Longhorns earn All-Big 12 honors

AUSTIN, Texas -- The Big 12 Conference announced the All-Big 12 Conference football teams today, and The University of Texas had 13 players selected, including three on the first team and two on the second team.

Junior RB Jamaal Charles, senior S Marcus Griffin and senior OT Tony Hills earned first-team honors, while senior DTs Derek Lokey and Frank Okam were named to the second team.

Charles has been selected to either the first or second team all three years of his career after being named to the second team in each of the last two seasons. Charles was also named Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2005. Hills and Okam both earned honorable mentionable honors last season.

Charles, who was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award this season, has carried the ball 231 times for 1,458 yards (No. 5 on UT's single-season list) and 16 TDs (T-No. 8 NCAA/No. 6 on UT's single-season list) in 2007. His 121.5 yards per game rank 11th nationally and first in the Big 12. His 6.3 yards per carry average ranks eighth nationally. For his career, Charles has posted 3,167 yards (No. 5 on UT's all-time list) on 506 carries (6.3 ypc) and scored 34 TDs (No. 6 on UT's all-time list). He has also caught 47 passes for 528 yards (11.2 ypc) and three TDs.

Griffin leads the team in tackles this season with 97 to go along with a TFL, three INTs, five PBU, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Against Baylor, he returned an interception for a 91-yard TD, the third-longest return in UT history and the longest in 71 years. For his career, he has posted 229 tackles, a sack, three TFL, four INTs, eight PBU, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Hills has developed into one of the nation's top offensive tackles and is the veteran anchor of a Longhorn line that has blocked for 462.0 total yards (14th NCAA) and 199.8 rushing yards (23rd NCAA) in 2007. An All-America candidate, Hills was listed on the Outland Trophy watch list and tabbed one of college football's Top 10 offensive tackles by The Sporting News.

Lokey and Okam anchored a defense that ranks 10th in the nation against the run this season, allowing only 99.3 yards per game.

Lokey, who was a member of the Nagurski and Lott Trophy watch lists, has notched 46 tackles, eight TFL, a sack and 12 pressures this season. For his career, he has posted 97 tackles, 17 TFL, three sacks, 29 pressures, three PBD and a fumble recovery in 42 games (20 starts).

Okam, who was a member of the Outland Trophy watch list, has posted 49 tackles, 10 TFL, five sacks, 16 pressures, four PBD, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 2007. In 49 career games (38 starts), Okam has posted 157 tackles, 27 TFL, 10 sacks, 46 pressures, 11 PBD, a forced fumble and five fumble recoveries.

Selected for honorable mention this season were K Ryan Bailey, PR/KR Quan Cosby, LB Scott Derry, who was named to the team for the second straight year, TE Jermichael Finley, CB Brandon Foster, C Dallas Griffin, DT Roy Miller and OT Adam Ulatoski.

Dallas Griffin is also a finalist for the Draddy Award, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership.

The league's 12 head coaches make the selections and are not permitted to vote for their own players.

The University of Texas at Austin Athletics