Spikes and Harvin named AFCA All-Americans
Thursday, December 4, 2008 | Football
University of Florida junior linebacker Brandon Spikes (Shelby, N.C.) and junior all-purpose player Percy Harvin (Virginia Beach, Va.) were named to the 2008 AFCA Coaches' All-America Team, announced today by the American Football Coaches Association.
The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.
Spikes is a key member of the SEC Eastern Division champion Gators' defense and leads the team with 80 tackles, to go with four interceptions and 8.0 tackles for loss, including two sacks. All four of Spikes' interceptions have come against top-25 opponents, which is tied for first among all players nationally and is the most by any linebacker in the country. Spikes is one of five linebackers in the nation to have two interceptions returned for touchdowns this season. He has led the Gators in tackles in 10 of the last 16 games he has played in, recording 10-or-more tackles in five of his last 13 outings.
The specialists on this year's AFCA Coaches' All-America Team are led by Harvin. The versatile Harvin is averaging 103.0 all-purpose yards per game for the Gators and has scored 16 touchdowns in 2008, nine rushing and seven receiving. He has scored a touchdown in each of the last 14 games he has played in, which is the best in the nation. He has rushed for 538 yards on just 61 carries this season, averaging 8.8 yards per rush, second best in the nation. Harvin leads the Gators with 35 catches and 595 receiving yards, averaging 17.0 yards per catch.
For more information on the AFCA and its programs, log on to the AFCA's website at www.afca.com.
| 2008 AFCA Coaches' All-America Team | |||||||
| Offense | |||||||
| Pos. | Name | School | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Coach | Hometown/High School |
| WR | Michael Crabtree | Texas Tech | 6-3 | 208 | So. | Mike Leach | Dallas, Texas/Carter |
| WR | Dez Bryant | Oklahoma St. | 6-2 | 215 | So. | Mike Gundy | Lufkin, Texas/Lufkin |
| TE | Chase Coffman | Missouri | 6-6 | 255 | Sr. | Gary Pinkel | Peculiar, Mo./Raymore-Peculiar |
| OL | Andre Smith | Alabama | 6-4 | 330 | Jr. | Nick Saban | Birhingham, Ala./Huffman |
| OL | Brandon Carter | Texas Tech | 6-7 | 350 | Jr. | Mike Leach | Longview, Texas/Spring Hill |
| C | Antoine Caldwell | Alabama | 6-3 | 305 | Sr. | Nick Saban | Montgomery, Ala./Lee |
| OL | Michael Oher | Mississippi | 6-5 | 318 | Sr. | Houston Nutt | Memphis, Tenn./Briarcrest Christian |
| OL | Andy Levitre | Oregon St. | 6-3 | 317 | Sr. | Mike Riley | Ben Lomond, Calif./San Lorenzo Valley |
| QB | Graham Harrell | Texas Tech | 6-3 | 205 | Sr. | Mike Leach | Ennis, Texas/Ennis |
| RB | Knowshon Moreno | Georgia | 5-11 | 208 | So. | Mark Richt | Belford, N.J./Middletown South |
| RB | Shonn Greene | Iowa | 5-11 | 235 | Jr. | Kirk Ferentz | Sicklerville, N.J./Milford Acad. |
| Defense | |||||||
| Pos. | Name | School | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Coach | Hometown/High School |
| DL | Brian Orakpo | Texas | 6-4 | 260 | Sr. | Mack Brown | Houston, Texas/Lamar |
| DL | Terrence Cody | Alabama | 6-5 | 365 | Jr. | Nick Saban | Fort Meyers, Fla./Riverdale |
| DL | George Selvie* | South Florida | 6-4 | 242 | Jr. | Jim Leavitt | Pensacola, Fla./Pine Forest |
| DL | Michael Johnson | Georgia Tech | 6-7 | 260 | Sr. | Paul Johnson | Selma, Ala./Dallas County |
| LB | James Laurinaitis* | Ohio St. | 6-3 | 240 | Sr. | Jim Tressel | Hamel, Minn./Wayzata |
| LB | Rey Maualuga | USC | 6-2 | 260 | Sr. | Pete Carroll | Eureka, Calif./Eureka |
| LB | Brandon Spikes | Florida | 6-3 | 245 | Jr. | Urban Meyer | Shelby, N.C./Crest |
| DB | Eric Berry | Tennessee | 5-11 | 195 | So. | Phil Fulmer | Fairburn, Ga./Creekside |
| DB | Rashad Johnson | Alabama | 6-0 | 186 | Sr. | Nick Saban | Sulligent, Ala./Sulligent |
| DB | Malcolm Jenkins | Ohio St. | 6-1 | 202 | Sr. | Jim Tressel | Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway |
| DB | Alphonso Smith | Wake Forest | 5-9 | 190 | Sr. | Jim Grobe | Pahokee, Fla./Pahokee |
| Specialists | |||||||
| Pos. | Name | School | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Coach | Hometown/High School |
| P | Kevin Huber | Cincinnati | 6-1 | 220 | Sr. | Brian Kelly | Cincinatti, Ohio/McNicholas |
| PK | Louie Sakoda | Utah | 5-9 | 178 | Sr. | Kyle Whittingham | San Jose, Calif./Branham |
| AP | Percy Harvin | Florida | 5-11 | 195 | Jr. | Urban Meyer | Virginia Beach, Va./Landstown |
| * - 2007 All-American | |||||||
