|
All-America checklist: Defensive linemen
Aug. 17, 2000
SportsLine.com/Lindy's reports
|
|
Wendell Bryant, DT, Wisconsin (Jr., 6-4, 293) |
|
|
SportsLine.com is picking Wisconsin to win it all this season, and here's
one big reason why. Bryant is the stoutest of objects in the middle -- a big
reason why Stanford "gained" a minus-5 yards rushing in the Rose Bowl. And
why the Badgers surrendered just 13.2 points per game last season. And why
opponents got one touchdown or less in six games.
|
|
Tackles |
TFL |
Sacks |
Starts |
| 1999 |
48 |
9 |
7 |
12 |
| Career |
72 |
13 |
10 |
12 |
|
Alex Brown, DE, Florida (Jr., 6-4, 251) |
|
|
Simply unblockable. Well... at times. His inconsistency last season earned
him the nickname "Up-and-Down Brown," but we're guessing he's going to be
up, up, up in 2000, just like he was last season against Tennessee and
Georgia. In those two games, he filled up the stat sheet with seven sacks,
two forced fumbles and two interceptions.
|
|
Tackles |
TFL |
Sacks |
Starts |
| 1999 |
45 |
18 |
13 |
9 |
| Career |
55 |
21 |
15 |
9 |
|
Jamal Reynolds, DE, Florida State (Sr., 6-4, 254) |
|
|
Florida State has three remarkable defensive ends (backup David Warren would
start for anybody else), but Reynolds will be the one most ready to go on
Aug. 26 when the Seminoles play BYU. Roland Seymour, coming back from a knee
injury, will have to play his way onto this list. More...
|
|
Tackles |
TFL |
Sacks |
Starts |
| 1999 |
63 |
4 |
10 |
12 |
| Career |
117 |
11 |
14.5 |
14 |
|
Casey Hampton, DT, Texas (Sr., 6-1, 305) |
|
|
All-American Hampton and Shaun Rogers spend more time in the opposing
backfield than any tackle duo in the country, accounting for 48 tackles for
loss, including 8½ sacks last season. You can't double team both of them;
even then, "Big Hamp" might find a way to make a tackle. He had a team-high
101 last season.
|
|
Tackles |
TFL |
Sacks |
Starts |
| 1999 |
101 |
21 |
3 |
13 |
| Career |
251 |
36 |
6 |
32 |
|
Andre Carter, DE, Cal (Sr., 6-4, 260) |
|
|
Carter had 10 sacks last season, which is good number for a rush end,
unbelievable for guy who plays on the strong side over the tight end. Carter
has unselfishly played the run-stuffing position in Cal's defense, but he
might be turned loose more this season to chase down those poor, little
quarterbacks. More...
|
|
Tackles |
TFL |
Sacks |
Starts |
| 1999 |
53 |
20 |
10 |
11 |
| Career |
113 |
35 |
17.5 |
27 |
|
Gerard Warren, DT, Florida (Jr., 6-4, 310) |
|
|
The combination of Alex Brown outside and Gerard Warren inside is the stuff
championship-level defenses are built of. With nine starters returning on
the Florida defense, everyone should play better than last season... and
Warren's productivity will be on the rise.
|
|
Tackles |
TFL |
Sacks |
Starts |
| 1999 |
52 |
13 |
2 |
10 |
| Career |
83 |
18 |
5 |
11 |
|
Damione Lewis, DT, Miami (Sr., 6-3, 285) |
|
|
The school that produced defensive tackles Cortez Kennedy, Russell Maryland
and Warren Sapp in the past decade has another NFL superstar-in-waiting. The
Miami defense will be plenty stingy, with Lewis, a four-year starter with
12½ sacks, at the head of the attack.
|
|
Tackles |
TFL |
Sacks |
Starts |
| 1999 |
57 |
12 |
6.5 |
12 |
| Career |
181 |
24 |
12.5 |
32 |
|
Richard Seymour, DT, Georgia (Sr., 6-6, 300) |
|
|
Seymour led the Bulldogs in tackles last season with 74 and gets loads of
help from senior tackle Marcus Stroud, who could show up on this list before
long, too. Both are major NFL prospects, and only Texas can claim to have a
finer pair of tackles in the country. More...
|
|
Tackles |
TFL |
Sacks |
Starts |
| 1999 |
74 |
10 |
4 |
11 |
| Career |
145 |
15 |
8 |
15 |
|
Ennis Davis, DT, Southern California (Sr., 6-4, 300) |
|
|
With a game against Penn State in the Kickoff Classic on Aug. 27, Davis has
a big opportunity to make an impact and start climbing this list. He's
played hurt for a large part of his career, but has all the tools to be a
great one on a defense that should be the class of the Pac-10.
|
|
Tackles |
TFL |
Sacks |
Starts |
| 1999 |
31 |
7 |
5 |
11 |
| Career |
93 |
26 |
11 |
22 |
|
Karon Riley, DT, Minnesota (Sr., 6-4, 248) |
|
|
Nobody in the Big Ten gets after the passer as well as Riley, a superb
athlete who had a league-best 16 sacks in his first season at Minnesota.
That was a major step up from early in his career, when he had three sacks
in two seasons at SMU.
|
|
Tackles |
TFL |
Sacks |
Starts |
| 1999 |
59 |
22 |
16 |
12 |
| Career |
109 |
27 |
19 |
18 |
|
Willie Howard, DT, Stanford (Sr., 6-4, 290) |
|
|
One of the toughest guys around, Howard plays through pain... and always
plays well. Voted by his Pac-10 peers as the best defensive lineman in the
league last season, he barks loudest on a defensive line that he's decided
to call the "Trench Dogs." More...
|
|
Tackles |
TFL |
Sacks |
Starts |
| 1999 |
54 |
19 |
10 |
12 |
| Career |
135 |
31 |
17.5 |
34 |
|
Aaron Schobel, DE, TCU (Sr., 6-4, 244) |
|
|
There's no need to convince Hawaii coach June Jones about Schobel's skills:
"That kid can play in the NFL right now," Jones said after playing TCU last
season. Schobel is to TCU's defense what running back LaDainian Tomlinson is
to the offense.
|
|
Tackles |
TFL |
Sacks |
Starts |
| 1999 |
70 |
19 |
10 |
12 |
| Career |
205 |
50.5 |
24.5 |
34 |
Lindy's Football Annuals (National, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10, ACC, plus Pro) are available at newsstands regionally, or can be ordered as a set at www.lindyssports.com, or by calling 1-205-871-1182.
|
|
|
