Five SAC Gridiron Players Gain Preseason Football Honors From National Media
August 18, 2005

Courtesy Lenoir-Rhyne, Carson-Newman, Presbyterian, Tusculum
Sports Information Offices

Five players from South Atlantic Conference member schools have been recognized by CollegeSportsReport.com for inclusion on their preseason All American teams. Honored were: Lenoir-Rhyne's Tim Clarke; Carson-Newman's Pat Egan and Deonte Bolden; Presbyterian's Quasi Gary; and Tusculum's Marcus Robinson.

West Chicago, Illinois – Lenoir-Rhyne's senior linebacker Tim Clarke, the reigning South Atlantic Conference Defensive Player Of The Year, was named to the 2005 CollegeSportsReport.com Preseason Football NCAA Division II All-American Second Team.

The selection was the second preseason All-American squad Clarke was chosen for this month. Two weeks ago, the Durham, N.C., native and Northern Durham High School graduate was picked to the Don Hansen's Football Gazette All-American preseason team.

Clarke led the league last year with 125 tackles to go along with six sacks and an interception and was the first Lenoir-Rhyne player to be named SAC Defensive Player Of The Year in 21 years. Butch Gunter won the award in 1983 for the Bears.

L-R opens the season on Saturday, September 3, against Kentucky State on the road at Frankfort, Kentucky, at 7:30 p.m., before hosting North Carolina Central in its home opener Saturday, September 10, at 7:00 p.m.

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Two members of the Carson-Newman Eagles football team, Pat Egan and Deonte Bolden, have been selected to the Collegesportsreport.com pre-season All-American team which was released on Thursday.

Egan is a senior offensive lineman from Longwood, Fla. He started every game at right guard for C-N last season and is an All-SAC pre-season selection in 2005. He was an anchor on the Eagles’ offensive line that produced one of the most prolific rushing offenses and total offenses in Division II last season.

Bolden, a senior defensive back from Tampa, had 40 tackles last season and led the team in pass break-ups with 19. He also played on special teams as he had seven punt returns for 102 yards and 17 kickoff returns for 398 yards.

The Eagles open the 2005 season August 27 against Shaw at 1 p.m. The game will be played live on CSS.

CLINTON, S.C. - Presbyterian College's Quasi Gary has been named to the 2005 CollegeSports Report.com's Preseason All-American Second Team announced today. Gary earns his second preseason All-American honors after being named to the Don Hansen's Football Gazette team earlier this month.

Gary, a 6-0, 181-pound senior safety from Kingstree, S.C., finished second on the team in total stops (86) and interceptions (5) while tallying 11 pass defenses, two recovered fumbles, one sack, and one forced fumble in 2004. He finished ninth in the South Atlantic Conference in tackles per game (7.8), fourth in interceptions per game (0.45), and eighth in pass defenses. For his efforts, Gary earned first team All-SAC and All-Southeast Region honors and was selected special mention All-American by CollegeSportsReport.com and honorable mention All-American by the Football Gazette.

Gary was one of eight players from the South Atlantic Conference to earn preseason All-American honors from the College Sports Report.com.

The Blue Hose compiled a 6-5 overall record in 2004 including a 4-3 mark in the South Atlantic Conference regular season, good for a four-way tie for second place. PC is picked to finish fifth in the 2005 SAC preseason coaches and media polls.

Gary and the rest of the Blue Hose continue preseason practice. PC will open the 2005 season at home on Saturday, August 27 at 1:30 pm with a match-up with the University of West Georgia.

CHICAGO --- Tusculum College defensive back Marcus Robinson has been named to the 2005 CollegeSportsReport.com Preseason All-Division II Football Team announced College officials Thursday.

Robinson, a 6-0, 195-pound senior from Clarksville, Tenn., was named to the Third Team defense, joining six other players from the South Atlantic Conference on the Preseason All-America squad.

Last month, Robinson was selected to the Preseason All-SAC First Team as he is slated to anchor the TC secondary this year.

He was tabbed to the 2004 All-Conference Second Team where he recorded 51 tackles, including eight stops for loss (-27 yards) and four sacks (-19 yards). Robinson finished fifth on the squad in hits and tied for third in sacks. He also deflected a pair of passes, recovered a fumble and blocked a field goal.

Robinson is a graduate from Kenwood High School in Clarksville where he earned All-State, All-Region and All-Area honors. He is a member of the Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll and is majoring in Sports Management.

Tusculum opens the season next Thursday (Aug. 25) when it hosts Concord University for a 7:30 p.m. contest at Pioneer Field.

Tusculum College is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference which is comprised of eight colleges and universities in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.