South Atlantic Conference Places Nine on d2football.com All-America Teams

ROCK HILL -- A total of nine South Atlantic Conference football players were named to the D2football.com All-America teams. The website announced their honorees on Monday. Mars Hill linebacker Khalid Abdullah, the SAC's Defensive Player of the Year, and Catawba College linebacker Todd McComb were the only first-team selections.

Carson-Newman College, the SAC's regular season champions, had four representatives on the list. Linebacker William Moody (Panama City, Fla.) was selected to the second team All-Defensive team. Moody was third on the Eagle team in tackles in 2002 with 59. He had 12 sacks for -95 yards and 13 quarterback hurries.

Randy Bell and Bakari Wilkerson were named to the All-Offense honorable mention team. Bell (Maben, Miss.) rushed for 1,083 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. Wilkerson (Chattanooga, Tenn.) was an anchor on the offensive line that produced the best rushing attack in Division II at 346.5 yards per game.

Steve Josue (Miami, Fla.) was named to the All-Defense honorable mention team. Josue had 48 tackles and 13 sacks in 2002 and added 19 quarterback hurries.

Tusculum College placed two players on the Second Team: Offensive lineman Alan Dunn, the recipient of the SAC's Jacobs Blocking Trophy, and return specialist Donald Amaker. Amaker, a 5-9, 195-pound junior from Bluefield, W.Va., earns a spot on the All-American team as a return specialist. Dunn, a 6-7, 315-pound junior from Chattanooga, Tenn. was selected as an All-American offensive lineman. For Amaker, it is his second All-American accolade, while Dunn garners national honors for the first time in his career.

Amaker led the South Atlantic Conference in punt returns for a second straight season averaging 17.1 yards per return, which was a new school record and second best in the nation. He also finished 18th in kickoff return average with 25.9 yards per return. Amaker was named to the Football Weekly Gazette Division II All-American Second Team last season. He is a two-time All-Conference First Team pick, including this year.

Dunn is a two-time NCAA II All-South Region pick, including this year as he earned First Team honors. Dunn was named to the 2002 recipient of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, which is awarded to the best lineman or blocking back in the South Atlantic Conference. He has twice been named to the All-SAC First Team and was a preseason All-American selection according to the Football Weekly Gazette.

Since the reinstatement of the sport of football at Tusculum College in 1991, only five players have earned All-American distinction including: Eric Claridy (1994, 1995), Matt Shults (1994), Paul Czerniak (2000, 2001), Donald Amaker (2001, 2002) and Alan Dunn (2002).

Presbyterian College defensive lineman Nacomma Maxwell was also an honorable mention selection. Maxwell, a 6-1, 215-pound senior defensive end from Hartwell, Ga., tallied 86 total stops (35 solo/51 assist) this season. In addition, he tallied 11.0 tackles for loss (-54), 7.0 sacks (-43), 1 pass defense, 14 quarterback hurries, and 2 forced fumbles this season en route to 2002 All-South Atlantic Conference first team selection and second team Daktronics All-Region selection.

Maxwell tallied three double-figure tackle games (West Georgia, Charleston Southern, Wingate) and tallied eight tackles and seven QB hurries in PC's 24-7 win over nationally-ranked Tusculum (10/12).

Maxwell will represent Presbyterian College in the Whataburger Cactus Bowl, the NCAA Division II All-Star game in January.