DENVER, COLORADO -- Two SMU players earned first team All-Western Athletic Conference honors today. Senior wide receiver/punt returner Cody Cardwell and senior linebacker Vic Viloria were both honored in a vote of the conference's head coaches. Junior running back Keylon Kincade was a second team pick while senior tight end John Hampton and junior center Steve Reindl were honorable mention selections.
Cardwell, a Tolar, Texas native, was the league's special teams representative on the first team. He led the conference and ranks third in the nation in punt returns, averaging 17.3 yards on 27 returns. He set school records in 2002 for yards per punt return and punt return yards (467). His biggest return of the year was a 66-yarder with 1:22 remaining for the winning touchdown in SMU's 42-35 victory at UTEP on Nov. 16. He set a school record with 169 punt return yards in that game.
Cardwell also led the Mustangs with 47 receptions for 659 yards and three TDs. He finished his career ranked eighth on SMU's all-time receptions list with 115 and 10th on its receiving yards chart with 1,525.
Viloria, a Chalmette, La. product, led the team in tackles for the third consecutive year. He finished the 2002 season with 89 stops, including nine for loss, despite missing the final two games with an injury. He recorded at least 10 tackles in five contests this year.
Viloria finished his career as the SMU program's eighth all-time tackler with 372. He had 10 tackles in 21 of his 38 career appearances as a Mustang.
Kincade had a breakout season in 2002, rushing for 1,279 yards (the third highest season total in school history) and seven touchdowns. The Troup, Texas native set a school season record with 327 rushing attempts and totaled eight 100-yard rushing games, the third most in a season in SMU annals.
Hampton led all WAC tight ends with 33 catches for 454 yards and three TDs. The Burleson, Texas product finished his career as SMU's all-time tight end leader with 114 receptions for 1,485 yards.
Reindl, a Mission Viejo, Calif. native, started every game at center and was SMU's leader on the offensive line. SMU was able to average 182.2 yards per game on the ground despite seeing eight-man fronts for most of the season.
