Three Bulldogs Named Preseason All-Americans
Click Here For The CDS Preseason All-America Teams
Big Rapids, Mich. - A trio of Ferris State University football players have received preseason acclaim as three Bulldogs were chosen to the 2011 Consensus Draft Services (CDS) Preseason All-America Teams.
Senior center Jake Hancock (Big Rapids) was tabbed as a 2011 CDS Preseason First Team All-American with junior defensive end Jordan Morgan (Chicago, Ill./Mt. Carmel) and senior cornerback William Miles (Stockton, Calif./Tokay), who was injured this spring, claiming honorable mention status on the preseason All-America team.
CDS picked both a first and second team offensive and defensive unit with various honorable mention recipients at each position.
The 6-2 Hancock was one of four players from a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) school honored as a first team preseason All-America pick. He was joined by Grand Valley State tight end Tony Carreri, offensive tackle Joe Long of Wayne State and Ashland cornerback Logan Kerr on the first team.
A 2010 All-GLIAC Second Team honoree, Hancock claimed team Most Valuable Offensive Lineman honors following his junior campaign last fall. He previously was tabbed as FSU's Most Outstanding Offensive Rookie for the 2009 season when he started 11 games. The two-time GLIAC All-Academic Team selection, who's a local product that played prep football at Big Rapids High School, will serve as a team captain for the 2011 campaign.
Hancock, a third-year letterwinner, started all 10 of his outings last season in helping the Bulldog offensive unit score 273 points after managing only 122 total in 2009. FSU also racked up 3,750 total offensive yards for the year with an average of 340.9 yards per contest.
Morgan was also a second team All-GLIAC recipient in 2010 after ranking third among the conference leaders in total sacks with eight for a loss of 65 yards. He also tied for 10th in tackles for loss with 10.5 (-70 yards). The Chicago native placed fourth among the squad leaders with 52 stops, including 19 solo tackles, and also contributed five quarterback hurries, four blocked kicks and a forced fumble.
Miles made an impact in his first season with the Bulldogs last fall as he recorded a team-high five interceptions, including a school-record tying three at Indianapolis. He also had nine breakups for a total of 14 passes defended and registered 37 total tackles. The newcomer was tied for second in the GLIAC in both passes defended and total interceptions en route to GLIAC Honorable Mention laurels and the team's Most Outstanding Defensive Rookie Award.
Ferris State kicks off its 103rd season of varsity competition this fall by hosting Hillsdale in a non-conference matchup on Friday, Sept. 2, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. (ET) at Top Taggart Field. FSU and Hillsdale are not scheduled to play each other as part of the GLIAC schedule this season.
The Bulldogs, who will play an 11-game regular-season schedule, open GLIAC action the following week at Saginaw Valley State in their first road contest on Saturday, Sept. 10, at SVSU's Wickes Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. (ET).
The Bulldogs' 2011 schedule features alternating home and away games throughout the year as FSU will not play consecutive contests either at home or on the road at any point during the campaign.
Ferris State is expected to return nearly 50 letterwinners for the 2011 campaign, including almost 19 full-time starters with nine on the defensive side of the ball and eight coming back offensively along with two kicking specialists.