes on the year for 2,361 yards. He has a completion percentage of (62.9.) and has thrown 18 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Leak ranks third in the SEC with 214.6 yards passing per game and is third in total offense with 219.2 yards per contest. His 18 touchdown passes are third in the league, while his pass efficiency rating of 136.4 ranks fourth. This season, Leak has six rushing touchdowns which ties Jesse Palmer (2000) for the second-best single-season total by a Gator quarterback in school history.
Hand (Fort Myers) started 11 games this season for UF at left tackle. Hand had one of his best performances of the season in UF's 34-7 victory over Florida State on Nov. 26. In that contest, Hand graded out at 90 percent and had three knockdowns.
Webb (Jacksonville) started 11 games at cornerback this season for the Gators. His 13 pass breakups lead the SEC and rank 19th nationally. In addition, Webb has accounted for two of the Gators' four blocked kicks this season.
Mincey (Statesboro, Ga.) is second on the Gator squad with 61 tackles this season. The total is the best for any defensive lineman in the SEC and is tied for 30th in the league this year. He has had at least one tackle for loss in nine of 11 games this season, and his 10.5 leads all Gators. He has also recorded 3.5 sacks this year and recovered a fumble.
Thomas (Jacksonville) has 41 tackles on the season, including 9.5 for a net loss of 31 yards, as well as three sacks for a loss of 17 yards. He is one of two Gator defenders to block a kick during the 2005 season, and the only defender in Florida history to block a field goal that was returned for a touchdown.
Hetland (Leesburg, Ga.) ranks first in the SEC in field goal percentage (.857) as he has connected on 12-of-14 attempts this season. He is 34-of-36 on PATs and leads the team with 70 points. He is also one of four place-kickers nationally to have been honored with conference special teams player of the week honors multiple times this year.
AP First-Team All-SEC Offense
WR -Sidney Rice, South Carolina, Fr., 6-4, 191
WR - Chad Jackson, Florida, Jr., 6-1, 205
OL -x-Marcus McNeill, Auburn, Sr., 6-9, 338
OL - x-Max Jean-Gilles, Georgia, Sr., 6-4, 340
OL - Andrew Whitworth, LSU, Sr., 6-7, 322
OL - Arron Sears, Tennessee, Jr., 6-4, 338
C - Mike Degory, Florida, Sr., 6-6, 304
TE - x-Leonard Pope, Georgia, Jr., 6-7, 250
QB - Jay Cutler, Vanderbilt, Sr., 6-4, 228
QB - D.J. Shockley, Georgia, Sr., 6-1, 206
RB - x-Kenny Irons, Auburn, Jr., 5-11, 202
RB - Darren McFadden, Arkansas, Fr., 6-2, 210
K - x-Brandon Coutu, Georgia, So., 6-0, 197
All-Purpose - Rafael Little, Kentucky, So., 5-11, 195
AP First-team All-SEC Defense
E-Willie Evans, Mississippi St., Sr., 6-2, 270
E -Quentin Moses, Georgia, Jr., 6-5, 248
T-Kyle Williams, LSU, Sr., 6-2, 295
T-Claude Wroten, LSU, Sr., 6-3, 290
LB-x-DeMeco Ryans , Alabama, Sr., 6-2, 232
LB- Patrick Willis, Mississippi, Jr., 6-2, 230
LB-Moses Osemwegie, Vanderbilt, Sr., 6-0, 228
CB-Tim Jennings, Georgia, Sr., 5-8, 178
CB-Dee Webb, Florida, Jr., 5-11, 190
CB-DeMario Minter, Georgia, Sr., 6-0, 198
S- x-Greg Blue, Georgia, Sr., 6-2, 214
S - x-Ko Simpson, South Carolina, so., 6-1, 201
P - Kody Bliss, Auburn, Jr., 5-11, 177
AP Second-team All-SEC Offense
WR- Earl Bennett, Vanderbilt, Fr., 6-2, 200
WR - DJ Hall, Alabama, So., 6-3, 190
L-Kyle Roper, Arkansas, Sr., 6-3, 291
L-Daniel Inman, Georgia, Jr., 6-7, 328
L-Tim Duckworth, Auburn, Jr., 6-4, 315
L- Randy Hand, Florida, Sr., 6-6, 310
C - Rudy Niswanger, LSU, Sr., 6-6, 296
TE-Dustin Dunning, Vanderbilt, Sr., 6-5, 248
QB -Chris Leak, Florida, Jr., 6-0, 210
RB-Kenneth Darby, Alabama, Jr., 5-11, 205
RB - Jerious Norwood, Mississippi St., Sr., 6-0, 204
K _ Chris Hetland, Florida, Jr., 6-0, 185
All-Purpose _ Skyler Green, LSU, Sr., 5-10, 185
AP Second-team All-SEC Defense
E-Jeremy Mincey, Florida, Sr., 6-4, 265
E -Marquies Gunn, Auburn, Jr., 6-4, 249
E - Jason Hall, Tennessee, Sr., 6-3, 260
E - Parys Haralson, Tennessee, Sr., 6-2, 248
T - Keith Jackson, Arkansas, Jr., 6-0, 285
T - Justin Harrell, Tennessee, Jr., 6-4, 306
T - T.J. Jackson, Auburn, Sr. 6-1, 305
LB - Sam Olajubutu, Arkansas, Jr., 5-9, 277
LB - Freddie Roach, Alabama, Sr., 6-2, 248
LB - Kevin Simon, Tennessee, Sr., 5-11, 234
LB -Travis Williams, Auburn, Sr., 6-1, 213
CB - Johnathan Joseph, South Carolina, Jr., 5-11, 187
CB - David Irons, CB, Auburn, Sr., 5-11, 190
S - Muhammad Abdullah, Kentucky, Sr., 6-0, 205
S - Will Herring, Auburn, Jr., 6-3, 220
S LaRon Landry, LSU, Jr., 6-2, 204
P Gordon Ely-Kelso, Georgia, Jr., 6-2, 234
AP All-SEC Honorable Mention Offense
Felix Jones, All-Purpose, Arkansas; Nate Livings, L, LSU; Troy Reddick, L, Auburn; JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU; Kyle Tatum, L, Alabama.
AP All-SEC Honorable Mention Defense
Fred Bennett, CB, South Carolina; Michael Bozeman, T, Mississippi; Kevin Dockery, CB, Mississippi St.; Jeramie Johnson, S, Mississippi St., Jesse Mahelona, T, Tennessee; Stanley McClover, E, Auburn; Marcus Thomas, T, Florida; Wesley Woodyard, LB, Kentucky.
AP SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR (OFFENSE)
Jay Cutler, Vanderbilt
AP SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR (DEFENSE)
DeMeco Ryans, Alabama
AP SEC COACH OF THE YEAR
Steve Spurrier, South Carolina
AP SEC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Darren McFadden, Arkansas
