Hofstra University kicker Rob Zarrilli and linebacker Gian Villante have been named to the 2007 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Preseason All-America team by The Sports Network wire service. The Pride seniors are two of the nine Colonial Athletic Association student-athletes named to the All-America teams announced Thursday.
Zarrilli, who was named to the preseason first team, is a two-time All-American kicker who ranked second in the nation in field goal average in 2006. The Orlando, Florida native connected on 18-of-21 attempts for an 85.7 success percentage. Zarrilli scored 69 points in 2006 and connected on the league's 10th-longest field goal ever at 52 yards.
Villante, a third team preseason All-American, was a 2004 FCS first team All-America selection by The Sports Network and was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award as FCS Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore. After missing the 2005 season with a knee injury, the Wantagh, New York native bounced back in 2006 to finish second on the team and second in the conference with 92 tackles, and earn all-conference first team honors. Both Zarrilli and Villante were also named to the 2007 All-CAA Preseason team.
In addition to Zarrilli, CAA Football Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and reigning Walter Payton Award winner, Ricky Santos, New Hampshire's senior quarterback, Massachusetts' senior offensive lineman Matt Austin, and UMass senior linebacker Jason Hatchell were also named to the TSN FCS Preseason All-America first team.
Santos is gunning to become the first-ever repeat winner of the National Player of the Year honor, after finishing the 2006 season with 3,125 passing yards and 29 touchdowns in 13 games. The Bellingham, Mass., native also rushed for 378 yards and 12 touchdowns a season ago. In just three seasons as New Hampshire's quarterback, he already holds league records in total offense (11,406) and passing yards (10,240). The senior needs just three completions and one touchdown pass to also capture the league marks in both pass completions and touchdown passes.
Austin, one of three returnees on the offensive line for the Minutemen, was an All-America honoree a season ago by The Sports Network. He garnered the honor after helping lead all-conference running back Steve Baylark to nearly 2,000 rushing yards in 2006.
Hatchell returns in 2007 for his senior season after earning first team all-conference honors in 2006. The UMass linebacker was just six tackles shy of the league lead in total tackles last season with 134 in 15 games. Hatchell averaged just under nine tackles per game to place him fifth in the league last season.
Rhode Island junior fullback Joe Casey, Massachusetts senior tight end Brad Listorti, and James Madison senior safety Tony LeZotte each earned second-team honors. All three were named to the All-CAA Preseason team, while LeZotte was selected the CAA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Delaware senior running back Omar Cuff, another All-CAA Preseason honoree, led the Blue Hens in rushing three-straight years and joins Villante on The Sports Network's Preseason All-America Third Team.
2007 Sports Network Preseason All-Americans
FIRST-TEAM
QB, Ricky Santos, New Hampshire
RB, Donald Chapman, UT Martin
RB, Kevin Richardson, Appalachian State
FB, Jerome Felton, Furman
WR, Jerome Simpson, Coastal Carolina
WR, Alex Watson, Northern Arizona
TE, Blake Martin, Sam Houston State
C, Brennan Carvalho, Portland State
G, Kerry Brown, Appalachian State
G, Mitch Erickson, South Dakota State
T, Matt Austin, Massachusetts
T, Chad Rinehart, Northern Iowa
K, Rob Zarrilli, Hofstra
RS, Steven Whitehead, McNeese State
SECOND-TEAM
QB, Josh Johnson, San Diego
RB, Lex Hilliard, Montana
RB, Mike McLeod, Yale
FB, Joe Casey, Rhode Island
WR, Ramses Barden, Cal Poly
WR, Micah Rucker, Eastern Illinois
TE, Brad Listorti, Massachusetts
C, Stephen Field, Cal Poly
G, Matt Alfred, Eastern Washington
G, Brad Samsa, Youngstown State
T, Cody Balogh, Montana
T, Nate Safe, North Dakota State
K, Blake Bercegeay, McNeese State
RS, Craig Turner, Southern Illinois
THIRD-TEAM
QB, Armanti Edwards, Appalachian State
RB, Omar Cuff, Delaware
RB, Jordan Scott, Colgate
FB, Broderick Cole, Nicholls State
WR, Clyde Edwards, Grambling
WR, Bruce Hocker, Duquesne
TE, Louis Irizarry, Youngstown State
C, John Reese, Lehigh
G, Rocky Hanni, Eastern Washington
G, Matt Jenkins, Texas State
T, Brandon Hale, Sam Houston State
T, Brock Pasteur, Stephen F. Austin
K, Steve Morgan, Brown
RS, Jayson Foster, Georgia Southern
DEFENSE
FIRST-TEAM
DE, Kroy Biermann, Montana
De, Bryan Smith, McNeese State
DT, Mychal Savage, Youngstown State
DT, John Faletoese, UC Davis
LB, Mike Gallihugh, Colgate
LB, Jason Hatchell, Massachusetts
LB, Kye Stewart, Illinois State
LB, Donald Thomas, Eastern Illinois
S, Corey Lynch, Appalachian State
S, Bobbie Williams, Bethune-Cookman
CB, Brandon Jackson, Georgia Southern
CB, D. Rodgers-Cromartie, Tennessee State
P, Mike Dragosavich, North Dakota State
SECOND-TEAM
DE, Brian Johnston, Gardner-Webb
DE, Kendall Langford, Hampton
DT, Mark Huygens, Northern Iowa
DT, Geoffrey Woods, Tennessee Tech
LB, Colin Disch, Albany
LB, Andrew Jones, Furman
LB, Joe Mays, North Dakota State
LB, Cyrus Mulitalo, Sacramento State
S, Jarmaul George, Southern
S, Tony LeZotte, James Madison
CB, K.J. Gerard, Northern Arizona
CB, Casey Gough, Holy Cross
P, Benjamin Dato, Fordham
THIRD-TEAM
DE, Eric Bahktiari, San Diego
DE, Rudolph Hardie, Howard
DT, Ronald Green, Mississippi Valley St.
DT, Brandt Hollander, Yale
LB, Bobby Abare, Yale
LB, Jada Ross, Charleston Southern
LB, James Terry, Youngstown State
LB, Gian Villante, Hofstra
S, Chris Parsons, Northern Iowa
S, Brent Webber, Sacramento State
CB, Jerome Touchstone, Appalachian State
CB, Ricky Wilson, Northern Arizona
P, Chris MacDonald, Texas State
