Nine Dawgs make SEC Coaches List

The Georgia Bulldogs had nine players named to the Southeastern Conference Coaches' Preseason All-SEC Team the league office announced Thursday.

Sophomore wide receiver A.J. Green and junior linebacker Rennie Curran were both named to the first team, while offensive linemen Clint Boling and Cordy Glenn were named to the second team offense with sophomore Trinton Sturdivant named third team.

Defensively, the Dawgs had senior defensive tackles Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens named to the second and third teams, respectively. Cornerback Prince Miller made second team, while safety Reshad Jones made the third team.

Georgia natives who made the list but play for other league schools are: first team offensive lineman Chris Scott (Tennessee), first team defensive backs Eric Berry (Tennessee) and Trevard Lindley (Kentucky) and linebacker Eric Norwood (South Carolina); first team punter Chas Henry (Florida); second team punter Brett Upson (Vanderbilt); second team defensive lineman Malcolm Sheppard (Arkansas); third team linebacker Perry Riley (LSU).

Owens, who missed last season with a knee injury, will represent Georgia along with quarterback Joe Cox at SEC Media Days next week in Hoover, Ala.

SEC Press Release

Florida, LSU, Alabama and Georgia have the most selections

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Defending SEC and national champion Florida Gators had a league-high 16 representatives on the 2009 All-Southeastern Conference Coaches' Football Team, while LSU had 10 total selections and defending Western Division Champion Alabama and Georgia had nine each, the league office announced on Thursday.

Florida led the way with eight players selected on the first team while Alabama had six and LSU had three.

Nine of the 12 SEC schools had a member on the first-team All-SEC squad. Each SEC school had at least two student-athletes on either the first-, second- or third-team.

Ole Miss and Tennessee had seven total members on the squads, while Kentucky had six, Vanderbilt five, South Carolina and Arkansas four each, Auburn three and Mississippi State two.

There were only three unanimous selections to this year's All-SEC pre-season squad – LSU offensive lineman Ciron Black, Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones and Tennessee defensive back Eric Berry. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players, thus a unanimous selection earns 11 of 12 first-team votes.

There are 10 first-team pre-season selections that were on last year's first-team coaches All-SEC post-season team. Those include: QB Tim Tebow (Florida), RB Charles Scott (LSU), RS Brandon James (Florida), DL Terrence Cody (Alabama), LB Rolando McClain (Alabama), LB Brandon Spikes (Florida), LB Rennie Curran (Georgia), LB Eric Norwood (South Carolina), DB Eric Berry (Tennessee) and DB Trevard Lindley (Kentucky).

The All-SEC first-team squad had 15 seniors and 10 underclassmen, including eight juniors and two sophomores. The second-team had 18 seniors, seven juniors and three sophomores. The third-team had 16 seniors, eight juniors and five sophomores.

This marks the sixth straight year of the SEC Coaches Pre-Season All-SEC Team. The team is announced each year in advance of the SEC Football Media Days. This year, the event will be held next week, Wednesday through Friday, at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala.

The 2009 SEC Coaches Pre-Season All-SEC Football Team is listed below.

2009 SEC COACHES PRE-SEASON ALL-SEC FOOTBALL TEAM

* - Unanimous Selections

# - Ties