All-La. 2008 College Football Team announced

By Kent Lowe

Written For The LSWA

For Derek Dooley’s bowl-winning Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, their performance helped earn him the vote as Louisiana’s Coach of the Year on the annual Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana College Football Team announced this weekend.

Players from four different schools – Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana Tech, Southeastern Louisiana and Grambling State – took the special awards announced as part of the team.

Cajun running back Tyrell Fenroy was named the LSWA Offensive Player of the Year, while Antonio Baker of Louisiana Tech was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Wide receiver Simmie Yarborough of Southeastern Louisiana was named the Freshman of the Year, with sophomore quarterback Greg Dillon of Grambling State in his first year on the field, earning Newcomer of the Year honors.

Dooley led the Bulldogs to a 7-5 mark and a second place finish in the highly-competitive Western Athletic Conference which had six bowl-eligible teams. Louisiana Tech would end up winning the Independence Bowl over Northern Illinois, the team’s first bowl appearance since 2001. The Bulldogs ranked among the national leaders in rush offense and defense and special teams touchdowns, landing a record four players on the All-WAC first team.

Fenroy, a senior for Louisiana-Lafayette, earned the offensive player of the year honors as he became only the seventh player in NCAA history with four 1,000-yard rushing seasons and shattered the Louisiana-Lafayette and Sun Belt records for career rushing yards and touchdowns. He earned Sun Belt POY honors and was one of 10 semifinalists for the prestigious Doak Walker Award.

Fenroy rushed for 1,375 yards, a 6.1 yards per carry average with 19 touchdowns. He caught 24 passes for 254 yards. He was 11th in the nation in rushing and eighth overall in scoring.

In winning defensive player honors, Baker earned first team All-WAC honors for Louisiana Tech and the Amite product posted 111 tackles and three interceptions during the year. He was in double digits for tackles in eight of the 12 regular season games and finished second in the WAC and 21st in the nation in total tackles.

His year was highlighted by 14 tackles versus Army and had 10 tackles, a blocked punt and an interception in the win over Fresno State.

Yarborough, from Brookhaven, Miss., was also named the Southland Conference’s Freshman of the Year as he became the first Southeastern player to win that honor. He finished the year with 51 receptions for 490 yards and six touchdowns. His first career reception as a Lion was a 14-yard scoring pass at Alcorn State in the season opener. He caught nine passes and scored once at nationally-ranked Central Arkansas and had eight catches and two scores at Stephen F. Austin.

Newcomer winner Dillon didn’t hit the field for the SWAC champion Tigers until this season and he responded with 1,242 passing yards, rushing for another 676. He tossed 15 touchdown passes and ran for three more. The sophomore from Bogalusa, La., was also named the SWAC Newcomer of the Year and second-team All-SWAC selection.

Joining Fenroy on the first team offense in 2008 were offensive linemen Ciron Black and Herman Johnson of LSU, Chris Fisher of Louisiana-Lafayette, Troy Kropog of Tulane and Eman Naghvi of McNeese State. Fenroy’s running back partner on the first team was Charles Scott of LSU who rushed for 18 touchdowns this season.

At the wide receiver position were LSU’s Brandon LaFell and Southern University’s Juamorris Stewart with ULM’s senior Zeek Zacharie at the tight end. The voters easily chose Louisiana-Lafayette’s Michael Desormeaux, a senior from New Iberia with 13 passing touchdowns, as the first team quarterback.

The first team defensive linemen combining for 27 sacks were Rahim Alem of LSU, Vincent Lands of Southern, Melvin Matthews of Grambling and D’Anthony Smith of Louisiana Tech. The three linebackers are Cardia Jackson of ULM, Keefe Hall of Grambling and Allen Nelson of McNeese. Joining Baker in the defensive backfield are Tommy Connors of Southeastern, Wesley Eckles of Northwestern State and LaDarius Webb of Nicholls.

Chosen for the first team specialty positions are punter Ross Thevenot of Tulane, Colt David of LSU and Phillip Livas of Louisiana Tech.

Nominees for the team came from sports information directors from the football playing four-year schools in the state and then voting was done by a panel of LSWA members.

Nominating information was based on the play of the team through the end of the regular season.

LSWA All-Louisiana College Football Team

First Team Offense

Pos/Name, School/Yr./Hometown/Notes, Stats

OL/Ciron Black, LSU/Jr./Tyler, Texas/Second Team All-SEC LT

OL/Chris Fisher, Louisiana-Lafayette/Jr./Lafayette, La./First Team All-SBC

OL/Herman Johnson, LSU/Sr./Olla, La./First Team AP All-America

OL/Troy Kropog, Tulane/Sr./Metairie, La./First Team All-C-USA

OL/Eman Naghvi, McNeese/Sr./Katy, Texas/2yr First Team All-SLC

RB/Tyrell Fenroy, Louisiana-Lafayette/Sr./LaPlace, La./SBC POY; La. Career Rush Leader

RB/Charles Scott, LSU/Jr./Saline, La./First Team All-SEC, 18 TDs

WR/Brandon LaFell, LSU/Jr./Houston, Texas/First Team All-SEC, 8 TDs

WR/Juamorris Stewart, Southern/Jr./Baton Rouge, La./Unanimous First Team SWAC

TE/Zeek Zacharie, ULM/Sr./Cade, La./First-Team All-SBC, 4 TDs

QB/Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana-Lafayette/Sr./New Iberia, La./First Team All-SBC, 13 passing TDs

First Team Defense

Pos/Name, School/Yr./Hometown/Notes, Stats

DL/Rahim Alem, LSU/Jr./New Orleans, La./First Team All-SEC, 8 sacks

DL/Vincent Lands, Southern/Sr./Baton Rouge, La./First Team All-SWAC, 6 sacks

DL/Melvin Matthews, Grambling/Sr./Clinton, La./First Team All-SWAC, 8 sacks

DL/D’Anthony Smith, La. Tech/Jr./Pickering, La./First Team All-WAC, 5 sacks

LB/Cardia Jackson, ULM/Jr./Monroe, La./First Team All-SBC, 127 tackles

LB/Keefe Hall, Grambling/Sr./Houston, Texas/First Team All-SWAC, 94 tackles

LB/Allen Nelson, McNeese/Sr./Beaumont, Texas/2yr First Team All-SLC

DB/Antonio Baker, La. Tech/Jr./Amite, La./First Team All-WAC, 3 ints.

DB/Tommy Connors, Southeastern/Jr./Marrero, La./First Team All-SLC, 4 ints.

DB/Wesley Eckles, Northwestern State/Jr./Mansfield, La./First Team All-SLC, 2 ints.

DB/LaDarius Webb, Nicholls/Sr./Opelika, Ala./First Team All-SLC, 2 ints.

First Team Specialists

Pos/Name, School/Yr./Hometown/Notes, Stats

P/Ross Thevenot, Tulane/Jr./Lake Charles, La./First Team All-C-USA, 2nd NCAA 45.8 avg

PK/Colt David, LSU/Sr./Grapevine, Texas/2yr First Team All-SEC, All-time LSU scorer

RS/Phillip Livas, La. Tech/So./Houma, La./First Team All-WAC, 2 punts, 1 KO for TDs

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Tyrell Fenroy, Louisiana-Lafayette

Voting – Fenroy 17, Charles Scott 5, Toddrick Pendland 1

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Antonio Baker, Louisiana Tech

Voting – Baker 15, Cardia Jackson 4, Tommy Connors 2, Melvin Matthews 1, LaDarius Webb 1

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – Simmie Yarborough, Southeastern

Voting – Yarborough 14, Landrius Green 3, Darrell Jenkins 3, Anthony McCall 3

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR – Greg Dillon, Grambling State

Voting – Dillon 16, Chris Wilson 6, no vote 1

COACH OF THE YEAR – Derek Dooley, Louisiana Tech

Voting – Dooley 19, Ricky Bustle 2, Rod Broadway 2

Second Team Offense

OL – Brad Bustle, Louisiana-Lafayette (Jr., Blacksburg, Va.); Kyle Link, McNeese (Sr., Lake Charles, La.); Rob McGill, Louisiana Tech (So., Metairie, La.); Michael Parenton, Tulane (Sr., Thibodaux, La.); Demarcus Stewart, Southern (Sr., Plaquemine, La.). RB – Toddrick Pendland, McNeese (Jr., Newton, Texas); Daniel Porter, Louisiana Tech (Jr., Baton Rouge, La.). WR – Phillip Livas, Louisiana Tech (So., Houma, La.); Steven Whitehead, McNeese (Sr., Slidell, La.). TE – Richard Dickson, LSU (Jr., Ocean Springs, Miss.). QB – Bryant Lee, Southern (Jr., Boutte, La.).

Second Team Defense

DL – Christian Anthony, Grambling (Jr., Birmingham, Ala.); Tyson Jackson, LSU (Sr., Edgard, La.); Vaalyn Jackson, McNeese (Sr., Sulphur, La.); Ledell Love, Northwestern State (So., Dallas, Texas); LB – Darry Beckwith, LSU (Sr., Baton Rouge, La.); Mack Dampier, Northwestern State (Sr., West Monroe); Mark Newbill, Southeastern (So., Monroe, La.). DB – Weldon Brown, Louisiana Tech (Sr., Bossier City, La.); Jeffrey Jack, Grambling State (Sr., Houston, Texas); Greg James, ULM (Jr., Monroe, La.); Josh Thompson, ULM (Jr., Lafayette, La.).

Second Team Specialists

P – Patrick Dolan, Nicholls (So., Mobile, Ala.). K – Robert Weeks, Northwestern State (Sr. Pineville, La.). RS – LaDarius Webb, Nicholls (Sr., Opelika, Ala.).