NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (FWAA) – The Football Writers Association of America and Aon Insurance announced their ninth annual Freshman All-America Team on Thursday morning during the association's annual awards breakfast. Ten of the 11 NCAA Bowl Subdivision Conferences were represented on the team sponsored by AON Insurance.
The Southeastern Conference and Pac-10 each placed five players on the FWAA team. The Atlantic Coast had four players and the Big East and Big 12 three each. No other conference had more than two players. Of the 28 players honored, the team was exactly split between true freshmen and redshirt freshmen.
Oregon’s first-year coach Chip Kelly was selected as the best first-year coach after leading his team to a Pacific-10 title and berth in the Rose Bowl.
The team and coach are selected by a 11-person panel of nationally-prominent writers led by Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News Sentinel. Both true freshmen and redshirt freshmen were considered for the team and are so noted.
2009 AON INSURANCE FWAA FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA TEAM
OFFENSE
Pos. Player, School Ht. Wt. Hometown
QB • Tom Savage, Rutgers 6-5 230 Springfield, Pa.
RB • Dion Lewis, Pittsburgh 5-8 195 Albany, N.Y.
RB Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech 5-10 206 Manassas, Va.
RB LaMichael James, Oregon 5-9 180 Texarkana, Texas
WR • Eric Page, Toledo 5-10 165 Toledo, Ohio
WR • Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina 6-3 217 St. Matthews, S.C.
TE • Orson Charles, Georgia 6-3, 230 Tampa, Fla.
OL • David DeCastro, Stanford 6-5 310 Bellevue, Wash.
OL Aaron Douglas, Tennessee 6-6 282 Maryville, Tenn.
OL Braden Hansen, Brigham Young 6-6 300 Sandy, Utah
OL Tanner Hawkinson, Kansas 6-6 285 McPherson, Kan.
OL Barrett Jones, Alabama 6-5 280 Memphis, Tenn.
DEFENSE
Pos. Player, School Ht. Wt. Hometown
DE Nick Perry, USC 6-3 250 Detroit, Mich.
DE Aldon Smith, Missouri 6-5 255 Raytown, Mo.
DT Scott Vallone, Rutgers 6-3 270 Central Islip, N.Y.
DT Jerel Worthy, Michigan State 6-3 270 Huber Heights, Ohio
LB • Chris Borland, Wisconsin 5-11 235 Kettering, Ohio
LB • Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State 6-3 245 Corona, Calif.
LB • Luke Kuechly, Boston College 6-3 225 Cincinnati, Ohio
LB Brian Wagner, Akron 6-2 220 Springfield, Ohio
CB • Josh Robinson, UCF 5-10 189 Sunrise, Fla.
CB Bryan Willis, Troy 5-9 180 Columbus, Ga.
S John Boyett, Oregon 5-10 190 Napa, Calif.
S • Shamiel Gary, Wyoming 6-1 210 Tulsa, Okla.
SPECIALISTS
Pos. Player, School Ht. Wt. Hometown
P Tress Way, Oklahoma 6-1 215 Tulsa, Okla.
K • Nick Ferrara, Maryland 6-0 200 Hicksville, N.Y.
PR • Greg Reid, Florida State 5-9 175 Valdosta, Ga.
KR • Warren Norman, Vanderbilt 5-9 180 Stone Mountain, Ga.
HEAD COACH
Chip Kelly, Oregon
• Denotes true freshman
The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,100 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America team.