Trio Of Defensive Players Named AP All-Americans
Tuesday, December 12, 2006 | Football
University of Florida junior free safety Reggie Nelson (Melbourne, Fla.) has been named to the Associated Press' first-team All-America defense, the organization announced Tuesday. Junior cornerback Ryan Smith (Diamond Bar, Calif.) also garnered second-team recognition from the AP, while junior linebacker Brandon Siler (Orlando, Fla.) collected third-team All-America honors.
The three AP All-America selections for the Gators run their all-time total to 126 honors, and represent their highest total of honorees since 2001, when six UF players earned spots on the outlet's All-America teams. Nelson is Florida's first first-team selection since Keiwan Ratliff took the honor in 2003.
A finalist for the Nagurski and Jim Thorpe Awards, Nelson stands sixth among UF players with 50 tackles, including 34 solo efforts, and his six interceptions rank third in the Southeastern Conference. He has also returned 12 punts for 93 yards (7.8 yards per return), in addition to blocking a pair of opponent punt attempts. Nelson collected the SEC Defensive Player of the Week award after Florida's win over Alabama on Sept. 30, during which he made five tackles, returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown, recovered a fumble and broke up a pass. In October, the Melbourne, Fla., native took captured the Atlanta Journal Constitution's Defensive Player of the Half-Year honors, in addition to receiving a nod to CBS Sportsline's Halfway All-America team, and he received first-team All-America recognition from Rivals.com in November. Most recently, Nelson was named a first-team All-SEC performer by both the league's coaches and the Associated Press, as well as a Football Writers' Association of America first-team All-American.
Smith, who leads the SEC and stands in a tie for third nationally with eight interceptions, earned second-team All-America honors after totaling 52 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 15 passes defended this season. Each of his eight picks have come since Sept. 30, giving him the national lead over that time span. After entering the season with just two career interceptions, Smith currently ranks second on Florida's single-season interceptions chart, and needs just one to tie Ratliff for the school record. He turned in one of his finest games in Florida's road win over SEC East foe Vanderbilt, registering a career-high 11 tackles, intercepting a pass and blocking a punt; his 10 solo tackles versus the Commodores are a single-game high for a UF player this season. He has also collected first-team All-SEC honors from the AP and second-team all-conference recognition from the league's coaches.
Siler, who made a season-high 12 tackles against Arkansas in Florida's SEC Championship Game win, ranks second on the team with 73 tackles, including 46 solo efforts. He was a semifinalist for the 2006 Chuck Bednarik Award, given annually to college football's Outstanding Defensive Player. The Orlando, Fla., native also nabbed second-team All-SEC accolades from both the league's coaches and the AP for his efforts on the field. Siler has also excelled in the classroom this season, collecting first-team Academic All-District III honors for the second-consecutive year. This selection marks the first All-America honor for Siler since garnering Freshman All-America status from Rivals.com and FWAA in 2004.
Second-ranked Florida will take to the field again on Jan. 8, 2007, when it will meet Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, Ariz. UF's appearance in the BCS National Championship Game will mark the third time in school history that it has entered a bowl game with a chance to win the national title. The Gators claimed the 1996 NCAA crown with a 52-20 victory over top-ranked Florida State in the Sugar Bowl behind a three-touchdown, 306-yard performance from Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel. The Gators also played for the national championship in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl after posting a 12-0 regular-season record.
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