OXFORD, Miss. Ole Miss was well represented on the Scout.com All-America teams released Monday, as linebacker Patrick Willis earned first-team honors, while John Jerry and Joshua Shene made the Freshman first team, and Greg Hardy and Marcus Tillman made the Freshman second team.
Willis, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound senior from Bruceton, Tenn., led the Southeastern Conference in tackles for the second straight season. This year he was the only SEC defender to average more than 10 tackles a game with 11.4. His 137 stops rank sixth in the nation, and he’s third in solo tackles with more than seven a game.
Winner of this year’s Conerly Trophy (awarded to state’s top player), Willis is also a finalist for the Butkus and Nagurski awards.
John Jerry stepped into the Ole Miss lineup as a true freshman and started all 12 games at left guard. The Batesville, Miss., product led the Rebels with 26 pancake blocks and helped pave the way for BenJarvus Green-Ellis to rush for 999 yards, the fourth-highest total in school history.
Joshua Shene connected on 14-of-17 field goals for the year at an 82 percent clip, which ranks fourth in the SEC. The highly ranked high school kicker from Oklahoma City, Okla., made nine straight field goals toward the end of the season, including a career-long 52-yarder vs. Northwestern State. He was also a perfect 20-of-20 on PATs in 2006.
Greg Hardy tied for the team lead with three sacks and ranked third in the SEC with four forced fumbles. The Millington, Tenn., native played in all 12 games and started nine for the Rebels. He ranked fifth on the team with 49 tackles. Against Mississippi State, Hardy lined up at wide receiver and caught a 23-yard touchdown pass on his first offensive snap as a collegian.
Marcus Tillman played in all 12 games and started 10 as an undersized defensive tackle. The high school All-American from Meadville, Miss., tied for second on the team with five tackles for loss and collected 22 tackles on the year.
Ole Miss’ four selections to the Freshman All-America teams were more than any other school in the nation. Oklahoma State and South Florida, with three picks each, were the only other schools with more than two honorees.
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