Oct. 25, 2006

DALLAS (SMU) - SMU sophomore kick returner Jessie Henderson has been named a Mid-Season All-American by CollegeFootballNews.com/FoxSports.com, the outlet recently announced.

Henderson, a second-team honoree, was tabbed an honorable mention preseason All-American by Street & Smith's and a preseason All-Conference selection in numerous magazines. Henderson leads the NCAA in kick return average in 2006 at 36.9 ypr and ranked first in C-USA in returns a year ago. He now ranks sixth on SMU's all-time list with 1,032 career return yards, and his career average of 30.4 ypr is currently better than SMU's all-time leader, Doak Walker (29.1).

The Paris, Texas, native has played a big part in SMU's success this season. In SMU's win at Tulane, SMU had surrendered the lead to Tulane, 21-20, with 7:52 left in the fourth quarter. The emotionally-charged Green Wave and the raucous Superdome crowd had little time to enjoy the lead, however, because Henderson returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to give SMU a 26-21 lead and take the wind out of Tulane's sails. The effort earned him C-USA Player of the Week honors. The 100-yard kickoff return for a TD tied five other players for the longest in SMU history and was Henderson's second career KOR TD. He is one of only four SMU players ever to return two kicks for TDs (Jerry LeVias, Jonas Rutledge, Arthur Whittington) and has two-plus seasons to try and become the first Mustang to post three.

Henderson and the SMU football team return to the field Halloween night, Oct. 31, in a nationally-televised 6:30 p.m. match-up with UAB in Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

CollegeFootballNews.com/FoxSports.com Mid-Season All-Americans2006 First Team Midseason All-American Offense QB - Troy Smith, Sr. Ohio State RB - Adrian Peterson, Jr. Oklahoma RB - Garrett Wolfe, Sr. Northern Illinois WR - Calvin Johnson, Jr. Georgia Tech WR - Mario Manningham, Soph. Michigan WR - Robert Meachem, Jr. Tennessee OL - T.J. Downing, Sr. Ohio State OL - Dan Mozes, Sr. West Virginia OL - Arron Sears, Sr. TennesseeOL - Joe Thomas, Sr. Wisconsin OL - Steve Vallos, Sr. Wake Forest PK - Justin Medlock, Sr. UCLA KR - Marcus Thigpen, Soph. Indiana
 2006 First Team Midseason All-American Defense DL - Alan Branch, Jr. Michigan DL - Mkristo Bruce, Sr. Washington State DL - Anthony Spencer, Sr. Purdue DL - Abraham Wright, Sr. Colorado LB - H.B. Blades, Sr. Pitt LB - Patrick Willis, Sr. Ole Miss LB - Sam Olajubutu, Sr. Arkansas DB - Leon Hall, Sr. Michigan DB - Daymeion Hughes, Sr. California DB - Dwight Lowery, Jr. San Jose State DB - Eric Weddle, Sr. Utah P - Sean Douglas, Sr. Washington PR - Mikey Henderson, Jr. Georgia
 CFN Midseason Second Team Offense QB - Erik Ainge, Jr. Tennessee RB - Mike Hart, Jr. Michigan RB - Steve Slaton, Soph. West Virginia WR - Davone Bess, Soph. Hawaii WR - Johnnie Lee Higgins, Sr. UTEP TE - Chris Hopkins, Sr. Toledo OL - Sam Baker, Jr. USC OL - Justin Blalock, Sr. Texas OL - Ryan Clady, Soph. Boise State OL - Roman Fry, Sr. Clemson OL - Jake Long, Jr. Michigan PK - Garrett Hartley, Jr. Oklahoma KR - Jessie Henderson, Soph. SMU
 CFN Midseason Second Team Defense DL - Gaines Adams, Sr. Clemson DL - Glenn Dorsey, Jr. LSU DL - Quinn Pitcock, Sr. Ohio State DL - Brian Smith, Sr. Missouri LB - Keyonvis Bouie, Sr. FIU LB - Buster Davis, Sr. Florida State LB - Phillip Wheeler, Soph. Georgia Tech DB - Brandon Meriweather, Sr. Miami DB - Reggie Nelson, Jr. Florida DB - Kevin Payne, Sr. UL Monroe DB - Aaron Ross, Sr. Texas P - Joe Radigan, Sr. Rutgers PR - Sammie Stroughter, Jr. Oregon State