Several Jayhawks Earn Mid-Season Football Honors

Oct. 11, 2007

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Kick returner Marcus Herford was a second-team selection, while running back Brandon McAnderson, wide receiver Marcus Henry, defensive tackle James McClinton and linebacker Mike Rivera were all third-team picks.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>

Cornerback Aqib Talib earned first-team All-America honors by SI.com and was a second-team All-America pick by Phil Steele’s Magazine.

Phil Steele also announced mid-season all-conference teams and three Jayhawks earned All-Big 12 First-Team honors in Talib, linebacker Joe Mortensen and place kicker Scott Webb.

Kick returner Marcus Herford was a second-team selection, while running back Brandon McAnderson, wide receiver Marcus Henry, defensive tackle James McClinton and linebacker Mike Rivera were all third-team picks.

Talib has been one of the nation’s most versatile players this season with 23 tackles, three interceptions and three passes broken up defensively and seven receptions for 174 yards and a touchdown while playing as a wide receiver on a limited basis.

The junior has scored a touchdown in six straight games dating back to last season.

Mortensen, a junior, leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth in the NCAA in tackles for loss at 2.0 per game, while ranking fifth in the league with 9.40 tackles per contest.

Webb has been nearly perfect making six of seven field goal attempts, while drilling all 30 of his PATs.

<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Herford leads the Big 12 and ranks 20th in the NCAA with a 28.73 kickoff return average. He became the first Jayhawk to return a kickoff for a touchdown since 2002, when he scored against Southeastern Louisiana.

McAnderson is having the best season of his career and ranks fifth in the conference with 81.60 rushing yards per game while sharing duties with Jake Sharp. McAnderson has produced two 100-yard rushing games and has scored six touchdowns this season.

Henry started the season with a bang, tying a school record with three straight 100-yard reception games. He ranks seventh in the conference and 35th in the nation with 83.40 yards per game.

McClinton has been dominant from his interior defensive line position. He has recorded 26 tackles and his 1.50 tackles per loss are second in the league and tied for 17th nationally.

Rivera, a Butkus award watch list player, is third on the team with 29 tackles since moving from middle linebacker to outside linebacker this season. The junior has recovered two fumbles this season.

Complete teams can be seen at www.philsteele.com and http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/ncaa/midseason.all.americans/index.html.