SI.com Tabs Eight Frogs All-Americans
12/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 15, 2010
NEW YORK -- Eight TCU football players have received All-America honors from SI.com.
Safety Tejay Johnson is a first-team selection with center Jake Kirkpatrick a second-team pick. Receiving honorable-mention accolades are linebackers Tanner Brock and Tank Carder, offensive tackle Marcus Cannon, quarterback Andy Dalton, defensive end Wayne Daniels and return specialist Jeremy Kerley.
Johnson was one of three finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back. With a team-high three interceptions and three forced fumbles, he has produced six turnovers for the nation's top-ranked defense.
Kirkpatrick won the Rimington Trophy as the nation's top center.
Brock, with a team-high 97 tackles, and Carder anchor the middle in TCU's 4-2-5 defensive scheme.
Cannon has been ranked by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. as the fifth-best offensive tackle in the 2011 National Football League draft.
Dalton finished ninth in Heisman Trophy voting, collecting four first-place votes. The winningest active quarterback in college football with 41 victories, Dalton has completed a career-best 66.2 percent of his passes for 2,638 yards. He has set a TCU single-season record with 26 touchdown passes while throwing just six interceptions.
Daniels has team-high totals of 12 tackles for loss and 6 1/2 sacks.
Kerley, one of three finalists for the Paul Hornung Award as college football's most versatile performer, was the Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Year for the second straight season. He averages a career-best 28.0 yards on kickoff returns with a 12.9 mark on punt returns.
