Michael Brooks Named To All-Freshman Squad
December 08, 2009 | Football
Dec. 8, 2009
IRVING, Texas - Conference USA announced its 2009 All-Freshman football team today, as selected by the league's 12 head football coaches. All 12 schools were represented with at least one selection. Houston and Tulsa each placed a league-high four players on the squad, while Rice, SMU and UAB had three players selected.
Michael Brooks, who is the 12th Pirate in the last four years to be named to the all-freshman squad, was East Carolina's lone selection in 2009. The Roxboro, N.C. native has played in 12 games, where he has recorded 23 tackles (10 solo) and 3.5 TFLs. Against the Houston Cougars in the C-USA Championship Game, Brooks recorded his first solo sack of the season dropping 2009 first-team All C-USA selection Case Keenum for a six-yard loss in the third quarter.
Headlining Houston's selections is Charles Sims, who earned one of the two running back spots. Sims has rushed for nine touchdowns and caught another, running for 632 yards and catching 64 passes for 702 yards. He is joined by a pair of Cougar defensive players in defensive lineman Zeke Riser (31 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and linebacker Phillip Steward (84 tackles). Rounding out the UH selections is kicker Matt Hogan, who has kicked 10 field goals, including the dramatic 51-yard game-winning kick at Tulsa on November 7.
Most notable among Tulsa's four selections are a pair of lineman that started nearly all season for the Golden Hurricane. True freshman Trent Dupy started 10 games at center, helping pave the way up front for the league's No. 5-ranked offense. On the other side of the ball, defensive end Cory Dorris started all 12 games, registering 55 tackles and three sacks. Wide receiver Ricky Johnson and defensive back Dexter McCoil were also recognized.
SMU's three all-freshman selections include quarterback Kyle Padron, who was 4-1 as a starter down the stretch for the Mustangs. He completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 1,462 yards and eight touchdowns with four interceptions. Wide receiver Darius Johnson and linebacker Taylor Reed (56 tackles) join Padron on the squad.
UAB placed one player each on offense, defense and special teams. Offensive lineman Chris Hubbard, linebacker Daniel White (43 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and long snapper Taylor Klein represent the Blazers on the freshman unit.
Rice's three freshman honorees are spearheaded by running back Charles Ross, who leads all C-USA rookies in rushing touchdowns with 11. He has run for 491 yards and also added 130 receiving yards. The Owls also placed TE Vance McDonald and DB Kevin Gaddis on the team.
Memphis (OL Jamie McCoy and DL Dontari Poe), Southern Miss (P Peter Boehme and PR Tracy Lampley), Tulane (OL Zack Morgan and LB Shakiel Smith), UCF (OL Theo Goins and DB Josh Robinson) and UTEP (DB Deshawn Grayson and KR Marlon McClure) each had two selections to the team, while defensive lineman Michael Brooks and WR Antavious Wilson represent East Carolina and Marshall, respectively.
Conference USA will announce its Freshman of the Year on Wednesday, December 9.
 
2009 C-USA FOOTBALL ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
OFFENSE
QB- Kyle Padron, SMU
RB- Charles Sims, Houston
RB- Charles Ross, Rice
OL- Jamie McCoy, Memphis
OL- Zack Morgan, Tulane
OL- Trent Dupy, Tulsa
OL- Chris Hubbard, UAB
OL- Theo Goins, UCF
TE- Vance McDonald, Rice
WR- Antavious Wilson, Marshall
WR- Darius Johnson, SMU
WR- Ricky Johnson, Tulsa
DEFENSE
DL- Michael Brooks, East Carolina
DL- Zeke Riser, Houston
DL- Dontari Poe, Memphis
DL- Cory Dorris, Tulsa
LB- Phillip Steward, Houston
LB- Taylor Reed, SMU
LB- Shakiel Smith, Tulane
LB- Daniel White, UAB
DB- Kevin Gaddis, Rice
DB- Dexter McCoil, Tulsa
DB- Josh Robinson, UCF
DB- Deshawn Grayson, UTEP
SPECIAL TEAMS
K- Matt Hogan, Houston
P- Peter Boehme, Southern Miss
KR- Marlon McClure, UTEP
PR- Tracy Lampley, Southern Miss
LS- Taylor Klein, UAB
