VOLS PLACE SEVEN ON ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-SEC TEAMS

Dec. 4, 2006

Britton Colquitt

Turk McBride

Robert Meachem

Arron Sears

James Wilhoit

Tennessee's resurgence on the football playing field in 2006 certainly was noticed in press boxes across the SEC, as seven Vols were named Monday to the Associated Press All-Southeastern Conference teams.

Punter Britton Colquitt, defensive tackle Turk McBride, wide receiver Robert Meachem, offensive tackle Arron Sears and placekicker James Wilhoit were selected to the first team, while Jonathan Hefney and Jonathan Wade received second-team acclaim. Tennessee's seven players named were second only to the 10 from Arkansas. Auburn, Georgia and LSU had six selections apiece.

A senior from Russellville, Ala., Sears joined Arkansas' Darren McFadden as the team's only unanimous selections. He was named last week a first-team All-America by the American Football Coaches Association and Rivals.com, and is contending for the Jacobs Award as the SEC's top blocker.

Meachem also was a first-team All-America pick by Rivals.com. The junior from Tulsa, Okla., set a Tennessee season record this year with 1,265 receiving yards on 67 catches thus far and hauled in 11 touchdown passes. Meachem leads the SEC and is third nationally with a 105.4-yard per game receiving average.

Colquitt leads the SEC and ranks eighth nationally with a 45.0-yard punting average. He has 16 punts downed inside 20 this year versus only four touchbacks. The sophomore from Knoxville was incredibly consistent in 2006, averaging at least 41 yards per punt in 10 of 11 games this season.

McBride ended the regular season being named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. The senior Camden, N.J., who played the season's first three games at end before moving to tackle because of a teammate's injury, leads all conference defensive tackles with 64 total stops.

Wilhoit is the SEC's active scoring leader with 321 career points. His will finish his career second on UT's all-time scoring list and is five points from tying for sixth on the SEC chart. The Hendersonville senior also leads the league with a 7.7-point scoring average, having connected on 17-of-21 field goals and 41 extra-points.

Hefney has five interceptions in his last nine games to improve to third in the SEC. Tennessee's leading returning tackler from 2005 has taken over the team lead this year as well with 93 total hits, good enough sixth in the league. In addition, the Rock Hill, S.C., junior stands fourth in the SEC in punt returns with a 12.8-yard average.

Wade leads the SEC and is eighth nationally with 17 passes defensed. His recent interception against Vanderbilt was his fourth this season. A senior from Shreveport, La., Wade was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against South Carolina, where he had a hand in stopping three Gamecock drives.

TWO VOLS NAMED TO SPORTING NEWS SEC ALL-FRESHMAN SQUAD
Tennessee's LaMarcus Coker and Josh McNeil have been recognized by The Sporting News as members of the 2006 SEC All-Freshman Team.

Coker finished the regular season as the leading freshman rusher and seventh overall among SEC ball-carriers with an average of 66.0 yards per game (660 yards). An Antioch native, he already owns two of the four longest runs (89, 87) in UT history despite playing in just 10 games because of a knee sprain.

McNeil made his collegiate starting debut in the season's fourth game and never relinquished the role. The Vols allowed only 17 sacks -- third-fewest in the league -- against 378 pass attempts -- second-most in the league. A Collins, Miss., product, McNeil appeared in every game this year except one.

2006 ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-SEC TEAMS

Pos.	Player	School	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.
FIRST TEAM - OFFENSE
WR	Earl Bennett	Vanderbilt	6-1	202	So.
WR	Robert Meachem	Tennessee	6-3	210	Jr.
L	u-Arron Sears	Tennessee	6-4	320	Sr.
L	Tony Ugoh	Arkansas	6-5	305	Sr.
L	Ben Grubbs	Auburn	6-3	301	Sr.
L	Daniel Inman	Georgia	6-7	316	Sr.
C	Jonathan Luigs	Arkansas	6-4	305	So.
TE	Jacob Tamme	Kentucky	6-5	240	Jr.
QB	JaMarcus Russell	LSU	6-6	252	Jr.
RB	u-Darren McFadden	Arkansas	6-2	212	So.
RB	BenJarvus Green-Ellis	Mississippi	5-11	215	Jr.
K (tie)	James Wilhoit	Tennessee	5-10	195	Sr.
K (tie)	John Vaughn	Auburn	6-1	197	Sr.
All-Purpose	Keenan Burton	Kentucky	6-2	195	Jr.
FIRST TEAM - DEFENSE
E	Jamaal Anderson	Arkansas	6-6	280	Jr.
E	Quentin Groves	Auburn	6-3	250	Jr.
T	Glenn Dorsey	LSU	6-2	284	Jr.
T	Turk McBride	Tennessee	6-4	275	Sr.
LB	Patrick Willis	Mississippi	6-2	240	Sr.
LB	Sam Olajubutu	Arkansas	5-9	225	Sr.
LB	Quinton Culberson	Mississippi St.	6-0	239	Sr.
LB	Jasper Brinkley	South Carolina	6-2	250	Jr.
DB	LaRon Landry	LSU	6-2	204	Sr.
DB	Reggie Nelson	Florida	6-1	195	Jr.
DB	Ryan Smith	Florida	5-10	165	Jr.
DB	Simeon Castille	Alabama	6-1	192	Jr.
P	Britton Colquitt	Tennessee	6-3	198	So.
SECOND TEAM - OFFENSE
WR	Dwayne Bowe	LSU	6-3	217	Sr.
WR	Keenan Burton	Kentucky	6-2	195	Jr.
L	Stephen Parker	Arkansas	6-4	318	Sr.
L	Will Arnold	LSU	6-4	322	Jr.
L	Tim Duckworth	Auburn	6-4	310	Sr.
L	Brian Johnson	LSU	6-4	297	Sr.
C	Nick Jones	Georgia	6-3	296	Sr.
TE	Martrez Milner	Georgia	6-4	255	Sr.
QB	Andre Woodson	Kentucky	6-5	232	Jr.
RB	Felix Jones	Arkansas	6-0	200	So.
RB	Kenny Irons	Auburn	5-11	200	Sr.
All Purpose	Felix Jones	Arkansas	6-0	200	So.
SECOND TEAM - DEFENSE
E	Charles Johnson	Georgia	6-2	270	Sr.
E	Titus Brown	Mississippi St.	6-3	247	Jr.
T	Keith Jackson	Arkansas	6-0	296	Sr.
T	Deljuan Robinson	Mississippi St.	6-4	296	Sr.
LB	Earl Everett	Florida	6-2	231	Sr.
LB	Brandon Siler	Florida	6-2	235	Jr.
LB	Tony Taylor	Georgia	6-1	237	Sr.
DB	Tra Battle	Georgia	5-11	176	Sr.
DB	Jonathan Hefney	Tennessee	5-9	185	Jr.
DB	Chris Houston	Arkansas	5-11	188	Jr.
DB	Jonathan Wade	Tennessee	6-0	195	Sr.
P	Kody Bliss	Auburn	5-10	177	Sr.

u-unanimous selection

ALSO RECEIVING VOTES

Offense

Brian Anderson, G, Mississippi State; Cole Bennett, TE, Auburn; Antoine Caldwell, C-G, Alabama; Jamon Meredith, T, South Carolina; Michael Oher, T, Mississippi; Steve Rissler, C, Florida; Brian Stamper, T, Vanderbilt; Ryan Succop, K, South Carolina

Defense

Jamaal Anderson, E, Arkansas; Fred Bennett, DB, South Carolina; Jonathan Goff, LB, Vanderbilt; Marquies Gunn, E, Auburn; David Irons, DB, Auburn; Ray McDonald, T, Florida; Quentin Moses, E, Georgia; Jarvis Moss, E, Florida; Paul Oliver, DB, Georgia; Derek Pegues, DB, Mississippi St.; Andrew Powell, T, Mississippi St.; Marcus Thomas, T, Florida; Wesley Woodyard, LB, Kentucky

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Darren McFadden, Arkansas

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Patrick Willis, Mississippi

COACH OF THE YEAR
Houston Nutt, Arkansas

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Percy Harvin, Florida

University of Tennessee Athletics

Related News

Related Videos