Seven Tulane Football Players Garner All-Conference USA Honors

Dec. 6, 2011

New Orleans - The 2011 Conference USA football teams are out following a vote by the league's 12 head football coaches and Tulane is represented with seven players garnering all-conference honors, including junior linebacker Trent Mackey, who was named to the first team, while senior defensive end Dezman Moses and sophomore running back Orleans Darkwa received second team honors and defensive end Michael Pierce, Jr. was named to the All C-USA Freshman Team. Junior cornerback Ryan Travis and senior offensive guard Harris Howard each received honorable mention honors.

A native of Port Sulphur, La., Mackey is a repeat selection to the All C-USA team after receiving second team honors last season. This past year, he began the season as a candidate for the Rotary Lombardi Award and was named to the preseason all-conference team.

Mackey was one of the nation's top defenders, logging 145 (96 solo/49 assists) tackles in 12 games. He led all C-USA players and ranked third nationally with 12.08 stops per game. Mackey finished with double figure tackles in eight of his 12 games, including 18 stops against Syracuse, which remains the 18th-best single game effort in college football this season.

His tackles this past season ranks 10th among the school's single season leaders but is the most by a Tulane player in one season since 1983 when Burnell Dent established the school record of 172 and David Jackson also recorded 163, the fifth-most in one season.

Mackey's totals from this season include 14 tackles for lost yardage, which ranked fifth among conference players, 4.5 sacks, one fumble return and one interception return for a touchdown at UAB. Offensively, he lined up in the backfield in the season opener against Southeastern Louisiana and caught a three-yard touchdown pass. . Darkwa, who began the year as a candidate for the Doak Walker Award, is a repeat selection to the All C-USA second team. A native of Nashville, Tenn., he played in all 13 games and finished the season with 924 yards on 210 carries (4.4 avg.) and 13 touchdowns. His yardage total ranks 10th on the schools single season list, while his carries were the sixth most.

Darkwa also led the team in receptions with 37 and concluded the season with 305 yards, which ranked fourth on the team, and he became the first player since Mewelde Moore pulled off the feat in 2001 and 2002. Darkwa is just the fourth running back to lead the team in rushing and receptions in a single season since 1945.

Moses, who hails from Willingboro, N.J., played just two seasons for the Green Wave but carved his name into the TU record books. An honorable mention selection last season, he played in all 13 games and logged 9.5 sacks this season, which ranked third among C-USA players and 17th nationally, and also ranks third on TU's single season chart. Moses completed his career with 15.5 sacks, which is good enough for fourth all-time on the Green Wave's career list.

He also added 52 tackles (33 solo/19 assists), the most among TU's defensive linemen, 12 stops for lost yardage, seven quarterback hurries, five pass breakups and forced three fumbles.

In his first season at Tulane, Pierce played in all 13 games and finished the season with 15 tackles (9 solo/6 assists) and he follows Darkwa, who was named to the league's all-freshman team last season. A native of Daphne, Ga., Pierce finished with a career-best three stops against Tulsa and Rice.

Howard hails from Alpharetta, Ga., and is a first time selection to the All C-USA team. This past season, he started every game, including 10 at left tackle and three at left guard. Howard helped the offense average 126.3 rushing and 214 passing yards per game. He led Tulane to a season-best 540 yards, including 262 on the ground, at UAB on Sept. 17 and helped protect for the Wave to pass for a season-high 377 yards vs. Memphis on Oct. 22.

A native of Plaquemine, La., Travis is another first time member of the all-league team. He started every game this past season and led the team with four interceptions, which ranked eighth in C-USA, and he tied for 17th in passes defensed per game (0.75). Travis completed the season tied for 52nd nationally in picks per contests. He had five pass break-ups, 59 tackles (39 solo, 20 assists) and tied for eighth in tackles for loss (2.0). Travis recorded a career-best 12 tackles with a half tackle for loss and a pass break-up at East Carolina on Oct. 29 and notched 10 tackles and returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown at Duke on Sept. 24.

2011 C-USA FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

FIRST TEAMOFFENSEQB- Case Keenum, Sr., HoustonRB- Zach Line, Jr., SMURB- Charles Sims, So., HoustonOL- Clint Anderson, Sr., TulsaOL- Kelvin Beachum, Sr., SMUOL- Lamar Holmes, Sr., Southern MissOL- Matt McCants, Sr., UABOL- Chris Thompson, Sr., HoustonTE- Justin Johnson, Sr., HoustonWR- Cole Beasley, Sr., SMUWR- Patrick Edwards, Sr., HoustonWR- Darius Johnson, Jr., SMU
DEFENSEDL- Vinny Curry, Sr., MarshallDL- Tyrunn Walker, Sr., TulsaDL- Cordarro Law, Sr., Southern MissDL- Taylor Thompson, Sr., SMULB- Curnelius Arnick, Sr., TulsaLB- Sammy Brown, Sr., HoustonLB- Trent Mackey, Jr., TulaneDB- Omar Brown, Sr., MarshallDB- Richard Crawford, Sr., SMUDB- Marquese Wheaton, Sr., Southern MissDB- Josh Robinson, Jr., UCF
SPECIAL TEAMSK- Kevin Fitzpatrick, Sr., TulsaP- Kyle Martens, Sr., RiceKR- Rannell Hall, Fr., UCFPR- Tracy Lampley, Sr., Southern MissLS- Matt Camilli, Sr., UTEP
SECOND TEAMOFFENSEQB- Austin Davis, Sr., Southern MissQB- G.J. Kinne, Sr., TulsaRB- Orleans Darkwa, So., TulaneRB- Ja'Terian Douglas, So., TulsaOL- Jacoby Ashworth, Jr., HoustonOL- Joe Duhon, Jr., Southern MissOL- Ron Leary, Sr., MemphisOL- Nick Pieschel, Sr., UCFOL- Jason Weaver, Sr., Southern MissTE- Clay Sears, Sr., TulsaWR-Tyron Carrier, Sr., HoustonWR-Willie Carter, Jr., TulsaWR-Lance Lewis, Sr., East Carolina
DEFENSEDL- Marquis Frazier, Sr., SMUDL- Dezman Moses, Sr., TulaneDL- Dontari Poe, Jr., MemphisDL- Scott Solomon, Sr., RiceLB- Ja'Gared Davis, Sr., SMULB- Marcus McGraw, Sr., HoustonLB- Taylor Reed, Jr., SMUDB- Jamie Bender, Sr., UABDB- Emanuel Davis, Jr., East CarolinaDB- D.J. Hayden, Jr., HoustonDB- Dexter McCoil, Jr., Tulsa
SPECIAL TEAMSK- Danny Hrapmann, Sr., Southern MissP- Ian Campbell, Jr., UTEPKR- Tyron Carrier, Sr., HoustonPR- Patrick Edwards, Sr., HoustonLS- Charley Hughlett, Sr., UCF
HONORABLE MENTIONOFFENSERB- Michael Hayes, Sr., HoustonRB- Tyler Smith, Sr., RiceRB- Trey Watts, So., TulsaRB- Joe Banyard, Sr., UTEPOL- Kevin Forsch, So., HoustonOL- Ryan Tillman, Sr., MarshallOL- Bryce Tennison, Sr., SMUOL- Kelly Turner, Sr., SMUOL- Harris Howard, Sr., TulaneOL- Tyler Holmes, Sr., TulsaOL- Chris Hubbard, Jr., UABOL- Theo Goins, Jr., UCFOL- Jordan Rae, Jr., UCFOL- Nathan McCage, Sr., UTEPOL- Eloy Atkinson, Jr., UTEPTE- Luke Willson, Jr., RiceTE- Adam Nissley, Sr., UCFWR- Aaron Dobson, Jr., MarshallWR- Tanner Rehrer, Sr., MemphisWR- Ryan Balentine, Sr., Southern MissWR- Kelvin Bolden, Sr., Southern MissWR- Tracy Lampley, Sr., Southern MissWR- Jackie Williams, So., UAB
DEFENSEDL- Frank Trotter, Sr., MemphisDL- Torian Pittman, Jr., SMUDL- Margus Hunt, Jr., SMUDL- Cory Dorris, Jr., TulsaDL- Elliott Henigan, Sr., UABDL- Victor Gray, So., UCFDL- Bernard Obi, Sr., UTEPLB- Jeremy Grove, Fr., East CarolinaLB- Cameron Nwosu, So., RiceLB- Jamie Collins, Jr., Southern MissLB- Ronnie Thornton, Sr., Southern MissLB- Shawn Jackson, So., TulsaLB- Isaiah Carter, Sr., UTEPDB- Paul Porras, So., RiceDB- Bryce Callahan, Fr., RiceDB- Chris Banjo, Sr., SMUDB- Kendrick Presley, Sr., Southern MissDB- Ryan Travis, Jr., TulaneDB- Milton Howell, Sr., TulsaDB- Marco Nelson, So., TulsaDB- Kemal Ishmael, Jr., UCFDB- Antwon Blake, Sr., UTEP
SPECIAL TEAMSK- Matt Hogan, Jr., HoustonK- Chris Boswell, So., RiceK- Ty Long, Fr., UABP- Richie Leone, So., HoustonP- Tom Hornsey, So., MemphisKR- Vernon Frazier, Sr., UTEPPR- Richard Crawford, Sr., SMUPR- Derrick Strozier, So., TulaneLS- Tyson Gale, Sr., MarshallLS- Creighton Nelms, Sr., Southern MissLS- Bo Abbott, Sr., Tulsa
2011 C-USA ALL-FRESHMAN TEAMOffenseQB-Blake Bortles, UCFRB-Travon Van, MarshallRB-Jamal Woodyard, Southern MissOL-Rowdy Harper, HoustonOL-Chris Jasperse, MarshallOL-Drew Carroll, RiceOL-Torrian Wilson, UCFOL-Jarel Watkins, UTEPTE-Eric Tomlinson, UTEPWR-Justin Hardy, East CarolinaWR-J.J. Worton, UCF
DefenseDL-Eric Braswell, HoustonDL-Rakeem Nunez, Southern MissDL-Michael Pierce, Jr., TulaneDL-Brentom Todd, TulsaLB-Jeremy Grove, East CarolinaLB-Derrick Mathews, HoustonLB-Troy Gray, UCFDB-Bryce Callahan, RiceDB-Tray Becton-Martin, Southern MissDB-Kwame Sexton, TulsaDB-Clayton Geathers, UCF
Special TeamsK-Ty Long, UABP-Cole Way, TulsaKR-Rannell Hall, UCFPR-Mario Hull, Rice

Seven Tulane Football Players Garner All-Conference USA Honors

Players Mentioned

Orleans Darkwa

Orleans Darkwa

Harris Howard

Harris Howard

Trent Mackey

Trent Mackey

Dezman Moses

Dezman Moses

Michael Pierce

Derrick Strozier

Ryan Travis

Ryan Travis

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Tulane University Athletics

Seven Tulane Football Players Garner All-Conference USA Honors

Players Mentioned

Orleans Darkwa

Orleans Darkwa

Harris Howard

Harris Howard

Trent Mackey

Trent Mackey

Dezman Moses

Dezman Moses

Michael Pierce

Derrick Strozier

Ryan Travis

Ryan Travis

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