FWAA NAMES 2008 ALL-AMERICA TEAM

DALLAS (FWAA) – For the second straight season, the two best conferences in college football dominated the Football Writers Association of America's All-America Team. The association's 65th edition was led by seven players from the offensive-laden Big 12 Conference and six from the more defensive-oriented Southeastern Conference.

The FWAA All-America Team, the second longest continuously published team in major college football, was announced today on ABC-TV at 5 p.m. ET for the fifth straight season during a one-hour show that was sponsored by AT&T. The FWAA has named an All-America team in some form since 1944.

Highlighting the offensive side of the ball were six players from the Big 12, which produced five of college football's most productive offensives in 2008. Texas' Colt McCoy is the quarterback of the team, and his teammate end Brian Orakpo is the Big 12's lone representative on the defensive side of the ball.

Meanwhile, Alabama tackle Andre Smith, the 2008 Outland Trophy winner, is one of two SEC players on the offensive side of the ball along with Ole Miss tackle Michael Oher. The SEC landed three players on the defensive side of the ball, along with one on special teams.

Five schools among the nation's Top 10 – Alabama, Florida, Penn State, Texas and USC – each have two players on the team. There are two repeaters on the FWAA team from last season, Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree and Utah kicker Louie Sakoda. Sakoda, however, made the 2007 team as a punter. And for the second straight season, Missouri has a tight end on the team. This season Chase Coffman succeeded Martin Rucker at that spot.

After the Big 12 and SEC, the Big Ten Conference is next with four selections and the Big East, Pacific-10 and Mountain West had two each. The Atlantic Coast Conference and Conference USA each has one player on the team. Orakpo, one of two ends from the state of Texas on the team, claimed the FWAA's Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation's top defender.

2008 FWAA ALL-AMERICA TEAM

OFFENSE
QB Colt McCoy, Texas 6-3 210 Jr. Tuscola, Texas
RB Shonn Greene, Iowa 5-11 235 Jr. Sicklerville, N.J.
RB Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State 5-8 190 So. Tyler, Texas
WR Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech 6-3 214 So. Dallas, Texas
WR Jarett Dillard, Rice 5-11 185 Sr. San Antonio, Texas
TE Chase Coffman, Missouri 6-6 245 Sr. Peculiar, Mo.
OL Michael Oher, Mississippi 6-5 318 Sr. Memphis, Tenn.
OL Duke Robinson, Oklahoma 6-5 335 Sr. Atlanta, Ga.
OL Andre Smith, Alabama 6-4 330 Jr. Birmingham, Ala.
OL Jason Smith, Baylor 6-5 305 Sr. Dallas, Texas
C A.Q. Shipley, Penn State 6-1 297 Sr. Coraopolis, Pa.

DEFENSE
DL Terrence Cody, Alabama 6-5 365 Jr. Fort Myers, Fla.
DL Jerry Hughes, TCU 6-2 248 Jr. Sugar Land, Texas
DL Aaron Maybin, Penn State 6-4 236 So. Ellicott City, Md.
DL Brian Orakpo, Texas 6-4 260 Sr. Houston, Texas
LB Rey Maualuga, USC 6-2 260 Sr. Eureka, Calif.
LB Scott McKillop, Pittsburgh 6-2 240 Sr. Export, Pa.
LB Brandon Spikes, Florida 6-3 245 Jr. Shelby, N.C.
DB Eric Berry, Tennessee 5-11 195 So. Fairburn, Ga.
DB Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State 6-1 201 Sr. Piscataway, N.J.
DB Taylor Mays, USC 6-3 230 Jr. Seattle, Wash.
DB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest 5-9 190 Sr. Pahokee, Fla.

SPECIAL TEAMS
K Louie Sakoda, Utah 5-9 178 Sr. San Jose, Calif.
P Kevin Huber, Cincinnati 6-1 220 Sr. Cincinnati, Ohio
RS Brandon James, Florida 5-7 186 Jr. St. Augustine, Fla.

Photo Credit: College Press Box (Texas Tech)