Jayhawks Named To Phil Steele Football Teams

Dec. 8, 2009

Complete Phil Steele Teams

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas linebacker Huldon Tharp and offensive tackle Tanner Hawkinson were named to Freshman All-America teams and seven Jayhawks were tabbed to All-Big 12 teams announced by Phil Steele Magazine Tuesday.

All-conference selections included wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe on the first team, wide receiver Kerry Meier on the second team, defensive end Jake Laptad and safety Darrell Stuckey on the third team and Hawkinson, punt returner Daymond Patterson and place kicker Jacob Branstetter on the fourth team.

Tharp earned Freshman All-America First Team honors. Tharp, a true freshman from Mulvane, Kan., became a starter at the beginning of Big 12 Conference play, starting seven straight games until the season finale vs. Missouri.

Tharp’s 59 tackles were fifth on the team in 2009. He had a season-best 13 tackles against Nebraska and registered 10 stops against Duke.

Hawkinson, a second-team pick, started all 12 games at left tackle in his first year on the field at Kansas. As a redshirt, Hawkinson, who is from McPherson, Kan., spent time at tight end and defensive end before finding a home on the offensive line in 2009.

Briscoe caught 84 passes for 1,337 yards and nine touchdowns, while Meier pulled in 102 for 985 yards and eight scores.

Laptad recorded 49 tackles with 12 for loss, including 6.5 sacks. Stuckey registered a team-leading 93 tackles.

Patterson averaged 8.0 yards on 21 punt returns with a long of 49, while Branstetter connected on 13 of 19 field goals, including a career-long 57-yarder, while also making 42 of 44 extra points.