Dec. 8, 2009

IRVING (C-USA/SMU) - SMU's Kyle Padron, Darius Johnson and Taylor Reed have each been named to the 2009 Conference USA All-Freshman Team, as selected by the league's 12 head football coaches, the league office announced today.

Padron, who was 4-1 as a starter down the stretch for the Mustangs, completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 1,462 yards and eight touchdowns with four interceptions. He became the first Mustang freshman to win his first three starts since 1980.

Johnson played in four games in 2009, catching 10 passes for 107 yards and a TD. Reed, meanwhile, ranked fifth on the team with 56 tackles, including 4.5 for-loss. Reed pulled down an interception in the end zone with 14:44 left in the fourth quarter and helped stop Blazer QB Joe Webb on the potential game-tying two-point try with 13 seconds left in the game in the win at UAB. He saw time in every game this season with one start.

With three selections, SMU trailed only Houston and Tulsa, which each placed a league-high four players on the squad.

2009 C-USA FOOTBALL ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
OFFENSEQB- Kyle Padron, SMURB- Charles Sims, HoustonRB- Charles Ross, RiceOL- Jamie McCoy, MemphisOL- Zack Morgan, TulaneOL- Trent Dupy, TulsaOL- Chris Hubbard, UABOL- Theo Goins, UCFTE- Vance McDonald, RiceWR- Antavious Wilson, MarshallWR- Darius Johnson, SMUWR-  Ricky Johnson, Tulsa
DEFENSEDL- Michael Brooks, East CarolinaDL- Zeke Riser, HoustonDL- Dontari Poe, MemphisDL- Cory Dorris, TulsaLB- Phillip Steward, HoustonLB- Taylor Reed, SMULB- Shakiel Smith, TulaneLB- Daniel White, UABDB- Kevin Gaddis, RiceDB- Dexter McCoil, TulsaDB- Josh  Robinson, UCFDB- Deshawn Grayson, UTEP
SPECIAL TEAMSK- Matt Hogan, HoustonP- Peter Boehme, Southern MissKR- Marlon McClure, UTEPPR- Tracy Lampley, Southern MissLS- Taylor Klein, UAB