University of Massachusets Athletics
Five UMass Football Players Named All-Americans By Teamlink.com
December 30, 1999 | Football
Dec. 30, 1999
AMHERST, Mass. ? Five members of the University of Massachusetts football squad have been named to Teamlink.com?s 1999 Division I-AA All-America team. Junior linebacker Kole Ayi (Nashua, N.H.) was named to the first team, sophomore free safety Jeremy Robinson (Syracuse, N.Y.) and junior tailback Marcel Shipp (Paterson, N.J.) were both second team selections, while senior tight end Sean Higgins (Brewster, N.Y.) and senior cornerback Jerard White (Fort Washington, Md.) were both named to the third team.
Ayi was the runner-up for the 1999 Buck Buchanan Award, and has also earned Sports Network first team All America, Associated Press third team All-America, first team All-Atlantic 10 Conference, first team All-New England and first team All-ECAC honors. He led the team and the Atlantic 10 with 147 total tackles on the season, including 109 solo stops. His 109 unassisted tackles on the year are the third-highest single season total in school history, while his 147 total tackles rank sixth. Ayi led the team in tackles eight times on the year, while reaching double figures in tackles on nine occasions. He also ranked second on the team in sacks with five and third in tackles for loss with 13, while also recording two interceptions. For his career, Ayi ranks third all-time at UMass in solo tackles (254) and fifth in total tackles (355).
Robinson has already been honored as an Associated Press first team All-America, Sports Network second team All-America, first team All-Atlantic 10, first team All-New England and first team All-ECAC selection. He finished second on the team in interceptions this season with six, while ranking fourth in the Atlantic 10 and 11th in the nation in interceptions. Robinson also ranked second on the team in total tackles with 103, including 69 solo stops, while recording 12 tackles for loss, four sacks and six pass breakups on the year. He also had a string of five consecutive games with an interception this season. Robinson reached double figures in tackles five times this season, and ranks 10th all-time at UMass in career interception return yards with 122.
Shipp placed sixth in the voting for the 1999 Walter Payton Award, while also being named to the Sports Network All-America second team, the Associated Press All-America third team, the All-Atlantic 10 first team, the All-New England first team and the All-ECAC first team. He rushed 391 times for 1,846 yards and 24 touchdowns this season, while also catching 54 passes for 336 yards and another score. He set new UMass single season records for rushing touchdowns and scoring (150 points), while ranking second on the season list for carries, rushing yards and for all-purpose yards (2,182 yards), and fifth for receptions. Shipp also led the Atlantic 10 in scoring and ranked second in rushing, while ranking sixth nationally in scoring, seventh in rushing and 12th in all-purpose yards. In addition, Shipp set new UMass career records for rushing yards (5,144), all purpose yards (6,423) and carries (958), while ranking second in career rushing touchdowns (46).
Higgins, who was also named first team All-Atlantic 10 and first team All-New England, ranked second on the team in receiving yards with 615 and third in catches with 51. His total of 51 receptions on the year ranks eighth on the UMass single season list, while his 615 receiving yards ranks 10th. Higgins caught four or more passes in eight games this season, including a career-high seven catches for 74 yards against New Hampshire. He was also been a key blocker along the offensive line, helping the Minutemen to rank third in the Atlantic 10 and 27th in the nation with an average of 187.9 rushing yards per game.
White has previously been named to the American Football Coaches Association All-America team, the Sports Network All-America first team and the Associated Press All-America second team, in addition to being a first team All-Atlantic 10 Conference, first team All-New England and second team All-ECAC selection. He led the team lead in interceptions this season with seven, finishing the year in fifth place on the UMass single season list for picks and tying for first in the Atlantic 10 in interceptions. White also broke up 13 passes on the year, the most in the conference and the fifth-highest single season total in school history. In addition, White recorded 43 tackles this year, with 31 solo stops and two fumble recoveries. For his career, White holds the all-time UMass record for pass breakups with 38, while ranking seventh in interceptions with 12.
UMass finished the 1999 season with an overall record of 9-4 and a 7-1 mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Minutemen won the Atlantic 10 Conference title and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs.
A complete list of the 1999 Teamlink.com All-America teams follows.
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE FIRST TEAM DEFENSE Pos. Name School Pos. Name School QB Giovanni Carmazzi Hofstra DL Voncellies Allen Georgia Southern RB Adrian Peterson Georgia Southern DL Lamar Carter Tennessee State RB Charles Roberts Cal State Sacramento DL Al Lucas Troy State WR Cornell Craig Southern Illinois DL Branon Vaughn Tennessee Tech WR Mike Furrey Northern Iowa LB Kole Ayi UMass WR Elijah Thurmon Howard LB Ian Dominelli Youngstown State TE Brad St. Louis SW Missouri State LB Edgerton Hartwell Western Illinois C Patrick Goodman Western Kentucky LB Anthony Rabb Troy State OL Bennie Anderson Tennessee State DB DeJuan Alfonzo Indiana State OL Lance Knaevelsrud Eastern Washington DB Shon Flores Montana State OL Jon Osterhout Cal State Sacramento DB Corey Hall Appalachian State OL Mark Williams Georgia Southern DB John Keith Furman PK Brent Sterba William & Mary P Matthew Peot Montana State RS Avion Black Tennessee State
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE SECOND TEAM DEFENSE Pos. Name School Pos. Name School QB Drew Miller Montana DL Kelly Bryant Montana RB Curtis Keaton James Madison DL Shannon Jackson Indiana State RB Marcel Shipp UMass DL Jim Magda Hofstra WR Sylvester Morris Jackson State DL Chris Morant James Madison WR Murle Sango Villanova LB Tommie Head Jackson State WR Jamal White Towson LB Deon Hunt Hampton TE Chris Kelly Cal State Sacramento LB Isaiah Kacyvenski Harvard C Brad Meester Northern Iowa LB Kevin Peterson East Tennessee State OL Paul Clasby Colgate DB Aaron Dashiell Maine OL Michael Moore Troy State DB Darryl Klugh North Carolina A&T OL Chase Raynock Montana DB Eric Sloan Troy State OL Michael Thompson Tennessee State DB Jeremy Robinson UMass PK Pete Garces Idaho State P Rick Barrow Southwest Texas State RS KaRon Coleman Stephen F. Austin
THIRD TEAM OFFENSE THIRD TEAM DEFENSE Pos. Name School Pos. Name School QB Ryan Helming Northern Iowa DL Damien Gregory Illinois State RB Cory Holmes Miss. Valley State DL Jojo Oliphant Maine RB Ronald Jean Lehigh DL Troy Lefevra Indiana State WR Stephen Campbell Brown DL Brennen Swanson Cal State Northridge WR Terry Charles Portland State LB Ian Eason Lehigh WR Matt Dominquez Sam Houston State LB James Emanuel Hofstra TE Sean Higgins UMass LB Derick Pack James Madison C Ian Shirley Youngstown State LB Matt Pedersen Northern Iowa OL Mike Rodbro Illinois State DB Omar Evans Howard OL Chad Slaughter Alcorn State DB Joshua Symonette Tennessee Tech OL Jim Stull Delaware DB Arkee Thompson Georgia Southern OL John Uriarte Southern Utah DB Jerard White UMass PK David Collett Tennessee Tech P Wayne Scholbohm Dartmouth RS Lamont Brightfield Eastern Washington
