Eleven Gators Earn All-SEC Honors From League's Coaches
Tuesday, December 5, 2006 | Football
The Southeastern Conference announced Tuesday that University of Florida senior wide receiver Dallas Baker (New Smyrna Beach, Fla.), senior linebacker Earl Everett (Webster, Fla.), senior defensive lineman Ray McDonald (Belle Glade, Fla.), junior free safety Reggie Nelson (Melbourne, Fla.) and senior center Steve Rissler (Sarasota, Fla.) have been named first-team All-SEC honorees on a vote by the league's coaches. It was also announced that sophomore defensive end Derrick Harvey (Greenbelt, Md.), senior quarterback Chris Leak (Charlotte, N.C.), junior offensive lineman Drew Miller (Sarasota, Fla.), junior linebacker Brandon Siler (Orlando, Fla.), junior cornerback Ryan Smith (Diamond Bar, Calif.) and junior offensive lineman Phil Trautwein (Voorhees, N.J.) were selected to the Coaches' All-SEC second team.
Florida's five first-team selections are second only to Arkansas' six representatives, while the six UF players on the second-team mark the highest amount in the conference; Florida's total of 11 all-league picks is the most in the SEC, ranking ahead of the eight honorees from Arkansas. The Gators' 11 selections to the Coaches' All-SEC are also their highest total since also garnering 11 after the 1995 season. Florida's five first-team berths are also the team's high since earning six such honors in 2001.
Baker, a first-time Coaches' All-SEC selection, leads Florida with career-high totals of 56 receptions, 897 yards and nine touchdowns. He ranks fifth in the SEC in touchdown catches (nine), seventh in yards (897) and 10th in yards per game (69.0), while his nine scoring catches are more than 17 entire Division I-A teams have totaled in 2006. He has two game-winning touchdown receptions on the year, hauling in a 25-yard strike from Leak to give the Gators a 21-14 win over Florida State and grabbing a 21-yard pass with just over six minutes left in regulation to defeat Tennessee, 21-20.
The Gators' leading tackler in 2006, Everett has amassed 78 total tackles (45 solo), six tackles for loss, a sack and two passes defended on the season. He was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 18 after tallying 11 tackles against Tennessee to lead a defense that limited the Volunteers to minus-11 yards rushing on the night. The Webster, Fla., native reached three individual milestones this season, surpassing the 200 career-tackle mark against Tennessee, breaking the 150 solo-tackle mark versus Georgia and moving past the 250 career-tackle barrier in the win over South Carolina. Everett was named a second-team All-SEC selection by the Associated Press on Monday, and this year's selection marks his first career nod to the Coaches' All-SEC first team. He was also a second-team all-conference pick by the SEC coaches in 2004.
McDonald has recovered from two off-season knee surgeries to compile 33 tackles (20 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass deflections and a blocked field goal this season, earning him the first Coaches' All-SEC accolade of his career. His versatility on the defensive line allowed him to fill multiple roles within the unit this season, as five of his 13 starts on the year have come from the defensive tackle spot, rather than his usual post at defensive end. McDonald scored his first career touchdown on a nine-yard fumble return on the first play of the third quarter against Georgia, giving the Gators the eventual winning margin in their 21-14 triumph over the Bulldogs and earning SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week recognition for his efforts.
Nelson's first career Coaches' All-SEC selection adds to a season that has already seen him earn Nagurski Trophy (Outstanding Defensive Player) and Jim Thorpe Award (Top Defensive Back) finalist honors. He stands sixth among UF players with 50 tackles, including 34 solo efforts, and his six interceptions rank third in the SEC; 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. On Monday, Nelson was named a first-team All-SEC performer by the AP.
Nelson and Smith combined to intercept 14 passes in 2006, a figure that ranks first nationally among defensive-back duos. The pair has also produced 95 tackles, 23 passes defended, four blocked punts and a fumble recovery for the Gators this season.
The leader of Florida's offensive line in 2006, Rissler earned the initial Coaches' All-SEC honor of his career after starting all 13 games at center and paving the way for a UF running game that has averaged 4.8 yards per carry and tallied 21 touchdowns on the year. Combined with his seven-straight starts at the guard position to close out the 2005 campaign, Rissler has been in the starting lineup each of the Gators' last 20 contests. The Sarasota, Fla., native's first-team selection also gives the Gators an offensive lineman on the coaches' top squad for the fourth-consecutive season.
Harvey nabbed the first all-conference honor of his young career after leading Florida, and ranking third in the SEC, with eight sacks this season. After going without a sack in the year's first three games, Harvey went on a tear that saw him bring down the opposing signal caller eight times in a 10-game span. He racked up 31 tackles, including a team-high 10 tackles for loss, and two fumbles recoveries, to go along with his eight sacks, in 2006. He recorded a personal-best five tackles and made 2.5 tackles for loss in the Gators' win over Vanderbilt in Nashville.
A true senior in his fourth year as Florida's starting quarterback, Leak is 207-of-329 for 2,729 yards and 22 touchdowns this season, while also chipping in with three rushing touchdowns. He ranks third in the SEC in touchdown passes (22), completion percentage (62.9) and passing yards (2,729), fourth in passing efficiency (146.8) and fifth in passing yards per game (209.9); in records dating back to 1955, Leak's 22 touchdown tosses in 2006 match or surpass the UF leader from 42 of 50 years. With 189 passing yards in Florida's 38-28 win over Arkansas in the SEC Championship Game, the Charlotte, N.C., native moved past former UF great Danny Wuerffel into the top spot on the school's all-time list with 11,000 for his career.
He was named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week after completing 21-of-34 passes for 283 yards and a pair of touchdowns en route to leading UF to a 21-14 win over Florida State and improving his career record against the Seminoles to 3-1. Leak is one of 15 finalists for the 70th Annual Maxwell Award for the Collegiate Player of the Year, as well as one of 11 final candidates for the Manning Award, which is the only national quarterback Award to consider bowl-game performance in the selection of its recipient. In addition to his on-the-field honors, Leak has also been selected as a member of the 2006 National Scholar-Athlete Class, as well as a finalist for the 2006 Draddy Trophy. One of college football's most sought-after and competitive awards, the Draddy Trophy recognizes an individual as the top performer in the country for combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership; the award is routinely recognized as the academic equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.
Miller has started each of Florida's 13 games at right guard in 2006, helping the Gators amass 2,084 yards and 21 scores on 433 carries. He played key roles in UF's 235-yard and 204-yard performances against Kentucky and UCF, respectively. His second-team Coaches' All-SEC berth is the first all-conference honor of his career.
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. 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 his first career Coaches' All-SEC nod, and comes on the heels of a second-team all-conference nod from the AP.
Smith, who leads the SEC and stands in a tie for third nationally with eight interceptions, earned second-team all-conference honors from the league's coaches 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 Keiwan 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. On Monday, he also collected first-team All-SEC honors from the AP.
Charged with protecting Leak's blindside this season, Trautwein has been an integral part of a UF offensive line that has yielded just 22 sacks in 13 games. He has started each of Florida's outings this season, and graded out at a team-high 82 percent following the 21-14 win over Georgia in Jacksonville. His recognition as an All-SEC performer by the league's coaches is the first of his collegiate career.
Second-ranked Florida will take to the field again on Jan. 8, 2007, when it will meet Ohio State in the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, Ariz. UF's appearance in the Tostitos 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 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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