Stuckey Named 1st Team All Conference

The Big 12 Conference coaches selections for All Conference Honors were announced on Tuesday with Darrel Stuckey among 10 Jayhawks named to the teams. 

Stuckey was the only Jayhawk on a loaded first team but several others received either 2nd team or Honorable Mention honors including:

• Dezmon Briscoe (2nd)
• James Holt (2nd)
• Caleb Blakesly (HM)
• Ryan Cantrell (HM)
• Jake Sharp (HM)
• Adrian Mayes (HM)
• Jake Laptad (HM)
• Mike Rivera (HM)
• Kerry Meier (HM)

Obviously the glaring missing Jayhawk would be Todd Reesing but with a stacked Big 12 it's not totally unexpected.  Things will likely clear out this season paving the way for Reesing to have a banner Senior campaign and a possible mention on the All Conference Squad.

Huge kudos to Stuckey for a well earned and much deserved honor.  Also felt like James Holt was a huge contributor on this team and in any other conference both Briscoe and Meier would certainly garner 1st team attention.

Also worth mentioning the oft rumored to be injured Mike Rivera for a gutsy Senior campaign and Jake Sharp another local boy for resurecting a non existent running game.

Jake Laptad, several key plays in the year and the lone bright spot for a pass rush that is beginning to see improvement

As for the big boys, Cantrell, Mayes, and perhaps most of all Blakesly.  It wasn't always pretty but they got it done and Blakesly certainly earned a lot of my respect throughout the season.

Jump into the post for the full story and entire list of awards...

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas safety Darrell Stuckey earned All-Big 12 First-Team football honors to lead a group of 10 Jayhawks, who received all-conference recognition from the league’s coaches it was announced on Tuesday.

 

In addition to Stuckey’s first-team selection, wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe and linebacker James Holt were both tabbed to the second team. 

 

KU’s honorable mention selections included defensive tackle Caleb Blakesley, center Ryan Cantrell, defensive end Jake Laptad, offensive guard Adrian Mayes, wide receiver Kerry Meier, linebacker Mike Rivera and running back Jake Sharp.

Stuckey, a junior from Kansas City, Kan. is second on the team in tackles with 94.  He leads the team with five interceptions and has recorded seven passes broken up, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

 

Stuckey has been the lone constant in a KU secondary, which has started six different players at cornerback and two different players at free safety.  The strong safety has started 29 consecutive games at that position.

 

This year he has registered four different double-digit tackle games, including 15 at Nebraska.  Last Saturday against Missouri, he recorded two interceptions, a PBU, a fumble forced and a fumble recovered, as well as a team-best tying six tackles.  For his efforts he was the first KU defensive player to earn All-Big 12 Player of the Week honors since 2005.

 

Last year Stuckey was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection.

 

Briscoe, a sophomore from Dallas, Texas, has been one of the conference’s and nation’s top wide receivers.  In the regular season he caught 78 passes for a school-record 1,206 yards and a school-record 12 touchdowns.

 

His 78 catches are the second-most in a season in KU history behind only Kerry Meier’s 87 receptions this year. He has registered six 100-yard receiving games this season for another school record

 

Briscoe has averaged 100.5 yards per game to rank eighth nationally.  His 6.50 receptions per game are tied for 20^th in the country. His 269-yard game at Oklahoma, was not only another school record, but the best mark in the NCAA this season.

 

Holt, a senior from Altus, Okla., has had a terrific season, leading the team with 97 tackles through 12 games.  He also had 15.5 tackles for loss, including seven sacks.  Holt is tied for second in the NCAA with seven forced fumbles, tied for 26^th in tackles for loss, tied for 47^th in sacks, tied for 73^rd in tackles and tied for 89^th in fumbles recovered.

 

He has five 10-plus tackle games this season with bests of 13 at South Florida and vs. Texas Tech.  He ended the regular season with sacks in each of the final five games.

 

Last year he was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection.

 

Blakesely, a junior from Ottawa, Kan. has recorded 21 tackles, including four for loss from his defensive tackle position.

 

Cantrell, a senior from Sugar Land, Texas, was an honorable mention pick for the second straight year.  He has started 25 consecutive games at center, as well as 30 in his career.

 

Laptad, a sophomore from Tulsa, Okla., has 34 tackles, with 8.5 for loss, including seven sacks.  His sack average of 0.47 is tied for 47^th in the NCAA.

 

Mayes, a senior from Manhattan, Kan., has been KU’s most consistent lineman this season.  The former walkon has started every game the past two seasons.

 

Meier, a junior from Pittsburg, Kan., has been one of the most productive wide receivers in the country as he ranks 11^th in the NCAA in receptions at 7.25 per game and 38^th in receiving yards (77.67).  Meier has set a number of school records, including receptions in a season with 87 and receptions in a game with 14 vs. Missouri.  This season he has 87 catches for 932 yards and seven touchdowns.

 

Rivera, a senior from Shawnee Mission, Kan., has 79 tackles through 12 games.  He has been named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention in each of the last three years.

 

Sharp, a junior from Salina, Kan. has rushed for 796 yards and produced 283 yards receiving this season.  In Big 12 only games, Sharp averaged 88.8 yards rushing and 32.0 yards receiving.

 

Kansas finished the regular season 7-5 overall and 4-4 in Big 12 play.  The Jayhawks will play in a bowl game to be determined by Sunday.

 

All-Big 12 Football Teams

 

Individual Awards

 

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Sam Bradford, Oklahoma, So., QB, Oklahoma City, Okla.

 

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Brian Orakpo, Texas, Sr., DL, Houston, Texas

 

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State, So., PR/KR, Lufkin, Texas

 

OFFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Robert Griffin, Baylor, Fr., QB, Copperas Cove, Texas

 

DEFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Travis Lewis, Oklahoma, Fr., LB, San Antonio, Texas

 

OFFENSIVE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Brandon Banks, Kansas State, Jr., WR, Garner, N.C.

DEFENSIVE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

McKinner Dixon, Texas Tech, Jr., DE, Lufkin, Texas

 

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR

Jon Cooper, Oklahoma, Sr., Fort Collins, Colo.

 

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR

Brian Orakpo, Texas, Sr., DL, Houston, Texas

 

COACHES OF THE YEAR

Bob Stoops, Oklahoma, 10th season

Mike Leach, Texas Tech, 9th season

 

2008 All-Big 12 Football First Team

 

OFFENSE

Pos.           Player                          School                   Class      

QB             Sam Bradford               Oklahoma               So.         

RB              DeMarco Murray            Oklahoma               So.        

RB              Kendall Hunter               Oklahoma State       So.       

FB              Matt Clapp                    Oklahoma               Jr.         

WR             Jeremy Maclin [r1]         Missouri                  So.      

WR             Dez Bryant                    Oklahoma State       So.      

WR             Michael Crabtree** [r1]   Texas Tech             So.       

TE              Jermaine Gresham         Oklahoma               Jr.          

OL              Jason Smith                  Baylor                     Sr.         

OL              Phil Loadholt                 Oklahoma               Sr.          

OL              Duke Robinson [r1]        Oklahoma               Sr.          

OL              Trent Williams                Oklahoma               Jr.          

OL              Russell Okung               Oklahoma State       Jr.          

OL              Adam Ulatoski               Texas                     Jr.          
PK              Jeff Wolfert                  Missouri                  Sr.          

KR/PR        Dez Bryant                    Oklahoma State       So.         

 

DEFENSE

DL              Ziggy Hood                  Missouri                  Sr

DL              Gerald McCoy               Oklahoma               So.         

DL              Roy Miller                     Texas                     Sr.        

DL              Brian Orakpo                 Texas                     Sr.          

DL              Brandon Williams          Texas Tech             Jr.          

LB              Joe Pawelek                  Baylor                     Jr.          
LB              Sean Weatherspoon      Missouri                  Jr.          

LB              Sergio Kindle                Texas                     Jr.          

DB             Jordan Lake                  Baylor                     Jr.          

DB             Darrell Stuckey              Kansas                   Jr.          

DB             William Moore**             Missouri                  Sr.          

DB             Nic Harris [r1]                Oklahoma               Sr.          

DB             Darcel McBath              Texas Tech             Sr.          

P                Justin Brantly                Texas A&M             Sr.          

 

A tie in voting created an additional offensive line spot on the first- and second-teams.

[r1] - Repeat first team selection from last season

**Unanimous Selection

 

 

2008 All-Big 12 Football Second Team

 

OFFENSE

Pos.           Player                          School                   Class      

QB             Colt McCoy                   Texas                     Jr.          

RB              Derrick Washington       Missouri                  So.         

RB              Shannon Woods           Texas Tech             Sr.          

FB             

Jorvorskie Lane

              Texas A&M             Sr.          

WR             Dezmon Briscoe            Kansas                   So.         

WR             Juaquin Iglesias            Oklahoma               Sr.          

WR             Jordan Shipley              Texas                     Sr.          

TE              Chase Coffman             Missouri                  Sr.          

OL              Kurtis Gregory               Missouri                  Jr.          

OL              Matt Slauson                 Nebraska                Sr.          

OL              Jon Cooper                   Oklahoma               Sr.          

OL              Chris Hall                      Texas                     Jr.          

OL              Louis Vasquez              Texas Tech             Sr.          

OL              Rylan Reed                   Texas Tech             Sr.          

PK              Hunter Lawrence            Texas                     Jr.          

KR/PR        Jordan Shipley              Texas                     Jr.          

 

DEFENSE

DL              George Hypolite            Colorado                Sr.          

DL              Ian Campbell                 Kansas State          Sr.          

DL              Stryker Sulak [r2]           Missouri                  Sr.          

DL              Ndamukong Suh            Nebraska                Jr.          

DL              Jeremy Beal                  Oklahoma               So.         
LB              James Holt                   Kansas                   Sr.          

LB              Travis Lewis                  Oklahoma               Fr.          

LB              Andre Sexton                Oklahoma State       Jr.          

DB             Dominique Franks         Oklahoma               So.         

DB             Lendy Holmes               Oklahoma               Sr.          

DB             Jacob Lacey                 Oklahoma State       Sr.          

DB             Ryan Palmer                 Texas                     Sr.          

DB             Daniel Charbonnet         Texas Tech             Sr.          

P                Matt Fodge                   Oklahoma State       Sr.          

 

[r2] - Repeat second team selection from last season

 

 

 

 

2008 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention

 

Baylor:                      Derek Epperson, P; Dan Gay, OL

Colorado:                 Cha’pelle Brown, DB; Brad Jones, LB; Daniel Sanders, OL

Iowa State:               Mike Brandtner, P; Leonard Johnson, DB/KR/PR; Rashawn Parker, DL; James Smith, DB; Jesse Smith, LB; Reggie Stephens, OL; Kurtis Taylor, DL

Kansas:                    Caleb Blakesley, DL; Ryan Cantrell, OL; Jake Laptad, DL; Adrian Mayes, OL; Kerry Meier, WR; Mike Rivera, LB; Jake Sharp, RB

Kansas State:         Brandon Banks, KR/PR/WR; Jordan Bedore, OL; Eric Childs, DL; Brandon Harold, DL; Joshua Moore, DB; Brooks Rossman, PK; Nick Stringer, OL

Missouri:                  Tim Barnes, OL; Jaron Baston, DL; Castine Bridges, DB; Colin Brown, OL; Brock Christopher, LB; Chase Daniel, QB; Justin Garrett, DB; Jeremy Maclin, KR/PR; Tommy Saunders, WR

Nebraska:                Larry Asante, DB; Roy Helu Jr., RB; Alex Henery, PK; Jacob Hickman, OL; Zach Potter, DL; Ty Steinkuhler, DL; Nate Swift, KR/PR/WR

Oklahoma:               Chris Brown, RB; Keenan Clayton, LB; Brandon Walker, OL

Oklahoma State:    Jeray Chatham, DL; Perrish Cox, KR/PR; Orie Lemon, LB; Ricky Price, DB; Tonga Tea, DL

Texas:                       Quan Cosby, KR/PR/WR; Cedric Dockery, OL; Blake Gideon, DB; Aaron Lewis, DL; Henry Melton, DL; Roddrick Muckelroy, LB; Chris Ogbonnaya, RB; Charlie Tanner, OL; Earl Thomas, DB