August 3, 2011

Football Preseason Honors Mount Entering the 2011 Season

National Preseason Polls:
College Sporting News | Lindy's | Phil Steele

Ivy League Preseason All-Ivy Teams:
Optimum Scouting | Phil Steele

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Summertime means preseason prognostication time for college football and the Ivy League is once again receiving widespread recognition among the preseason All-America teams and polls entering the 2011 season.

Columbia senior offensive tackle Jeff Adams led the League's honors with four Preseason Football Championship Subdivision All-America selections. Adams received two first-team mentions from Phil Steele's Magazine and FCS Senior Scout Bowl on its North squad, a second-team nod from College Sporting News and and third-team honor from The Sports Network/Fathead.com. Adams was voted All-Ivy first team for the second-consecutive season in 2010. He protected the blind side for junior signal caller Sean Brackett and is widely regarded as one of most athletic offensive linemen in the League.

Dartmouth's senior trio of cornerback/return specialist Shawn Abuhoff, tailback Nick Schwieger and offensive lineman Ryan O'Neill have garnered recognition across several teams. As a punt returner, Abuhoff garnered second-team honors by The Sports Network/Fathead.com, third-team selection by College Sporting News and Phil Steele's and an honorable mention from Consensus Draft Services (as a defensive back and punt returner) and FCS Senior Scout Bowl. Schwieger earned second-team All-America recognitions by College Sporting News, as an all-purpose player, and FCS Senior Scout Bowl, third-team honors from Phil Steele's and picked up an honorable mention from Consensus Draft Services. O'Neill has been recognized as second-team preseason All-America by Lindy's Magazine.

Abuhoff was a first-team All-Ivy selection as a defensive back and return specialist, plus made The Sports Network/Fathead.com's FCS All-America first team and Phil Steele's third team as a punt returner, last season. On the NCAA's active career charts, Abuhoff ranks among the top 20 nationally in eight statistical categories, including touchdown on punt returns (3, tied for first), punt return average (11.9 yards, third) and interceptions per game (0.33, 20th).

Returning for one final year after earning a share of the Asa A. Bushnell Cup with Harvard's Gino Gordon, Schwieger accumulated 1,133 yards -- the second most in school history -- on 242 carries to lead the League in rushing average for a second consecutive season. He also led the league in scoring average (9.3 points) and all-purpose yards (158.8 yards per game), while ranking seventh and 14th nationally in those two categories, respectively. With 413 more yards on the ground, Schwieger would become Dartmouth's all-time leading rusher.

O'Neill has started the last 16 games at left guard for the Big Green and was an All-Ivy first-team selection in 2010. He anchored an offensive line last year that paved the way for Schwieger's breakout season and kept quarterback Conner Kempe off the turf by yielding just seven sacks all season. Only two teams in the FCS allowed fewer sacks. With that protection, Kempe was able to pass for 1,647 yards, the 15th most by a Big Green quarterback.

Harvard senior defensive tackle Josue Ortiz received two third-team recognitions from Phil Steele's and College Sporting News and added an honorable mention by FCS Senior Scout Bowl. A two-time All-Ivy selection, Ortiz finished 2010 as the League's leader in both sacks (7.5) and tackles for a loss (13.5) while leading Harvard with five QB hurries and ranking third with 54 tackles.

Cornell senior placekicker Brad Greenway was been named to the 2011 Fred Mitchell Award Watch List. He is among 50 kickers on the Watch List for excellence on the field and in the community. Greenway has led the team in scoring in each of his first three varsity seasons and will be attempting to become the first player in school history to lead the team in scoring all four years. Last season, Greenway led team in 2010 scoring with 26 points on 4-of-5 field goals and 14-of-15 extra-point kicks. For his career, he has made 21-of-34 field goals and 51-of-55 extra points. Greenway made career-long 49-yard FG against Dartmouth and a 45-yarder at Columbia a season ago and averaged 63 yards on 29 kickoffs.

Other Ivies receiving preseason All-America honors:

- Yale senior linebacker Jordan Haynes (first team, north squad - FCS Senior Scout Bowl; honorable mention, Consensus Draft Services)

- Penn junior defensive lineman Brandon Copeland (second team - Lindy's)

- Princeton senior defensive end Mike Catapano (second team, North squad - FCS Senior Scout Bowl)

- Princeton senior placekicker Patrick Jacob (second team, North squad - FCS Senior Scout Bowl)

- Brown senior wide receiver Jimmy Saros (honorable mention, FCS Senior Scout Bowl)

- Harvard senior defensive back Dan Minamide (honorable mention, Consensus Draft Services)

- Yale senior quarterback Patrick Witt (honorable mention, Consensus Draft Services)

The Ancient Eight has also received accolades in the national preseason polls as well. Two-time defending Ivy champion Penn was ranked No. 20 in Lindy's Preseason Top 25. Harvard was ranked 24th in College Sporting News Preseason Top 25 and named the 29th best FCS team in Phil Steele's Preseason Top 40 entering the 2011 season.