2008 CFN All-Americans
Safeties
CFN 2008 All-Americans and Top 25 Players
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2008 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans
Preseason Top 25
Safeties
1.
SS Eric Berry, Soph. Tennessee
2. FS William Moore, Sr. Missouri
3. S Myron Rolle, Jr. Florida State
4. S Courtney Greene, Sr. Rutgers
5. FS David Bruton, Sr. Notre Dame
6. S Patrick Chung, Sr. Oregon
7. SS Kevin Ellison, Sr. USC
8. FS Taylor Mays, Jr. USC
9. SS Michael Hamlin, Sr. Clemson
10. FS Derek Pegues, Sr. Miss St
11. S Rashad Johnson, Sr. Ala.
12. FS Nate Allen, Jr. USF
13. FS Shane Carter, Jr. Wisconsin
14. FS Reshad Jones, Soph. Ga.
15. FS Nic Harris, Sr. Oklahoma
16. FS Demetrice Morely, Jr. Tenn.
17. SS Sha'reff Rashad, Sr. UCF
18. SS Barry Church, Jr. Toledo
19. SS Reshard Langford, Sr. Vand.
20. FS Will Dunbar, Sr. UAB
21. FS Antonio Baker, Jr. La Tech
22. SS Otis Wiley, Sr. Michigan St
23. FS C.J. Spillman, Sr. Marshall
24. SS Robbie Wilson, Sr. Miami U
25. SS Stephen Hodge, Sr. TCU |
SS Eric Berry, Soph. Tennessee
The superstar recruit of last year was supposed to come in
and be a key backup corner, and then he took over a safety job early in
the season and never looked back finishing fourth on the team with 86
tackles and a team-leading five interceptions with nine broken up passes
and two fumble recoveries. The question will be where to put him. He'll
make his millions at the next level at free safety, he's a tad smallish
at 5-11 and 195 pounds at strong safety, but he's such a good hitter and
such a fantastic playmaker when he gets the ball in his hands that the
goal will be to put him in whatever spot gets him around the ball the
most.
FS William Moore, Sr. Missouri
While Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin get all the
publicity, a case could be made that Moore is the team's best player. With the speed of a
corner and great hitting ability, Moore was good as a strong
safety with 51 tackles as a sophomore, and then he blew up into
an All-America caliber playmaker when he moved over to free
safety. With more room to roam, he finished second on the team
with 117 tackles, two sacks, and nine tackles for loss as he was
all over the place against the run, and he was a force against
the pass with eight interceptions and six broken up passes. With
his combination of speed and skills in a 6-1, 230-pound frame,
he'll be on the watch list of every NFL scout. First, he has to
get back healthy after missing off-season workouts recovering
from a shoulder problem.
2008 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans
Courtney Greene, Sr. Rutgers
Four-year
starting safety Ron Girault is gone, but Rutgers got a big break when Greene opted to return for his senior season,
when he could've gone pro.
The team leader with 101 tackles a year ago, he has started
every game of his three-year career and should be a lock for
all-star honors once again. The 6-2, 210-pounder hits like a ton
of bricks and will be the tone-setter in the secondary.
Myron Rolle, Jr. Florida State
Rolle is the prototype at rover, a smart and
physical 6-2, 218-pounder with two years of starting experience
already behind him. While not one of the team’s fastest
defensive backs, he takes good angles, plays with keen
instincts, and rarely misses an assignment. Last year’s 67
tackles and two fumble recoveries don’t paint an accurate
picture of how good he can be, or his pro potential.
2008 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans
(in alphabetical order)
FS
David Bruton, Sr. Notre Dame
Bruton has been good, finishing third on the
team with 85 tackles, three interceptions and two broken up
passes, and now he has the potential to be special. The 6-2,
207-pound free safety is in even better shape and has the range,
hitting ability, and the talent to become a top 50 draft pick
next year. He should be the star of the secondary.
S Patrick Chung, Sr. Oregon
The Ducks
are flush with talented defensive backs, led by Chung,
a tremendous playmaker and a First Team All-Pac-10 performer a
year ago. At 6-0 and 210 pounds, he’s an explosive combination
of speed, power, and instincts who put off the NFL for one more
year in Eugene. Coming off his best season with the program, he
delivered a team-high 117 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, two
picks, and a couple of blocked kicks.
SS Kevin Ellison, Sr. USC
After getting named First Team All-Pac-10, the 6-1, 225-pound
Ellison will be looking for more accolades in his final season
on campus. A devastating thumper and outstanding open-field
tackler, he had 57 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks,
and six passes broken up. In terms of work ethic, Ellison has
few peers on the roster.
SS Michael Hamlin, Sr. Clemson
He's a
6-3, 205-pound
enforcer who hits like a linebacker. Entering his fourth season as a
starter, he had a career-high 97 tackles, three tackles for loss, and
four interceptions. A terrific blend of size and athleticism, the staff
is still pushing him to be more of a playmaker in his final year.
FS Taylor Mays, Jr. USC
Mays is an athletic oddity at free safety, a 6-4, 225-pound
enforcer with the 4.3 wheels of an elite cornerback. Now
entering his third season as a starter, he’s poised to become
one of the emotional leaders of the defensive backfield and a
candidate for more national honors. In 2007, he was third on
the team with 65 tackles, adding six pass breakups.
FS Derek Pegues, Sr. Mississippi State
A good NFL prospect, Pegues
decided to return for his senior season after making 50 tackles
five interceptions and with seven broken up passes. He's not all
that big at just 5-10 and 196 pounds, but he's tremendously
quick with a nose for the ball, and the big play. After starting
at corner in his first two years, with two picks for touchdowns
as a sophomore, he moved to safety where he took one
interception for a score. He came up with two interceptions in
the bowl win over UCF and came up with a big interception in the
win over Alabama, and now he's become dangerous enough to force
opposing quarterbacks to always go away from him. Along with
being one of the SEC's best defensive backs, he led the team
with a 22.7 kickoff return average and a 9.9 punt return average
taking one for a touchdown.