Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 8, 1994 TAG: 9412090006
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS AND STAFF REPORTS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Virginia defensive back Ronde Barber, from Cave Spring High School, was a third-team selection on the Associated Press All-America football team announced Wednesday.
Barber is the first Virginia freshman to be named to the All-America team.
Barber, the Atlantic Coast Conference's rookie of the year, led the conference and finished second in NCAA Division I-A with eight interceptions in 11 games. He also finished second in the ACC in passes broken up with 11.
Rashaan Salaam, the nation's top rusher and scorer, and passing leader Kerry Collins head the All-America first team.
Colorado's Salaam, the Heisman Trophy favorite, became the fourth Division I-A player to gain 2,000 yards in a season and the first since Barry Sanders in 1988 to lead the country in rushing, scoring and all-purpose yards. He ran for 2,055 yards and scored 24 touchdowns.
Collins finished with a passing-efficiency rating of 172.9, fourth best in I-A history. The Penn State quarterback threw for a school-record 2,679 yards and completed 67 percent of his attempts with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Collins is joined in the backfield by Penn State teammate Ki-Jana Carter, who averaged an NCAA-best 7.8 yards per carry. Carter was fourth in rushing, with 1,539 yards and second in scoring with 23 touchdowns.
The wide receivers are Jack Jackson of Florida and Frank Sanders of Auburn. Jackson set a Southeastern Conference record with 15 touchdown catches and tied the SEC career mark with 29.
Sanders set a school record with 58 receptions, including a game-winning touchdown in the final minute against then-No.1 Florida.
Tight end Pete Mitchell of Boston College had 55 catches for 617 yards, and set school records for receptions and receiving yards in a career.
The all-purpose player is Central Michigan's Brian Pruitt, who rushed for 1,890 yards, scored 22 touchdowns and averaged 19 yards on kickoff returns.
The offensive line consists of Zach Wiegert of Nebraska, Jeff Hartings of Penn State, Tony Boselli of Southern Cal, Korey Stringer of Ohio State and Cory Raymer of Wisconsin.
Wiegert anchored a line that helped Nebraska lead the nation in rushing, while Hartings was instrumental in making Penn State the top-rated offensive team team in the country.
Boselli was one of the major reasons Southern Cal averaged almost 400 yards per game, and Stringer paved the way for an Ohio State offense that twice gained more than 500 yards. Raymer, a four-year starter, opened holes for the second-best rushing attack in the Big Ten Conference.
Completing the offense is kicker Brian Leaver of Bowling Green, who made 21 of 24 field-goal attempts and 42 of 43 extra-point tries. Leaver and Pruitt play in the Mid-American Conference, which has had only two other first-team AP All-Americans - Toledo defensive tackle Mel Long in 1971 and Bowling Green punter Chris Shale in 1990.
The defense is led by Miami tackle Warren Sapp, who won the Lombardi Award as the nation's top lineman. Sapp, who had 101/2 sacks and recovered three fumbles, led a defense that gave up fewer points and yards than any other team.
Joining Sapp on the line are Luther Elliss of Utah, Derrick Alexander of Florida State and Tedy Bruschi of Arizona.
The linebackers are Ed Stewart of Nebraska, Antonio Armstrong of Texas A&M and Dana Howard of Illinois, the only repeater from last year's team. The secondary features Chris Hudson of Colorado, C.J. Richardson of Miami, Brian Robinson of Auburn and Clifton Abraham of Florida State.
The punter is Todd Sauerbrun of West Virginia, who set an NCAA record for highest average with at least 50 punts. He averaged 48.4 yards on 72 kicks.
Penn State had three players on the team, which was selected by AP college football writer Rick Warner and regional AP writers. Colorado, Florida State, Miami, Nebraska and Auburn each had two representatives.
There are seven juniors on the team - Salaam, Jackson, Stringer, Sapp, Bruschi, Alexander and Robinson.
The All-America team will be featured on NBC-TV's Bob Hope Christmas show, which will air 9-11 p.m. Dec.14.
by CNB