December 17, 2012

Day and Baker wind up on AP Little All-America Teams

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman center Kevin Day (Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.) and running back Brandon Baker (Miami, Fla.) have both landed on the Associated Press’s Little All-America team, which is comprised of players from Division II, Division III and NAIA. Day made the second team, while Baker ended up on the third team. They are the first AP All-American selections for Carson-Newman since offensive lineman Thomas Battle made the team in 2008.

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman center Kevin Day (Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.) and running back Brandon Baker (Miami, Fla.) have both landed on the Associated Press's Little All-America team, which is comprised of players from Division II, Division III and NAIA.

Day made the second team, while Baker ended up on the third team. They are the first AP All-American selections for Carson-Newman since offensive lineman Thomas Battle made the team in 2008.

The all-America honor is Day's third this season; he was also named to the AFCA and Daktronics teams. The senior becomes the 16^th Carson-Newman football player to be named to three all-America teams in a single season. The last was Eric Rice in 2007.

Day joins Philadelphia Eagle Leonard Weaver (2002), former Washington Redskin and Houston Texan Cedric Killings (1999) and current Carson-Newman defensive coordinator Mike Clowney in the three timers club. There have been nine instances where a C-N player made four all-America teams in one year. Six of those players made five all-America teams in a single season.

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.

One of the players day helped clear the way for was Baker. 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 17^th 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.

-CN-

First Team
QB - Zach Zulli, Shippensburg (JR)
RB - Franklyn Quiteh, Bloomsburg (JR)
RB - Michael Hill, Missouri Western State (SR)
RB - James Clay, Mount St. Joseph (SR)
WR - Jeff Janis, Saginaw Valley State (JR)
WR - Isaiah Voegeli, Merrimack (SR)
OL - Garth Heikkinen, Minnesota-Duluth (SR)
OL - Manase Foketi, West Texas A&M (SR)
OL - Mark Jackson, Glenville State (SR)
OL - Ryan Schraeder, Valdosta State (SR)
OL - Curtis James, St. Thomas (MN) (SR)
PK - Sergio Castillo, West Texas A&M (JR)
AP - Joshn Brown, Pittsburg State (JR)

DL - Brandon Williams, Missouri Southern State (SR)
DL - Ethan Westbrooks, West Texas A&M (JR)
DL - B.J. Stevens, California (PA) (JR)
DL - D.J. Chappell, Huntingdon (SR)
LB - Corey Johnson, Catawba (SR)
LB - Leron Furr, Fort Valley State (JR)
LB - Ronnell Williams, West Chester (SO)
DB - Rontez Miles, California (PA) (SR)
DB - Nick Driskill, Mount Union (SR)
DB - Jack Moro, St. Cloud State (JR)
DB - Trelan Taylor, Chadron State (SR)
P - Taylor Accardi, Colorado School of Mines (SR)

====================================

Second Team
QB - Kameron Smith, Winston-Salem State (SR)
RB - Raymon Simmons, Winona State (SR)
RB - Scottie Williams, Elmhurst (SR)
RB - Derrick Washington, Tuskegee (SR)
WR - Brandon Boyle, Castleton State (JR)
WR - Chris Bowden, Wingate (SR)
OL - Will Ferrell, Hampden-Sydney (JR)
OL - Ryan Jensen, Colorado State-Pueblo (SR)
OL - Brian Clarke, Bloomsburg (JR)
OL - Kevin Day, Carson-Newman (SR)
OL - Markus Lawrence, Winston-Salem State (SR)
PK - Allen Cain, Texas Lutheran (SR)
AP - John Borsellino, Benedictine (SR)

DL - Zach Moore, Concordia-St. Paul (JR)
DL - Jake Metz, Shippensburg (JR)
DL - David Bass, Missouri Western State (SR)
DL - Clay Eaton, Oberlin (SR)
LB - Javicz Jones, Mary Hardin-Baylor (SR)
LB - Corey Jones, Lane (SR)
LB - Kevin Lindholm, Chadron State (SR)
DB - Nate DeJong, Northwest Missouri State (SR)
DB - Zach Autenrieb, Thomas More (SR)
DB - Abdul Kenneh, New Mexico Highlands (SR)
DB - Markell rice, American International (SR)
P - Randy Weich, Wayne State (NE) (SR)

====================================

Third Team
QB - Kevin Burke, Mount Union (SO)
RB - Terrance Cobbs, Cumberland (JR)
RB - Harvie Tuck, Indiana (PA) (SR)
RB - Brandon Baker, Carson-Newman (JR)
WR - Jasper Collins, Mount Union (SR)
WR - Ma'Quone Edmonds, Indianapolis (SR)
OL - Macon Allan, Missouri Western State (SR)
OL - Tom Knowlton, Concordia-Moorhead (SR)
OL - Dan Matha, Indiana (PA) (SR)
OL - Ken Van Heule, Midwestern State (SR)
OL - Edmund Kugbila, Valdosta State (SR)
PK - Sam Brockshus, Minnesota State-Mankato (JR)
AP - Tyron Laughinghouse, St. Augustine's

DL - Dexter Davis, Friends (SR)
DL - Ridge Wilson, West Alabama (SR)
DL - Brad Davis, Elizabeth City State (SR)
DL - Tim Taylor, Thiel (SR)
LB - Nate Dreiling, Pittsburg State (JR)
LB - Mike Hendrick, Knox (SR)
LB - Darius Wilson, Central State (SR)
DB - Phil Terio, Salve Regina (SO)
DB - C.J. Roberts, Colorado State-Pueblo (SO)
DB - Brandon Dixon, Northwest Missouri State (JR)
DB - Johnny Franco, Indiana (PA) (SR)
P - Christian Hallingstad, Wisconsin-LaCrosse (SR)