JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – With his selection to the Don Hansen All-American first team, Kevin Day (Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.) becomes Carson-Newman's seventh consensus All-American since the school joined Division II in the early 1990s and its fist in a decade.
Day joins Steve Mellon ('95), current C-N defensive coordinator Mike Clowney ('96), former Washington Redskin and Houston Texan Cedric Killings ('99), Clay Clevenger ('00), Michael Rigdon ('01) and Reggie Perkins ('03) as the Eagles consensus All-Americans.
The Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.-native is the fourth offensive lineman to earn the honor for C-N (Rigdon, Clevenger and Perkins). Mellon and Killings played on the defensive line, while Clowney was a linebacker for the Eagles.
Day helped clear the way for the nation's top rushing offense in Division II. The Eagles piled up nearly 380 yards a game while scoring 52 rushing touchdowns. The 52 scores on the ground are the most among all schools in all divisions. Only FCS' Georgia Southern averaged more yards rushing a game than C-N.
Joining Day on the Don Hansen All-America team is C-N running back Brandon Baker (Miami, Fla). The junior garnered honorable mention honors.
Baker's 1,468-yard rushing season marked the third best year for an Eagle on the ground in Carson-Newman history. Only Buck Wakefield (1,515 yards in 2009) and Kenneth Tyson (1,867 yards in 1987) rank in front of Baker's season. He finished the year with 122 yards per game – tops in the SAC and 17th best nationally.
Baker's 8.25 yards a carry were the best in the nation for anyone with more than 100 carries in 2012. He's also the first C-N back this century to rush for more than eight yards a carry with more than 100 carries in a season.
Baker finished the year with four straight games with more than 140 yards on the ground. The junior has 2,452 yards for his career – 1,704 away from Robert Thomas' (1988-1991) career record of 4,156.
Baker and Day, along with Carson-Newman kicker Curt Duncan (Morristown, Tenn.) – an academic All-American and first team BSN all-American – are the first trio of Eagles on all-American teams since 2005 when Deonte Bolden, Pat Egan and Tony Robinson were all lauded with all-America honors.
First Team Offense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
QB Zach Zulli 6-2 188 JR Shippensburg Schwenksville, Pa.
RB Isaiah Whitaker 5-10 225 SO Lenoir-Rhyne Salisbury, N.C.
RB Michael Hill 5-11 205 SR Missouri Western St. Joseph, Mo.
RB Franklyn Quiteh 5-10 203 JR Bloomsburg Tobyhanna, Pa.
WR Chris Bowden 6-2 215 SR Wingate Forsyth, Ga.
WR Jeff Janis 6-3 205 JR Saginaw Valley State Tawas City, Mich.
WR Isaiah Voegeli 6-0 185 SR Merrimack Hyannis, Mass.
TE David Pawelek 6-3 230 SR Colorado Mines Smithson Valley, Texas
AP John Brown 5-11 171 JR Pittsburg State Homestead, Fla.
C Kevin Day 6-0 270 SR Carson-Newman Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.
OG Garth Heikkinen 6-4 315 SR Minnesota Duluth Duluth, Minn.
OG Edmund Kugbila 6-5 347 SR Valdosta State Lawrenceville, Ga.
OT Manase Foketi 6-5 320 SR West Texas A&M Hesperia, Calif.
OT Ryan Schraeder 6-7 300 SR Valdosta State Wichita, Kan.
PK Sam Brockshus 5-11 200 JR Minnesota State Spencer, Iowa
First Team Defense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
DE B.J. Stevens 6-2 245 JR California (Pa.) Monroeville, Pa.
DE Ethan Westbrooks 6-4 275 JR West Texas A&M San Leandro, Calif.
DG/DT Larry Webster 6-7 240 SR Bloomsburg Hagerstown, Md.
DG/DT Brandon Williams 6-3 325 SR Missouri Southern Kirkwood, Mo.
LB Leron Furr 6-3 JR Fort Valley State Columbus, Ga.
LB Cory Johnson 5-10 240 SR Catawba Fayetteville, N.C.
LB Tavarius Wilson 5-11 225 JR North Alabama Jackson, Miss.
S Caleb Massey 6-0 226 JR North Alabama Sulligent, Ala.
S Jack Moro 5-11 190 JR St. Cloud State Brookfield, Wis.
CB Pierre Desir 6-2 206 JR Lindenwood St. Charles, Mo.
CB Jumal Rolle 6-0 185 SR Catawba Wilson, N.C.
RS John Brown 5-11 171 JR Pittsburg State Homestead, Fla.
P Taylor Accardi 6-2 205 SR Colorado Mines Littleton, Colo.
Second Team Offense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
QB Taylor Housewright 6-2 215 SR Ashland Ashland, Ohio
FB Romo Westbrook 5-9 195 SO Harding Marion, Ark.
RB Rayon Simmons 5-11 200 SR Winona State University City, Mo.
RB Derrick Washington 6-0 215 SR Tuskegee Raymore, Mo.
WR Lemar Durant 6-2 SO Simon Fraser Coquitlam, B.C.
WR Charles Johnson 6-3 225 SR Grand Valley State
WR Shjuan Richardson 5-9 172 SR Emporia State Muskogee, Okla.
TE Scott Simonson 6-5 240 JR Assumption Red Bank, N.J.
AP Rondell White 5-9 180 JR West Chester West Chester, Pa.
C Markus Lawrence 6-4 290 SR Winston-Salem State Charlotte, N.C.
OG Andrew Essman 6-2 305 JR Minnesota State Lincoln, Neb.
OG Tino Tuilata 6-5 320 JR Midwestern State Pago Pago, American Samoa
OT Dan Matha 6-7 310 SR Indiana (Pa.) Erie, Pa.
OT Rod Williams 6-5 300 SR NW Missouri State Grandview, Mo.
PK Sergio Castillo, Jr. 5-10 195 JR West Texas A&M La Joya, Texas
Second Team Defense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
DE Rufus Johnson 6-5 257 SR Tarleton State Dallas, Texas
DE Zach Moore 6-6 282 JR Concordia-St. Paul Chicago, Ill.
DG/DT Tyrell Higgins 6-3 285 SR West Texas A&M Schertz, Texas
DG/DT Carl Thornton 6-2 270 SR Indiana (Pa.) Beaver Falls, Pa.
LB Nate Dreiling 6-4 229 JR Pittsburg State Hutchinson/Victoria, Kan.
LB Kevin Lindholm 6-2 220 SR Chadron State Eads, Colo.
LB Darius Wilson 6-1 210 SR Central State (Ohio) Matteson, Ill.
S Dexter Moody 6-3 200 JR Albany State Twin City, Ga.
S Robert Virgil 6-2 180 SR Sioux Falls Elk Grove, Calif.
CB William Buford 6-0 190 SR Tuskegee Thomasville, Ala.
CB Keon Robinson 6-0 199 JR Shepherd Fairfax Station, Va.
RS Tyron Laughinghouse 6-2 175 SR St. Augustine's Macon, Ga.
P Randy Weich 6-2 250 SR Wayne State (Neb.) Lincoln, Neb.
Third Team Offense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
QB Dustin Vaughn 6-5 220 JR West Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Texas
FB Jordan Ollis 5-10 215 SO Brevard Columbus, N.C.
RB Joe Glendening 5-10 188 SR Hillsdale East Grand Rapids, Mich.
RB Jordan Roberts 5-11 225 SR Charleston (W. Va.) Madison, W. Va.
WR Torrence Allen 6-1 190 JR West Texas A&M Meridian, Texas
WR Jacob Baskerville 6-1 194 SR Shippensburg Pottsville, Pa.
WR Mar'Quone Edmonds 6-2 211 SR Indianapolis Waukegan, Ill.
WR Robert Jordan 5-10 175 JR Henderson State Miami, Fla.
TE Adam Schiltz 6-4 256 SR Emporia State Ponca City, Okla.
AP Xzanvion Smith 5-11 190 JR Tusculum Anderson, S.C.
C Kelton Hays 5-11 284 JR Henderson State Jonesville, La.
OG Tim Lelito 6-4 315 SR Grand Valley State St. Clair, Mich.
OG David Stedman 6-2 275 SR New Haven Hasbrouck Htrs., N.J.
OT Macon Allen 6-4 310 SR Missouri Western King City, Mo.
OT Garrett Gilkey 6-7 320 SR Chadron State Sandwich, Ill.
PK Ryne Smith 5-8 180 SR West Alabama Madison, Miss.
Third Team Defense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
DE David Bass 6-5 275 SR Missouri Western St. Louis, Mo.
DE Julian Howsare 6-3 255 SO Clarion Altoona, Pa.
DG/DT T.J. Batchelor 6-0 235 JR Chowan Middlesex, N.C.
DG/DT Jordan Morgan 6-4 252 JR Ferris State Chicago, Ill.
DG/DT Bryan Thomson 6-1 275 SO East Stroudsburg Keyport, N.J.
LB Max Davis 5-11 227 SR Indianapolis Indianapolis, Ind.
LB Carlos Fields 6-2 215 JR Winston-Salem State Henderson, N.C.
LB Jake Lilly 5-11 200 JR Concord (W. Va.) Bluefield, Va.
S Johnny Franco 5-10 205 SR Indiana (Pa.) Altoona, Pa.
S Trelan Taylor 5-10 195 JR Chadron State La Mesa, Calif.
CB Adam Lucas 6-1 190 SR Tuskegee Riverdale, Ga.
CB Don Unamba 6-1 192 SR Southern Arkansas Hurst, Texas
RS Robert Jordan 5-10 175 JR Henderson State Miami, Fla.
P Kyle Goodburn 6-0 180 SO NW Missouri State Roeland Park, kan.
Honorable Mention
ALPHABETICAL, BY SCHOOL — American International: Markell Rice, S; Ashland: Brian Gamble, S; Jamie Meder, DG/DT; Bentley: Nick Halloran, OT; Bloomsburg: Brian Clarke, OG; Matt Feiler, OT; Brevard: Eric Watts, P; California (Pa.): Andrew Cerett, P; Rontez Miles, S; Carson-Newman: Brandon Baker, RB; Central Missouri: Logan Freeman, C; Central Oklahoma: Josh Birmingham, AP; Colorado State-Pueblo: Jonathan Jones, C; Ryan Jensen, OT; Brandon Kliesen, P; Josh Sandoval, RS; Concord (W. Va.): Riyahd Richardson, CB; Concordia-St. Paul: Nate Thienes, TE; Delta State: Lavon Downs; East Stroudsburg: Taylor Groff, PK; Elizabeth City State: Brad Davis, DE; Daronte McNeil, RB; Emporia State: Ben Carlson, LB; Fairmont State: Matt Wilmer, RS; Fort Valley State: Justin Rosenbaum, P; Glenville State: Rahmann Lee, RB; Grand Valley State: Matt Armstrong, OG; Harding: Austin Smithey, OT; Henderson State: Maxie Graham, LB; Kevin Rodgers, QB; Hillsdale: Cam White, TE; Humboldt State: Nick Ricciardulli, RB; Indiana (Pa.): Nick Carnicella, OG; Carl Fleming, LB; Harvie Tuck, RB; Indianapolis: Klary Fletcher, WR; Lane: Corey Jones, LB; Lenoir Rhyne: Kaleb Myrick, OG; Lincoln: O'Hara Fluellen, CB; Lindenwood: Andrew Helmick, WR; Mars Hill: Mam Nyang, DG/DT; Michigan Tech: Justin Armstrong, LB; Midwestern State: Ken Van Heule, OG; Minneosta Duluth: Fossam Foncham, DG/DT; Andrew Muer, OG; Minnesota State: Chris Schaudt, DE; Minnesota State-Moorhead: Steve Parks, DG/DT; Missouri Western: Travis Partridge, QB; Morehouse: Thomas Williams, RS; New Haven: Tom Herd, DE; New Mexico Highlands: Abdul Kanneh, CB; Newberry: LaQuawn James, OT; NW Missouri State: Collin DeBuysere, LB; Travis Chappelear, DG/DT; Nate DeJong, S; Pittsburg State: Cody Holland, OT; Gus Toca, DE; Saginaw Valley State: Jeff Heath, S; St. Cloud State: Phillip Klaphake, QB; Seton Hill: Tyler Zimmer, LB; Shippensburg: Trevor Harman, WR; Simon Fraser: Andrew Marshall, LB; Sioux Falls: Braden Wieking, PK; Southern Arkansas: Carlos Brown, FB; Mark Johnson, RB; Stillman: Carlos Wilson, CB; Texas A&M-Kingsville: Jeremy Aguilar, LB; Truman: Richie Schumacher, S; Tuskegee: Devonte Jones, OG; Quavon Taylor, LB; Christopher Tolbert, OT; Upper Iowa: Keaton Hosch, AP; Valdosta State: Cayden Cochran, QB; Gerald Ford, WR; Tyler Josey, DE; Chris Pope, LB; Lawrence Virgil, DG/DT; Mesh Wokomaty, OT; Washburn: Steve Dieckhaus, OT; West Alabama: Otha Foster, S; Deon Lacey, LB; Andy Nations, OG; West Chester: Ronnell Williams, LB; West Georgia: Jordan Ritchey, C; West Texas A&M: Torrence Allen, WR; Khiry Robinson, RS; Winona State: Richard Lilla, C; Winston-Salem State: Jahuann Butler, WR; Kameron Smith, QB.