Dorsey, Elpheage Named First Team All-Conference USA
Dec 4, 2002 | Football
Dec. 4, 2002
NEW ORLEANS - Tulane's Lynaris Elpheage (New Orleans, La.) and Floyd Dorsey (Tyler, Texas) led a group of nine Green Wave players honored by Conference USA Wednesday as they became the first Tulane defensive players to earn first team All-Conference USA recognition since 1998. Elpheage and Dorsey are Tulane's third and fourth first team All-C-USA honorees on defense in the league's seven-year history, and are the Wave's 19th and 20th first teamers overall.
Elpheage, a cornerback who ranks second in the country and leads Conference USA in interceptions with eight, was also recognized as the league's second team all-conference punt returner with his 13.3-yard return average. Running back Mewelde Moore (Baton Rouge, La.) and punter Seth Marler (Lilburn, Ga.), the first team All-C-USA kicker a year ago, also earned second team all-conference honors. The teams were chosen by a voting panel of C-USA head football coaches and league media.
The Green Wave led the league by placing five players on the C-USA All-Freshmen team, led by the starting offensive line duo of Chris McGee (Beaumont, Texas) and Matt Traina (Coral Gables, Fla.), each of whom started all 12 games in 2002. Wide receiver Damarcus Davis (Shreveport, La.), linebacker Anthony Cannon (Stone Mountain, Ga.) and cornerback Sean Lucas (Lithonia, Ga.) also made the Conference USA All-Freshmen team.
"I'm excited for these players to be recognized through the conference, especially on our defense," said Tulane Head Coach Chris Scelfo. "Obviously the core group of freshmen has a chance to have outstanding careers at Tulane. But as big as the individual awards are, the team's success this year was due to a total effort, and we look forward to continuing to build on that with the nucleus that we have coming back."
Dorsey, a defensive end, led Tulane with 7.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss. He caused two fumbles and recovered two, returning one 95 yards for a touchdown against Houston. Moore gained 1,000 yards for the second consecutive season, becoming just the second Tulane player in history to post back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. In addition to his rushing prowess, the junior led Tulane in receiving. Marler ranked second in the league with a 42.7-yard punting average and kicked 16 punts inside the 20 in his first season as the team's punter.
Cannon led Tulane and ranked second among the nation's true freshman in tackles with 110, while his high school teammate, Lucas, served as Tulane's nickel back and broke up seven passes in that role. He also scored three touchdowns on the season, on a fumble return and a pair of interception returns. Davis started seven games at wide receiver for the Wave and caught 20 passes for 235 yards.
Tulane players are working out and completing semester classwork while awaiting its bowl destination, which will be decided Friday night following the Cincinnati-East Carolina football game, which will be televised on ESPN2. The Green Wave, 7-5 on the year, will play in either the New Orleans Bowl or the ConAgra Foods Hawai'i Bowl. Ticket orders for both games are being taken now in the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office and at 504-861-WAVE.
-- Roll Wave --
