2008 CFN All-America Special Teams

2008 CollegeFootballNews.com All-America Special Teams and Top Players

2008 CFN All-America Special Teams

The Best Special Team Players

2008 CFN All-America Offense | 2008 CFN All-America Defense
2006 CFN All-America Team | 2007 CFN All-America Team

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 Placekickers

Honorable Mention
4. Ryan Harrison, Sr. Air Force
5. Brett Swenson, Jr. Michigan St
6. Kai Forbath, Soph. UCLA
6. Kevin Kelly, Sr. Penn State
7. Matt Bosher, Jr. Miami
8. Conor Lee, Sr. Pitt
10. Dustin Keys, Sr. Virginia Tech

Graham Gano, Sr. Florida State
24-of-26 on field goals, 33-of-34 on extra points
Along with taking over the punting duties over the second half of the season, highlighted by a tremendous show put on against Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl, he was a rock on field goals including all three of his attempts in the monsoon against Florida. His misses were in losses, but they didn't turn out to matter.

Second Team Louie Sakoda, Sr. Utah
22-of-24 on field goals, 56-of-57 on extra points

Third Team Nathan Parseghian, Sr. Miami Univ.
20-of-23 on field goals, 23-of-23 on extra points

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 Punters

Honorable Mention
4. Ross Thevenot, Jr. Tulane
5. Tim Masthay, Sr. Kentucky
6. Jacob Richardson, Sr. Miami U.
7. Kevin Huber, Sr. Cincinnati
8. Matt Dodge, Jr. East Carolina
9. Pat McAfee, Sr. West Virginia
10. Derek Epperson, Soph. Baylor

T.J. Conley, Sr. Idaho
58 kicks for 2,751 yards, 47.43 average
It helped a little bit that he got to kick half the time in a dome, and he had plenty of chances thanks to a woeful offense, but Conley was still the head-and-shoulders leader in punting average. Tulane's Ross Thevenot, who also kicked in a dome, averaged 45.8 yards per boot and was second in the nation behind Conley, who averaged 47.43 yards per try..

Second Team Aaron Perez, Sr. UTEP
79 kicks for 3,571 yards, 45.2-yard average

Third Team Justin Brantly, Sr. Texas A&M
51 kicks for 2,331 yards, 45.71-yard average

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 Kickoff Returners

Honorable Mention
4. Perrish Cox, Jr. Oklahoma St
5. A.J. Jefferson, Jr. Fresno State
6. DeMarco Murray, Soph. OU
7. Joe Burnett, Sr. UCF
8. Bryan Williams, Sr. Akron
9. Tristan Davis, Sr. Auburn
10. Leonard Johnson, Fr. Iowa St

Travis Shelton, Sr. Temple
23 returns, 720 yards, 31.3 yards per return, 1 touchdown
Shelton led the nation in average helping out an offense that needed all the positive yards it could get. Also a decent receiver, catching 20 passes on the year, his biggest impact was a steady return man, highlighted by his score in a dogfight of a loss against Kent State.

Second Team Mardy Gilyard, Sr. Cincinnati
36 returns, 994 yards, 27.61 yards per return, 2 touchdowns

Third Team Michael Ray Garvin, Sr. Florida State
22 returns, 662 yards, 30.09 yards per return, 1 touchdown

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 Punt Returners

Honorable Mention
4. Ian Clark, Jr. New Mexico
5. Kyle Wilson, Jr. Boise State
6. Dez Bryant, Soph. Ok. State
7. Joe Burnett, Sr. UCF
8. Ray Small, Jr. Ohio
9. Kyle Williams, Jr. Arizona State
10. Robert Dunn, Sr. Auburn

Antonio Brown, Soph. Central Michigan
20 returns for 310 yds, 1 TD, 20.5-yard average
He might not have had as many chances as a Javier Arenas or a Brandon James (who teams stopped kicking too), but he was devastating when he got his shot. Consistently strong, he helped spark the 31-28 win over Ohio with a 75-yard punt return for a score, and he also turned in a brilliant receiving season with 93 catches for 998 yards and seven touchdowns.

Second Team Brandon James, Jr. Florida
37 returns for 510 yds, 2 TD, 13.78-yard average

Third Team Javier Arenas, Jr. Alabama
41 returns for 650 yds, 3 TD, 15.5-yard average

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