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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Oher Named All-America by Football Writers
12/13/2008 | Football
DALLAS Ole Miss' Michael Oher continues to pile up postseason honors, as the senior offensive tackle received All-America honors today from the Football Writers Association of America.
The FWAA All-America Team, the second longest continuously published team in major college football, was announced on ABC-TV at 5 p.m. ET for the fifth straight season during a one-hour show that was sponsored by AT&T. The FWAA has named an All-America team in some form since 1944.
A Memphis native, Oher has been a consensus First Team All-America choice this year and also picked up honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation. 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.
For the second straight season, the two best conferences in college football dominated the FWAA's All-America Team. The association's 65th edition was led by seven players from the offensive-laden Big 12 Conference and six from the more defensive-oriented Southeastern Conference.
Highlighting the offensive side of the ball were six players from the Big 12, which produced five of college football's most productive offensives in 2008. Texas' Colt McCoy is the quarterback of the team, and his teammate end Brian Orakpo is the Big 12's lone representative on the defensive side of the ball.
Meanwhile, Alabama tackle Andre Smith, the 2008 Outland Trophy winner, is one of two SEC players on the offensive side of the ball along with Oher. The SEC landed three players on the defensive side of the ball, along with one on special teams.
Five schools among the nation's Top 10 Alabama, Florida, Penn State, Texas and USC each have two players on the team. There are two repeaters on the FWAA team from last season, Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree and Utah kicker Louie Sakoda. Sakoda, however, made the 2007 team as a punter. And for the second straight season, Missouri has a tight end on the team. This season Chase Coffman succeeded Martin Rucker at that spot.
After the Big 12 and SEC, the Big Ten Conference is next with four selections and the Big East, Pacific-10 and Mountain West had two each. The Atlantic Coast Conference and Conference USA each has one player on the team. Orakpo, one of two ends from the state of Texas on the team, claimed the FWAA's Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation's top defender.
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