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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Oher Headlines AFCA Coaches' All-America Team
12/4/2008 | Football
WACO, Texas - Ole Miss offensive tackle Michael Oher headlines the 2008 AFCA Coaches' All-America Team announced today by the American Football Coaches Association.
A senior from Memphis, Oher is the 43rd First Team All-American in school history and first to be recognized by the AFCA since Terrence Metcalf in 2001. Oher is also one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy, which is awarded to the best interior lineman in college football.
Oher leads a Rebel line that is No. 4 in the SEC in fewest sacks allowed with 16 and has helped Ole Miss rank No. 3 in rushing offense at 183.4 yards per game. His 46 starts is third in the SEC among active players.
"We are very proud of Michael for being named to the AFCA All-America team," said Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt. "Michael has had his best year of football and, with his teammates, our offense showed much improvement throughout the season."
The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best, the coaches themselves.
Oher is joined on the offense by Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell and running backs Shonn Greene of Iowa and Knowshon Moreno of Georgia. Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree is one of four sophomores to earn AFCA All-America honors this year and is one of three returnees from last year's squad.
Crabtree is joined in the receiving corps by fellow Big 12 players Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State and tight end Chase Coffman of Missouri. In addition to Oher, the offensive line features Alabama's Andre Smith and Antoine Caldwell, Texas Tech's Brandon Carter and Oregon State's Andy Levitre.
On defense, the linebacking corps features Brandon Spikes of Florida, James Laurinaitis of Ohio State, and Rey Maualuga of USC. South Florida's George Selvie headlines the defensive line for the second year in a row. He is joined by Texas' Brian Orakpo, Alabama's Terrence Cody and Georgia Tech's Michael Johnson.
The defensive backs named to this year's AFCA Coaches' All-America Team are Eric Berry of Tennessee, Rashad Johnson of Alabama, Malcolm Jenkins of Ohio State and Alphonso Smith of Wake Forest.
The specialists on this year's AFCA Coaches' All-America Team are all-purpose player Percy Harvin of Florida, punter Kevin Huber of Cincinnati and placekicker Louie Sakoda of Utah.
2008 AFCA Coaches' All-America Team
Offense
WR Michael Crabtree* 6-3 208 So. Texas Tech Mike Leach Dallas, Texas (Carter)
WR Dez Bryant 6-2 215 So. Oklahoma St. Mike Gundy Lufkin, Texas (Lufkin)
TE Chase Coffman 6-6 255 Sr. Missouri Gary Pinkel Peculiar, Mo. (Raymore-Peculiar)
OL Andre Smith 6-4 330 Jr. Alabama Nick Saban Birmingham, Ala. (Huffman)
OL Brandon Carter 6-7 350 Jr. Texas Tech Mike Leach Longview, Texas (Spring Hill)
C Antoine Caldwell 6-3 305 Sr. Alabama Nick Saban Montgomery, Ala. (Lee)
OL Michael Oher 6-5 318 Sr. Ole Miss Houston Nutt Memphis, Tenn. (Briarcrest Christian)
OL Andy Levitre 6-3 317 Sr. Oregon St. Mike Riley Ben Lomond, Calif. (San Lorenzo Valley)
QB Graham Harrell 6-3 205 Sr. Texas Tech Mike Leach Ennis, Texas (Ennis)
RB Knowshon Moreno 5-11 208 So. Georgia Mark Richt Belford, N.J. (Middletown South)
RB Shonn Greene 5-11 235 Jr. Iowa Kirk Ferentz Sicklerville, N.J. (Milford Acad. [Conn.])
Defense
DL Brian Orakpo 6-4 260 Sr. Texas Mack Brown Houston, Texas (Lamar)
DL Terrence Cody 6-5 365 Jr. Alabama Nick Saban Fort Myers, Fla. (Riverdale)
DL George Selvie* 6-4 242 Jr. South Florida Jim Leavitt Pensacola, Fla. (Pine Forest)
DL Michael Johnson 6-7 260 Sr. Georgia Tech Paul Johnson Selma, Ala. (Dallas County)
LB James Laurinaitis* 6-3 240 Sr. Ohio St. Jim Tressel Hamel, Minn. (Wayzata)
LB Rey Maualuga 6-2 260 Sr. USC Pete Carroll Eureka, Calif. (Eureka)
LB Brandon Spikes 6-3 245 Jr. Florida Urban Meyer Shelby, N.C. (Crest)
DB Eric Berry 5-11 195 So. Tennessee Phil Fulmer Fairburn, Ga. (Creekside)
DB Rashad Johnson 6-0 186 Sr. Alabama Nick Saban Sulligent, Ala. (Sulligent)
DB Malcolm Jenkins 6-1 202 Sr. Ohio St. Jim Tressel Piscataway, N.J. (Piscataway)
DB Alphonso Smith 5-9 190 Sr. Wake Forest Jim Grobe Pahokee, Fla. (Pahokee)
Specialists
P Kevin Huber 6-1 220 Sr. Cincinnati Brian Kelly Cincinnati, Ohio (McNicholas)
PK Louie Sakoda 5-9 178 Sr. Utah Kyle Whittingham San Jose, Calif. (Branham)
AP Percy Harvin 5-11 195 Jr. Florida Urban Meyer Virginia Beach, Va. (Landstown)
*-2007 All-American
Team Background
The AFCA has selected an All-America team every year since 1945. The five teams now chosen for each AFCA division evolved from a single 11-player squad in 1945. From 1945 until 1967, only one team was chosen. From 1967 through 1971, two teams, University Division and College Division, were selected. In 1972, the College Division was split into College I and College II. In 1979, the University Division was split into two teams Division I-A and Division I-AA. In 1996 the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III respectively. The AFCA has selected an NAIA All-America Team since 2006. From 1965-81, a 22-player (11 offensive, 11 defensive) team was chosen. In 1982, a punter and placekicker were added to the team. In 1997 a return specialist was added, giving us the current 25-player team. The return specialist position has been replaced by an all-purpose player in 2006.
Selection Process
The AFCA's Football Bowl Subdivision All-America Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches from each of the AFCA's nine FBS districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee. The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts, that information, along with ballots submitted by FBS head coaches, are used to select the AFCA FBS Coaches' All-America Team.
