July 28, 2009
IRVING (SMU/C-USA) - SMU senior wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders has been named a preseason first-team All-Conference USA performer by the league's 12 head coaches, the league office announced today.
Sanders begins his senior season as SMU's career leader in TD catches (27). In 2008, he earned second-team All-C-USA accolades after catching 67 passes for 958 yards and nine TDs in 10 games. Sanders finished 11th in the nation at 95.8 receiving yards per game set a new SMU season record with six 100-yard games. He is the first player in SMU history to record three 600-yard receiving seasons.
The award comes one day after Sanders and teammates Aldrick Robinson and Pete Fleps earned preseason All-C-USA honors from the league's media.
Sanders, Fleps and Robinson and all the Mustang players will report for fall camp on August 7, with the opener scheduled for Sept. 5 when the Mustangs host Stephen F. Austin.
2009 C-USA FOOTBALL COACHES PRESEASON AWARDSFirst Team OffenseQB Case Keenum, Jr., HoustonRB Bryce Beall, So., HoustonRB Damion Fletcher, Sr., Southern MissOL Sean Allen, Sr., East CarolinaOL Carl Barnett, Sr., HoustonOL Ryan Hebert, Sr., Southern MissOL Tyler Holmes, So., TulsaOL Dominik Riley, Jr., MemphisOL Jake Seitz, Sr., UABWR DeAndre Brown, So., Southern MissWR Tyron Carrier, So., HoustonWR Emmanuel Sanders, Sr., SMUTE Cody Slate, Sr., Marshall
First Team DefenseDL Anthony Gray, Jr., Southern MissDL Albert McClellan, Sr., MarshallDL Bruce Miller, Jr., UCFDL C.J. Wilson, Sr., East CarolinaLB Mike Bryan, Sr., TulsaLB Mario Harvey, Sr., MarshallLB Nick Johnson, Sr., East CarolinaDB Van Eskridge, Sr., East CarolinaDB Eddie Hicks, Sr., Southern MissDB James Lockett, Sr., TulsaDB Andrew Sendejo, Sr., Rice
First Team Special Teams K Ben Hartman, Sr., East Carolina P Ross Thevenot, Jr., Tulane KR Damaris Johnson, So., Tulsa PR D.A. Griffin, Jr., Memphis
