Larson Named First-Team All-American

Lincoln ? Nebraska punter Kyle Larson (Funk, Neb.) was honored Thursday, as the senior was named to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America team.

Larson, who was chosen as a Ray Guy Award finalist earlier this week, was a first-team All-Big 12 selection this fall, as he led the conference and ranked seventh nationally with an average of 45.4 yards per punt. He has placed 19 of his 59 kicks inside the opponents’ 20-yard line and has helped the Huskers rank first in the Big 12 in net punting. A former walk-on, Larson’s season average is on pace to break NU’s school record of 44.98 yards per kick set by Dan Hadenfeldt in 1999.

"It's a tremendous honor to be a part of this team,"Larson said. "At the beginning of the season, I set a goal to make an All-America team, and to reach that goal is exciting. It's special to earn recognition from the coaches."

One of eight Big 12 selections on the 25-member squad, Larson becomes the first Husker kicking specialist (punter or place-kicker) to earn first-team All-America honors by one of the NCAA-recognized bodies. He also is the 104th first-team All-American in school history, as the Huskers have had at least one All-American in 11 of the past 12 seasons.

AFCA All-America Team Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Hometown (High School)

WR Larry Fitzgerald 6-3 225 So. Pittsburgh Minneapolis, Minn. (Valley Forge Military)

WR Rashaun Woods 6-2 195 Sr. Oklahoma St. Oklahoma City, Okla. (Millwood)

TE Kellen Winslow 6-5 250 Jr. Miami (Fla.) San Diego, Calif. (Scripps Ranch)

OL Jacob Rogers 6-6 305 Sr. USC Oxnard, Calif. (Oxnard)

OL Shawn Andrews* 6-6 353 Jr. Arkansas Camden, Ark. (Fairview)

C Jake Grove 6-3 300 Sr. Virginia Tech Forest, Va. (Jefferson Forest)

OL Jammal Brown 6-6 313 Jr. Oklahoma Lawton, Okla. (MacArthur)

OL Robert Gallery 6-7 321 Sr. Iowa Masonville, Iowa (East Buchanan)

QB Jason White 6-3 221 Sr. Oklahoma Tuttle, Okla. (Tuttle)

RB Kevin Jones 6-0 221 Jr. Virginia Tech Chester, Pa. (Cardinal O’Hara)

RB Chris Perry 6-1 218 Sr. Michigan Advance, N.C. (Fork Union Military)

DL Tommie Harris* 6-3 289 Jr. Oklahoma Killeen, Texas (Ellison)

DL David Pollack 6-3 278 Jr. Georgia Snellville, Ga. (Shiloh)

DL Will Smith 6-4 265 Sr. Ohio St. Utica, N.Y. (Proctor)

DL Dave Ball 6-6 269 Sr. UCLA Dixon, Calif. (Dixon)

LB Teddy Lehman 6-2 243 Sr. Oklahoma Fort Gibson, Okla. (Fort Gibson)

LB Jonathan Vilma 6-2 223 Sr. Miami (Fla.) Coral Gables, Fla. (Coral Gables)

LB Karlos Dansby 6-5 234 Sr. Auburn Birmingham, Ala. (Woodlawn)

DB Sean Taylor 6-3 230 Jr. Miami (Fla.) Miami, Fla. (Gulliver Prep)

DB Derrick Strait 5-11 195 Sr. Oklahoma Austin, Texas (Lanier)

DB Corey Webster 6-0 201 Jr. LSU Vacherie, La. (St. James)

DB Sean Jones 6-2 209 Jr. Georgia Atlanta, Ga. (Westlake)

P Kyle Larson 6-0 205 Sr. Nebraska Funk, Neb. (Kearney)

PK Nate Kaeding 6-0 180 Sr. Iowa Coralville, Iowa (Iowa City West)

RS Antonio Perkins 6-0 188 Jr. Oklahoma Lawton, Okla. (Lawton)

*- 2002 AFCA All-American