Lincoln - University of Nebraska linebacker Carlos Polk and center Dominic Raiola were selected to the America Football Coaches Association All-America team announced Thursday.
Raiola, who was also selected by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and Football News, and Polk join senior offensive guard Russ Hochstein as first-team All-Americans. It is the sixth time in the past seven years that two or more Huskers were recognized as first-team All-Americans. Hochstein was a first-team selection by the Sporting News last week.
A senior linebacker from Rockford, Ill., Polk led the Huskers with 90 tackles, including nine tackles for loss, and 13 quarterback hurries this season. A Butkus Award semifinalist, Polk earned Big 12 and national defensive player-of-the-week honors after making 12 tackles in the Huskers 27-24 overtime win at Notre Dame. Polk, a two-time All-Big 12 selection, had a career-high 17 tackles against Kansas State earlier this season. Polk finished his career with 227 tackles to rank 14th on Nebraska's all-time charts.
An Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award finalist, Raiola anchors a Husker offense that leads the nation in rushing (349.3 yards per game) and also ranks in the top six nationally in both total offense (459.9) and scoring offense (41.5 ppg). He finished the regular season with 145 pancakes (13.2 per game), including double-figure totals in 10 of Nebraska's 11 games, breaking his own school record of 140 (12.67 per game in 12 games) set last year. The 6-2, 300-pound junior from Honolulu, Hawaii, was the ABC Chevrolet Player of the Game and Nebraska's nominee for Big 12 Offensive Player-of-the-Week honors against Kansas, marking the first time a Husker lineman had been nominated for the conference honor since 1996. Raiola and the Husker offensive line has allowed just 10 sacks this season, and helped NU rush for 400 or more yards on the ground four times this season, including a season-high 505 yards against San Jose State.
The American Football Coaches Association has selected an All-America team annually since 1945 and is voted on by Division I-A football coaches from around the country. Only one 25-player team is chosen in each division. There are no second or third teams or honorable mention awards.