The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Four Longhorns named first-team AP All-America
12.13.2005 | Football
AUSTIN, Texas -- Seniors S Michael Huff, OT Jonathan Scott and DT Rodrique Wright and junior QB Vince Young were named first-team All-Americans by The Associated Press, the news outlet has announced. Along with the first teamers, seniors OG Will Allen and LB Aaron Harris and junior OT Justin Blalock earned third-team honors.
It marks only the second time in UT history, with 1983 being the other, that four Longhorns have earned first-team All-America honors from the Associated Press. Young became the first quarterback in the school's history to earn AP first-team honors.
Huff, Texas' first-ever Thorpe Award winner, is a consensus All-American, was voted as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year by various outlets and is a unanimous first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2005. Huff is second on the team in tackles with 97, in addition to nine TFL, 14 PBU, two sacks, one INT, four forced fumbles, a fumble recovery TD and a blocked FG. He became Texas' leader in TDs scored by a defensive player with five after his fumble return for a TD against Rice earlier this season.
Scott, a consensus All-American and unanimous first-team All-Big 12 selection, has led one of the most powerful offenses in the country over the past few seasons and has a streak of 43 consecutive starts. In 2005, Texas leads the nation in scoring offense at 50.9 points per game and is third in both total offense (508.4 ypg) and rushing offense (273.8 ypg). Behind Scott, UT has rushed for at least 200 yards in nine of 12 games and has reached at least 400 yards of total offense in 10 of 12 games. He was voted a second-team AP All-American in 2004.
Wright has been a key cog on the nation's sixth-ranked defense (280.3 ypg). He was also named a first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and is a unanimous first-team All-Big 12 selection. A Lombardi finalist, Wright has posted 46 tackles, 14 TFL, 4.5 sacks, three PBD, forced a fumble and returned a fumble recovery for a TD in 2005.
Young, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, was the recipient of the Maxwell Award (nation's best player), the Davey O'Brien Trophy (nation's top quarterback) and the Cingular/ABC Sports Player of the Year Award, as voted on by the fans, for his performance in 2005. He was also honored as a first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and was a unanimous selection for Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Young has guided the Longhorns to their first 12-0 record in school history. He has completed 182-of-285 (63.9%) passes for 2,769 yards (No. 3 on UT's single-season list) and 26 TDs (T-No. 1 on UT's single-season list). His passer efficiency rating of 168.6 leads the nation and he has also rushed 136 times for 850 yards and nine TDs. With 3,619 yards of total offense, Young has become UT's single-season leader in total offense, bettering Major Applewhite's total of 3,211 yards in 1999.
Allen, Harris and Blalock all earned their first All-America honors. Allen and Blalock both started all 12 games and helped Texas lead the nation in scoring (50.9 ppg), while ranking third in both total offense (508.4 ypg) and rushing offense (273.8 ypg) in 2005. Both linemen were consensus first-team All-Big 12 selections, Allen at guard and Blalock at tackle.
Harris patrolled the middle in helping Texas to a No. 6 national ranking in total defense (280.3 ypg). He is third on the team in tackles with 87 to go along with 12 TFL, four sacks, an INT, three PBU and two forced fumbles on the season. He was voted as a first-team All-Big 12 performer by virtually every outlet for his efforts.
