SAC Places Nine on D2Football.Com All-America Football Team

The website d2football.com recently announced its NCAA Division II All-America Football Team, with nine players from the South Atlantic Conference selected.

Carson-Newman College defensive back Deonte Bolden was a first team selection on defense, while Newberry College wide receiver Tymere Zimmerman, Presbyterian College offensive lineman Marcus Brisbone and Carson-Newman linebacker Anthony Robinson were named to the second team.

Presbyterian quarterback Zach Ellis, Mars Hill College running back Antoine Jones, Carson-Newman offensive lineman Pat Egan, Presbyterian defensive back Quasi Gary and Tusculum return specialist Octavius Love were all named honorable mention.

Deonte Bolden (Tampa, Fla.) was a first-team selection at defensive back. Bolden was fourth on the team with 35 tackles and had a team-high six interceptions and seven quarterback hurries. Bolden also played on special teams as he averaged 8.4 yards on punt returns and 29.3 yards on kick-off returns. Bolden was also named to all-America teams by the American Football Coaches Association and the Associated Press.

Zimmerman led the South Atlantic Conference with 59 catches for 609 yards and 10 touchdowns in nine games this season.

Brisbone, a 6-1, 271-pound offensive guard from Sumter, S.C., has also earned 2005 AFCA All-American, AP Little All-American second team, Daktronics All-Southeast region first team, and All-South Atlantic Conference first team honors while also being selected as the SAC's Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner, given annually to the top offensive lineman.

He is also a finalist for the 2005 Gene Upshaw Award as the NCAA Division II top lineman. Brisbone averaged over 94 percent grade-out per game, did not allow a sack or pressure, and never was graded with a "loaf."

Robinson (Winston-Salem, N.C.) led C-N in tackles with 75. He also had eight tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and one safety.

Love, a 5-11, 190-pound sophomore from Wellford, S.C., becomes the 12th gridiron All-American in school history.

Love, who was named to the 2005 All-South Atlantic Conference First Team, enjoyed one of the finest seasons by a Tusculum punt returner in school history. The James F. Byrnes High School graduate returned 16 punts for 324 yards, averaging 20.3 yards per return, which was the best in the nation.

Against Wingate University this season, he established two single-game record with seven returns for 132 yards. Included in that tally was a 62-yard return for a touchdown, the fourth longest in school history. For his efforts, he earned D2Football.com National Special Teams Player of the Week Honorable Mention honors.

In Tusculum's game against Newberry, he returned three punts for 114 yards, which were the second most in a TC single-game. He posted returns of 57 and 53 yards and was named SAC Special Teams Player of the Week.

Ellis, a 6-1, 193-pound quarterback from Tifton, Ga., completed 244-of-404 passes for 2,679 yards and 28 TD's this season while compiling a 132.70 pass efficiency rating en route to D2Football.com Honorable Mention All-American honors. He led the South Atlantic Conference in passing yards per game, pass efficiency, and was second in total offense per game en route to SAC Offensive Player of the Year, first team All-SAC, and second team Daktronics All-Region honors. He was also selected to participate in the Whataburger Cactus Bowl Division II All-Star Game in January. In addition, he ranked 32nd in the nation in pass efficiency and 43rd in total offense per game while directing the Blue Hose offense that led the league in scoring offense, and finished second in passing offense and third in total offense this season.

Gary, a 6-0, 181-pound cornerback from Kingstree, S.C., also earned D2Football.com Honorable Mention All-American honors after being named to the first team All-SAC and Daktronics All-Region honors while also being selected to participate in the Whataburger Cactus Bowl Division II All-Star Game in January. He tallied 64 total stops including 39 solo stops to go along with 8.0 tackles for loss (-15), four pass defenses, three fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. He finished the season ranking tied for first in the SAC in recovered fumbles while helping lead a Blue Hose defense that led the league in four defensive categories.

Jones, a senior from Orlando, Fla., led the SAC with 1,091yards rushing, and averaged a league-best 109.1 yards per game. His 322 yards rushing against Lenoir-Rhyne on October 8 is the second-highest single-game performance in conference history.

Egan (Longwood, Fla.) was one of the anchors on the C-N offensive line that averaged 314.8 rushing yards per game and 411.5 total yards per game.