How many Bearcats does it take to make an All-America team? Three

By Darrell Laurant  |   Tuesday, June 17, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Cincinnati Bearcats
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How good is the University of Cincinnati's football team going to be this season? If you believe the folks who put out the Athlon Football Annual, the Bearcats will at least be tough to score on. And Cincinnati just might be the capital of the football universe (the Bengals notwithstanding).

Athlon has named three Bearcats -- defensive end Terrill Byrd, cornerback Mike Mickens and punter Kevin Huber -- to its projected All-America first team.

Byrd, a 6-foot, 271-pound senior out of Cincinnati's Colerain High School, had 53 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, eight sacks and six quarterback hurries last season. The 6-0, 170-pound Mickens, a product of Huber Heights, Ohio, notched 56 tackles and picked off six passes, returning two for touchdowns.

Yet it was Huber, another Cincinnati native (McNicholas High School), who was the most dominant of the trio at his position. Huber led the nation in punting in 2007 with a 46.9-yard average, put 20 kicks inside the opposing 20, and uncorked a longest kick of 62 yards.

Mickens, Byrd and Huber were all All-Big East last season, as well.

Meanwhile, West Virginia OT Ryan Stanchek made the first-team Athlon offense. Stanchek played his high school football at LaSalle High in (you guessed it) Cincinnati.

Two other Big East players -- Pitt linebacker Scott McKillop and South Florida DE George Selvie -- were also named to the first-team defense.
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