William and Mary Lands Role Of CAA Football Favorite In 2011
BALTIMORE, Md. (July 27, 2011) -- William and Mary, which earned a share of the CAA Football crown a year ago, is favored to win the CAA Football Championship in 2011 according to a vote of the league's 11 head coaches and media relations personnel. The results of the poll, along with the Preseason All-CAA Football squad, were officially announced during Wednesday's CAA Football Media Day at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md.
William and Mary running back Jonathan Grimes and Delaware running back Andrew Pierce, along with Massachusetts linebacker Tyler Holmes headlined the 2011 CAA Football Preseason All-CAA Football squad as Preseason Players of the Year. Grimes, the most decorated student-athlete in CAA Football history having earned eight postseason honors in just three seasons, ranked fourth in the league piling up 887 rushing yards for a Tribe squad in 2010.
Pierce enjoyed one of the finest seasons ever for a Blue Hen runner in 2010 as he rushed 329 times for 1,655 yards and 14 touchdowns. He set Delaware freshman records for carries in a season, yards rushing in a game (200 vs. Duquesne) and a season, rushing touchdowns in a season and total touchdowns (16) in a season.
Holmes finished his junior campaign in 2010 with a team-best 110 tackles and five sacks for the Minutemen. As a fifth-place finisher in the Buck Buchanan National Defensive Player of the Year balloting a year ago, Holmes earned First Team All-America honors from The Sports Network, AFCA, Associated Press and College Sporting News.
James Madison, which placed four on the Preseason All-CAA Football squad, earned four first-place votes to come in second in the league race. Delaware, also a 2010 CAA Football Champion with the Tribe, picked up two first-place votes and finished third in the overall voting. New Hampshire picked up two first-place votes, while Massachusetts earned one to log fourth and fifth place in the league race, respectively. Richmond came in at No. 6, while Villanova landed at No. 7. Rhode Island, which garnered one first-place vote, was eighth while Maine came in at No. 9. The league's newcomer in Old Dominion was at No. 10 in the predicted order of finish, and Towson rounded out the polling at No. 11.
CAA Football Media Day Live, a two-hour broadcast of 2011 CAA Football Media Day on ESPN3.com, will highlight today's annual kickoff event. CAA Football Media Day Live, the first broadcast of its kind at the NCAA Division I Football Championship level, will air 10 a.m.-12 p.m., live from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., and feature each of the league's head coaches as well as selected student-athletes from around the league.
Not only will CAA Football and FCS fans around the country be able to watch the show previewing the upcoming 2011 season, but the league encourages them to interact with each other and the conference regarding media day. CAA Football will run a CoverItLive blog on CAAFootballblog.com in conjunction with the ESPN3 broadcast, and will also post updates throughout the day using its Twitter and Facebook feeds. The official twitter hashtag for the 2011 CAA Football Media Day and Media Day Live ESPN3 broadcast is #CAAFBmd. Official tweets will include this hashtag and all media and fans are also asked to use it in their tweets related to the event.
You can share your CAA football thoughts, ideas and photos with us now at facebook.com/CAAFootball. CAA Football is blogging at caafootballblog.com...be sure to checkout the official blog of CAA Football to find all sorts of information that might not be at CAAFootball.com. CAA Football is also on Twitter...Fans from all 11 schools can get up-to-date information by following the league at twitter.com/The_CAAFootball. The league also encourages fans to visit us on YouTube: youtube.com/CAAFootball. Logon now and subscribe to see the latest video productions from CAA Football.
| 2011 CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR |
| Position |
Name |
Year |
Height |
Weight |
School |
| Running Back |
Jonathan Grimes |
Senior |
5-10 |
201 |
William and Mary |
| Running Back |
Andrew Pierce |
Sophomore |
5-11 |
200 |
Delaware |
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| 2011 CAA FOOTBALL
PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR |
| Position |
Name |
Year |
Height |
Weight |
School |
| Linebacker |
Tyler Holmes |
Senior |
6-0 |
220 |
Massachusetts |
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| 2011 CAA FOOTBALL
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM |
| OFFENSE |
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| Position |
Name |
Year |
Height |
Weight |
School |
| Quarterback |
Steve Probst |
Senior |
6-4 |
227 |
Rhode Island |
| Running Back |
Jonathan Grimes |
Senior |
5-10 |
201 |
William and Mary |
| Running Back |
Andrew Pierce |
Sophomore |
5-11 |
200 |
Delaware |
| Fullback |
Kendall Gaskins |
Junior |
6-1 |
228 |
Richmond |
| Wide Receiver |
Tre Gray |
Senior |
5-10 |
175 |
Richmond |
| Wide Receiver |
Julian Talley |
Senior |
6-1 |
185 |
Massachusetts |
| Wide Receiver |
Norman White |
Senior |
6-3 |
215 |
Villanova |
| Tight End |
Alex Gottlieb |
Senior |
6-4 |
255 |
William and Mary |
| Offensive Line |
Roane Babington |
Senior |
6-2 |
275 |
James Madison |
| Offensive Line |
Gino Gradkowski |
Senior |
6-4 |
294 |
Delaware |
| Offensive Line |
Rob McDowell |
Senior |
6-3 |
276 |
Delaware |
| Offensive Line |
James Pagliaro |
Senior |
6-3 |
284 |
William and Mary |
| Offensive Line |
Dan Shirey |
Junior |
6-2 |
290 |
Villanova |
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| DEFENSE |
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|
| Position |
Name |
Year |
Height |
Weight |
School |
| Defensive Line |
Michael Atunrase |
Senior |
6-2 |
261 |
Delaware |
| Defensive Line |
Frank Beltre |
Junior |
6-2 |
225 |
Towson |
| Defensive Line |
Marcus Hyde |
Senior |
6-3 |
242 |
William and Mary |
| Defensive Line |
Antoine Lewis |
Sophomore |
6-3 |
270 |
Villanova |
| Defensive Line |
Brian McNally |
Senior |
6-3 |
266 |
New Hampshire |
| Linebacker |
Dante Cook |
Junior |
5-11 |
213 |
William and Mary |
| Linebacker |
Matt Evans |
Junior |
6-0 |
233 |
New Hampshire |
| Linebacker |
Tyler Holmes |
Senior |
6-0 |
220 |
Massachusetts |
| Linebacker |
Stephon Robertson |
Sophomore |
5-11 |
210 |
James Madison |
| Linebacker |
Paul Worrilow |
Junior |
6-0 |
230 |
Delaware |
| Safety |
Jerron McMillian |
Senior |
5-11 |
215 |
Maine |
| Safety |
Vidal Nelson |
Senior |
5-11 |
205 |
James Madison |
| Cornerback |
James Pitts |
Senior |
6-0 |
185 |
Villanova |
| Cornerback |
B.W. Webb |
Junior |
5-11 |
175 |
William and Mary |
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| SPECIAL TEAMS |
|
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|
|
|
| Position |
Name |
Year |
Height |
Weight |
School |
| Return Specialist |
Travis Hurd |
Sophomore |
5-8 |
180 |
Rhode Island |
| Placekicker |
Wil Kamin |
Junior |
5-9 |
175 |
Richmond |
| Punter |
David Skahn |
Junior |
6-2 |
175 |
James Madison |
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| 2011 CAA FOOTBALL
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH (first-place votes) |
| 1. William and Mary (12) |
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| 2. James Madison (4) |
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| 3. Delaware (2) |
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| 4. New Hampshire (2) |
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| 5. Massachusetts (1) |
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| 6. Richmond |
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| 7. Villanova |
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| 8. Rhode Island (1) |
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| 9. Maine |
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| 10. Old Dominion |
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| 11. Towson |
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