Twelve Tulane Football Players Earn Phil Steele Magazine Preseason All-AAC Honors
Jun 11, 2019 | Football
NEW ORLEANS – Twelve Tulane University football players earned Preseason All-American Athletic Conference honors from Phil Steele Magazine on Tuesday.
Junior Patrick Johnson and senior Geron Etherly headlined the list, as they were both named first team. Seniors Darius Bradwell, Darnell Mooney and Lawrence Graham each collected second team recognition. Junior Corey Dublin, senior Thakarius Keyes and sophomore Amare Jones were each selected third team.
Graduate transfer Christian Montano, sophomore Ryan Wright and juniors Cameron Sample and Marvin Moody rounded out the Tulane list of honorees as they were each named fourth team All-AAC.
Johnson was named first team after he posted a breakout sophomore campaign, registering 10.5 sacks and becoming just the third player in program history to finish a season with double-digit sacks. His 10.5 sacks were tied for 13th nationally and tied for the most among all sophomores. Following the season, he was one of just 11 sophomores to have been selected to The American's All-Conference team. Earlier this year, Johnson took home preseason first team and defensive player of the year honors by Athlon Magazine.
Eatherly earned a spot on the team following a junior season where he was selected as a Fourth Team All-America long snapper by Phil Steele Magazine.
Bradwell received second-team honors after he posted a memorable junior campaign in 2018, finishing the year with a team-best 1,174 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Tallahassee, Florida, native was one of the Green Wave's most consistent scoring threats a year ago, as he scored touchdowns in seven straight games and nine of Tulane's 13 games. Bradwell also played a key role in the Green Wave's 41-24 bowl victory over UL-Lafayette as he rushed for 150 yards on a career-high 35 carries en route to earning Most Valuable Player honors.
Graham garnered second-team honors following an impressive junior campaign where he made seven starts while posting single-season highs in solo tackles (37), total tackles (61), tackles for loss (8.0) and sacks (4.5). His 4.5 sacks last season ranked second on the team.
Mooney picked up second-team recognition thanks to a breakout junior season where he led the Green Wave in every major receiving category. He finished with 993 yards, 48 receptions and eight touchdowns. Mooney's 76.4 yards per game and 3.7 receptions per game both ranked in The American's top 10. His 20.6 yards per catch led the league and ranked sixth nationally. Following his impressive 2018 campaign, Mooney was named All-AAC by Phil Steele Magazine.
Dublin earned a spot on the third team after a sophomore campaign where he started in all 13 games on the offensive line for the Green Wave. The New Orleans native helped Tulane's rushing attack average more than 200 yards per contest.
Jones earned a spot on the third team following an incredible rookie campaign, where he ranked second among all freshmen in The American with 939 all-purpose yards. The Frisco, Texas, native led the Green Wave with 558 kickoff and 113 punt return yards. He closed the year on a high note, as he totaled 142 all-purpose yards against UL-Lafayette in the AutoNation Cure Bowl.
Keyes was named to the third team following a junior season that saw him help anchor a secondary unit that was one of the nation's best in passes defensed. The Laurel, Mississippi, native finished second on the team with 11 passes broken up. He also totaled 38 tackles (33 solo).
Sample was tabbed fourth team following an impressive sophomore campaign where he made 11 starts while posting single-season highs in solo tackles (17), total tackles (40), tackles for loss (6.0) and sacks (4.0). His four sacks last season were tied for third on the team.
Montano received fourth-team honors thanks to an impressive resume during his time at Brown, where he earned Second Team All-Ivy honors in 2017. He also was a Phil Steele Preseason All-Ivy selection and was voted as Brown's team captain prior to the 2018 season.
Moody was selected fourth team after finishing third on the team in tackles in 2018. He enters his junior season as the team's top returning tackler. The Bryant, Arkansas, native also tallied 5.0 tackles for loss and made appearances in all 13 games.
Wright was chosen fourth team following an incredible rookie campaign for the Green Wave, as he established himself as one of the top first-year punters in the nation, earning freshman All-America honors by 247Sports.com. He finished the year averaging 44.0 yards per punt and dropped 12 punts inside the 20-yard line.
Tulane opens the 2019 season on Thursday, August 29 at home against FIU with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
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