December 19, 2011

Benford, Schweitzer receive All-America nod from The Sports Network

Golden Eagle seniors Tim Benford and Scott Schweitzer have been named to the FCS All-America team in nationwide voting done by The Sports Network. Benford is a second-team pick and Schweitzer is a third-team selection.

View the complete FCS All-America team announced by The Sports Network

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Tech seniors Tim Benford and Scott Schweitzer were named Monday to The Sports Network/Fathead.com All-America football team, capping off a year in which the pair helped lift the Golden Eagles to the Ohio Valley Conference championship and first appearance in the FCS Playoffs.

Benford, a 6-1, 195-pound wide receiver from Chattanooga, is a second-team selection while Schweitzer, a 6-5, 300-pound offensive guard from Alpharetta, Ga., is a third-team pick. It was the third different All-America team to include Schweitzer. Both players were first-team all-OVC selections, while Benford was also named the OVC Offensive Player of the Year.

Benford, a fourth-team All-America pick by TSN as a junior, led the Ohio Valley Conference in 2011 in both receptions and receiving yards, setting school career records in both categories. He finished the year with 65 catches for 923 yards and five touchdowns. His career numbers of 217 receptions and 3,104 yards both rank second in OVC history.

Schweitzer was previously named to All-America teams by CollegeSportsMadness.com and Associated Press.

The Tech pair are among seven players from the OVC named to TSN All-America teams, including one first-team pick, two second-team selections and four on the third-team listing. The first-team selection is UT Martin punt returner C.J. Estelle. Joining Benford on the second-team is SEMO linebacker Blake Peiffer. The third team included Schweitzer, Murray State quarterback Casey Brockman, EKU defensive lineman Emory Ettig, and Tennessee State linebacker Rico Council.

A national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries selected the TSN All-America based only on the regular season.

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE: QB - Bo Levi Mitchell, Eastern Washington, Sr., or Chris Lum, Lehigh, Sr.; RB - Shakir Bell, Indiana State, So.; Terrance West, Towson, Fr.; FB - Eric Breitenstein, Wofford, Jr.; WR - Aaron Mellette, Elon, Jr.; Nicholas Edwards, Eastern Washington, Jr.; Ryan Spadola, Lehigh, Jr.; TE - Colin Anderson, Furman, Jr.; OT - Chris Crockett, Sam Houston State, Sr.; Brett Moore, Georgia Southern, Sr.; OG - Gino Gradkowski, Delaware, Sr.; Nate Page, Wofford, Sr.; C - Travis Watson, Sam Houston State, Sr.; PK - Zach Brown, Portland State, Sr.; KR - Kevin Fogg, Liberty, Jr.

FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE: DE - Adrian Hamilton, Prairie View A&M, Sr.; Andrew Schaetzke, Georgetown, Sr.; DT - Ronnie Cameron, Old Dominion, Sr.; Brent Russell, Georgia Southern, Jr.; LB - Wes Dothard, Chattanooga, So.; Matt Evans, New Hampshire, Jr.; L.J. Fort, Northern Iowa, Sr.; Caleb McSurdy, Montana, Sr.; CB - Bryce Robertson, Bucknell, Sr.; Marcus Williams, North Dakota State, So.; S - Kejuan Riley, Alabama State, Jr.; Darnell Taylor, Sam Houston State, Jr.; P - David Harrington, Idaho State, Sr.; C.J. Estelle, UT Martin, Sr.

SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE: QB - Bo Levi Mitchell, Eastern Washington, Sr., or Chris Lum, Lehigh, Sr.; RB - Tim Flanders, Sam Houston State, So.; Jonathan Grimes, William & Mary, Sr.; FB - Jake Romanelli, Cal Poly, Sr.; WR - Tim Benford, Tennessee Tech, Sr.; Brian Quick, Appalachian State, Sr.; Rodrick Rumble, Idaho State, Jr.; TE - Kyle Juszczyk, Harvard, Jr.; OT - Paul Cornick, North Dakota State, Sr.; Blake Matthews, Norfolk State, Jr.; OG - D.J. Hall, Texas State, Sr.; J.C. Oram, Weber State, Sr.; C - Bryan Boemer, Southern Illinois, Sr.; PK - Tyler Sievertsen, Northern Iowa, So.; KR - Laron Scott, Georgia Southern, Sr.

SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE: DE - Ryan Davis, Bethune-Cookman, Sr.; Willie Jefferson, Stephen F. Austin, So.; DT - Ben Boothby, Northern Iowa, Sr.; Zach Minter, Montana State, Jr.; LB - Seth Allison, Central Arkansas, Jr.; Jeremy Kimbrough, Appalachian State, Jr.; Blake Pfeifer, SE Missouri State, So.; Keith Pough, Howard, Jr.; CB - Trumaine Johnson, Montana, Sr.; Josh Norman, Coastal Carolina, Sr.; S - Justin Bethel, Presbyterian, Sr.; Alex Sewall, Indiana State, Sr.; P - Jonathan Plisco, Old Dominion, Jr.; PR - Darius Carey, McNeese State, Jr.

THIRD-TEAM OFFENSE: QB - Casey Brockman, Murray State, Jr.; RB - Jordan Brown, Bryant, Jr.; Miguel Maysonet, Stony Brook, Jr.; FB - Brock Lough, Indiana State, Sr.; WR - Tre Gray, Richmond, Sr.; Chris Summers, Liberty, Sr.; Patrick Walker, Northern Colorado, Sr.; TE - Renty Rollins, Jackson State, Sr.; OT - Conrad Burbank, Montana State, Sr.; Tom Compton, South Dakota, Sr.; Orry Frye, Appalachian State, Sr.; OG - Joe Faiella, Stony Brook, Sr.; Scott Schweitzer, Tennessee Tech, Sr.; C - Jim Liebler, Lehigh, Sr.; PK - Adrian Mora, Georgia Southern, Sr.; KR - Austin Minefee, Southern Utah, Sr.

THIRD-TEAM DEFENSE: DE - Corey Hart, Alabama A&M, Sr.; Ben Obaseki, Indiana State, Jr.; DT - Emory Attig, Eastern Kentucky, Jr.; Josue Ortiz, Harvard, Sr.; LB - Rico Council, Tennessee State, Sr.; Jody Owens, Montana State, Jr.; Alvin Scioneaux, Wofford, Jr.; A.J. Storms, Idaho State, Sr.; CB - Asa Jackson, Cal Poly, Sr.; Ryan Steed, Furman, Sr.; S - Jose Gumbs, Monmouth, Sr.; Serge Kona, Duquesne, Jr.; P - Patrick Murray, Fordham, Jr.; PR - Jabin Sambrano, Montana, Sr.

Note: The order of the first- and second-team All-America quarterbacks will released after the unveiling of the 2011 Walter Payton Award on Jan. 6.

Golden Eagles named All-America

Tech has had 28 players named All-America a total of 49 times by the Associated Press (AP), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Walter Camp (WC),The Football News (FN), Kodak (K), The Sports Network (TSN), Don Hansen's Football Gazette (DHFG), Teamlink.com (TLC) and College Sports Madness.com (CSM):

1939   Holmes Neal, T (AP)
1939   Creed McClure, G (AP)
1952   Tom Fann, T (AP)
1959   Tommy Hackler, E (AP)
1960   Tommy Hackler, E (AP)
1961   Dave Baxter, T (AP)
1969   Larry Schreiber, RB (AP)
1971   Jim Youngblood, LB (AP/AFCA)
1972   Jim Youngblood, LB (AP/AFCA)
1974   Elois Grooms, DE (AFCA)
1976   Ed Burns, OT (AP/AFCA)
1979   Steve Davis, P (FN)
1980   Wayne Anderson, PK (AFCA)
1987   Thomas Squires, LB (FN)
1989   Ryan Weeks, PK (AP/K/TSN)
1996   Robert Taylor, CB (AP/WC/TSN)
1998   Branon Vaughn, DE (TSN/DHFG)
1999   Branon Vaughn, DE (TLC)
1999   David Collett, PK (TLC/AP)
1999   Wes Gallagher, OG (AP)
1999   Joshua Symonette, DB (AP/TLC)
2000   Joey Bishop, OC (DHFG)
2000   D.J. Bleisath, DE (DHFG)
2000   Chad Evitts, LB (DHFG/AP/TSN)
2000   Troy Grant, DB (DHFG)
2000   Andrew McGraw, OG (DHFG)
2001   Joey Bishop, OC (DHFG)
2001   D.J. Bleisath, DE (AP/TSN/DHFG/WC)
2004   Frank Omiyale, OT (DHFG)
2004   Brandon Shelby, DB (DHFG)
2007   Larry Shipp, WR/RS (AP/TSN)
2010    Tm Benford, WR (TSN)
2011    Scott Schweitzer, OG (CSM/AP/TSN)
2011    Tim Benford, WR (TSN)