Walter Camp Foundation, Inc.

WCFF Names 2007 Football Championship Subdivision All-America Team

UNH QB Ricky Santos a three-time All-American

NEW HAVEN, CT – University of New Hampshire senior quarterback Ricky Santos, a three-time selection, headlines the Walter Camp Football Foundation 2007 Football Championship Subdivision All-America team. The team was selected by the head coaches and sports information directors of the Football Championship Subdivision schools and certified by UHY Advisors, a New Haven-based accounting firm.

Santos, the 2007 Colonial Athletic Association Co-Offensive Player of the Year, passed for 2,972 yards and 24 touchdowns to help lead UNH (7-5) to its fourth consecutive FCS playoff berth. For his career, Santos passed for 13,182 yards and 123 touchdowns – both totals are good for third all-time in FCS history.

Joining Santos in the offensive backfield are two CAA running backs – Omar Cuff (Delaware) and Tim Hightower (Richmond). Entering the Blue Hens’ FCS semifinal contest at Southern Illinois, Cuff has rushed for 1,759 yards and a nationleading 34 touchdowns. Entering the Spiders’ FCS semifinal game at Appalachian State, Hightower has rushed for 1,829 yards and 20 touchdowns.

The 2007 Walter Camp All-America defensive squad includes 11 players who are candidates for the Buck Buchanan Award, presently annually to the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision. Among the defensive standouts include repeat Walter Camp All-Americans Bryan Smith (McNeese State) and Kroy Biermann (Montana). Biermann has recorded 18.5 tackles for loss, including 16 quarterback sacks. Also on the defensive interior is Eric Bakhtiari (University of San Diego), who was named the Pioneer Football League Defensive Player of the Year after leading the nation with 20 quarterback sacks. Bakhtiari is also one of six finalists – and the lone FCS player – for the Ted Hendricks award which is given to college football’s best defensive end. In the secondary, Tony LaZotte (James Madison), the 2007 CAA Defensive Player of the Year, is being honored for the second time. LaZotte made the 2005 Walter Camp All-America squad. Joining LaZotte in the secondary is Derrick Huff (Eastern Kentucky), who has nine interceptions and was named the 2007 Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

In all, players from 10 different conferences and 22 total institutions were represented on the 2007 Walter Camp 1AA All-America team. The Colonial Athletic Association had the most players (7), followed by the Big Sky Conference (4). Five schools – Appalachian State, Delaware, Massachusetts, Montana and North Dakota State – each placed two players on the 2007 Walter Camp All-America team.

2007 Walter Camp Football Championship Subdivision All-America Team

OFFENSE

• WR Terrell Hudgins, Elon University, Soph., 6-2, 226, Rocky Mount, NC
• WR Ramses Barden, Cal Poly, Jr., 6-6, 228, Altadena, CA
• TE Matt Champa, Dayton, Sr., 6-2, 219 Sagamore Hills, OH
• OL Kerry Brown, Appalachian State, Sr., 6-6, 310, Marietta, GA
• OL Mike Byrne, Delaware Sr., 6-6, 295, Lititz, PA
• OL Matt Austin, Massachusetts, Sr., 6-5, 285, Reading, MA
• OL Nate Safe, North Dakota State, Sr., 6-5, 310, Cannon Falls, MN
• OL Chad Rinehart, Northern Iowa, Sr., 6-5, 308, Boone, IA
• C Brennan Carvalho, Portland State, Sr., 6-1, 310, Kapaa, Hawaii
• QB Ricky Santos, New Hampshire, Sr., 6-2, 215, Bellingham, MA
• RB Omar Cuff, Delaware, Sr., 5-10, 195, Landover, MD
• RB Tim Hightower, Richmond, Sr., 6-1, 225, Waldorf, MD
• PK Dan Carpenter, Montana, Sr., 6-2, 207, Helena, MT

DEFENSE

• DL Kroy Biermann, Montana, Sr., 6-3, 241, Hardin, MT
• DL Bryan Smith, McNeese State, Sr., 6-3, 230, Newton, TX
• DL Brian Johnson, GardnerWebb, Sr., 6-5, 280, San Diego, CA
• DL Eric Bakhtiari, San Diego, Sr., 6-4, 260, Burlingame, CA
• LB Kye Stewart, Illinois State, Sr., 6-0, 210, Nashville, TN
• LB Bobby Daly, Montana State, Jr., 6-1, 215, Helena, MT
• LB Jason Hatchell, Massachusetts, Sr., 6-0, 240, Mullica Hill, NJ
• LB Joe Mays, North Dakota State, Sr., 5-11, 243, Chicago, IL
• DB Corey Lynch, Appalachian State, Sr., 6-0, 205, Cape Coral, FL
• DB Tony LeZotte, James Madison, Sr., 6-0, 200, Augusta, GA
• DB Ladarius Webb, Nicholls State, Jr., 5-11, 205, Opelika, AL
• DB Derrick Huff, Eastern Kentucky, Sr., 5-11, 188, Hamilton, OH
• P Chris MacDonald, Texas State, Sr., 6-4, 215, Mesa, AZ
• KR Jeremy Gilchrist, Hampton, Jr., 5-10, 174, Virginia Beach, VA

Download the PDF

Walter Camp, "The Father of American football," first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp — a former Yale University athlete and football coach — is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation — a New Haven based all volunteer group — was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All America team.