UCF KNIGHTS UCF ALL-AMERICANS JOE BURNETT
Returner – 2008 ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated, Walter Camp As a senior, Burne� was the only player in the na�on to rank in the top-20 in both kickoff (7th, 28.7) and punt returns (10th, 14.5). Burne� led Conference USA in both categories. He had a pair of kickoff return touchdowns and finished 19th in NCAA history in career punt return yards.
KEVIN SMITH
Tailback – 2007 Associated Press, CBSsports.com, Collegefootballnews. com, ESPN.com, Football Writers Associa�on of America, NFL Digest, Phil Steele’s, Rivals. com, The Spor�ng News, SportsIllustrated.com, Walter Camp Kevin Smith’s 2007 campaign was one of the finest in NCAA history. The tailback finished his junior season with 2,567 rushing yards and 30 total touchdowns, with 29 coming on the ground. His single-season rushing effort was the second-highest in Football Bowl Subdivision history, trailing only Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders (1989). In addi�on to leading the country in rushing, he paced the na�on in scoring (12.86). A consensus All-American, Smith earned first-team honors from nine organiza�ons: Associated Press, CBSsports.com, Collegefootballnews.com, ESPN.com, Football Writers Associa�on of America, Phil Steele’s, The Spor�ng News, SportsIllustrated.com and Walter Camp.
BLAKE CLINGAN
Punter – 2007 The Spor�ng News (freshman) A�er a solid true freshman campaign for the Knights, Blake Clingan earned freshman All-America honorable men�on recogni�on from The Spor�ng News. He punted 59 �mes during the year, averaging 40.7 yards. Clingan landed 14 punts inside the 20. When he made his debut in the Knights’ season-opening victory at NC State, Clingan became the first true freshman to punt in a game for the program since 1998.
BRUCE MILLER
Defensive End – 2007 The Spor�ng News (freshman)
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Bruce Miller appeared in all 14 contests for the Knights in 2007 and earned freshman All-America honorable men�on honors following the regular season. As a redshirt freshman, Miller recorded 38 total tackles.
He finished the campaign second on the squad with 7.0 sacks for a loss of 53 yards. The defensive end totaled 9.0 tackles for loss (57 yards) and also posted six quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
and set a new UCF and Mid-American Conference record with a 47.9 yards per punt average. In UCF’s season opener at Virginia Tech, Prater punted six �mes for 334 yards. His 55.7 punt average set a school record. He recorded two of the top-five punts in program history during the game, including a 71-yard boot.
MICHAEL TORRES
MATT PRATER
Michael Torres had a strong senior year for the Knights, garnering honorable men�on All-America status from Collegefootballnews.com. Torres made 20-of-24 field goals and connected on 50of-51 extra-point a�empts. His 110 points were good for a school kicking record. The 50 extra-points made were also a UCF single-season record. From 40 yards or longer, Torres made 7-of-8 field-goal a�empts.
Ma� Prater garnered freshman All-America honors from The Spor�ng News as a true freshman in 2002. He made 14-of-21 field-goal a�empts on the year. In his first collegiate game, Prater hit three field goals at Penn State. He connected on a season-high 53-yard kick against the Nittany Lions. Prater also made 44-of-47 extra-point attempts during the campaign and finished the season with 86 points, which ranked ninth in the Mid-American Conference.
Placekicker – 2007 Collegefootballnews.com
JOE BURNETT
Defensive Back/Punt Return – 2005 Collegefootballnews.com (freshman), Football Writers Associa�on of America (freshman), Rivals.com (freshman), The Spor�ng News (freshman) Following a spectacular true freshman campaign, Joe Burne� garnered freshman All-America honors from several outlets, including first-team recogni�on from the Football Writers Associa�on of America. As a punt returner, he ranked sixth na�onally and led Conference USA, averaging 16.5 yards per return. He returned a pair of punts for touchdowns. On defense, Burne� recorded 63 total tackles and was second in the conference with five intercep�ons.
JASON VENSON
Defensive Back – 2005 Collegefootballnews.com (freshman) Jason Venson made nine starts as a redshirt freshman in 2005 and was named a thirdteam freshman AllAmerica by Collegefootballnews.com. Venson led the Knights with 85 tackles and also ranked first on the squad with 66 solo stops. He also had three intercep�ons, two forced fumbles and five pass breakups. In the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl against Nevada, Venson recorded seven total tackles and an intercep�on.
MATT PRATER
Punter – 2003 SportsIllustrated.com A�er serving as UCF’s placekicker the previous year, Ma� Prater added pun�ng to his du�es in 2003 and earned SportsIllustrated.com All-America honorable men�on recogni�on. The sophomore led the na�on
Placekicker - 2002 The Spor�ng News (freshman)
OMAR LAURENCE
Defensive Back – 2002 The Spor�ng News (freshman) A�er appearing in nine contests as a redshirt freshman, Omar Laurence received honorable men�on status when The Spor�ng News announced its freshman All-America squads. Laurence was sixth on the Knights with 56 total tackles. He recorded 44 solo stops. During the season, Laurence also registered six pass breakups during the campaign.
STEVE EDWARDS
Offensive Lineman – 2001 Football News Steve Edwards had a strong senior campaign for the Knights in 2001 and was an honorable men�on AllAmerica pick by Football News. Edwards helped UCF rank eighth na�onally in passing offense, averaging 308.3 yards through the air per contest. The Knights were also 40th in total offense (408.82 yards per game) and 31st in scoring offense, averaging 30.27 points an ou�ng.
RASHAD JEANTY
Defensive End – 2001 Football News (freshman), The Spor�ng News (freshman) As a true freshman, Rashad Jeanty made an immediate impact and earned second-team freshman AllAmerica honors from Football News and third-team freshman recogni�on from The Spor�ng News. Jeanty played in 10 contests, making three starts. He finished the season with 58 total tackles, with 33 coming unassisted. Jeanty had eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage and four sacks for a loss of 14 yards.
FOOTBALL UCF ALL-AMERICANS ALEX HAYNES
Tailback – 2001 The Spor�ng News (freshman) In only nine contests as a redshirt freshman, Alex Haynes posted a strong campaign and was named a fourth-team freshman All-America pick by The Spor�ng News. Haynes carried the ball 140 �mes for the Knights and rushed for 690 yards with nine touchdowns. He rushed for more than 100 yards on four occasions and scored a school-record four touchdowns against Tulane. Haynes added 14 recep�ons for 143 yards.
ELTON PATTERSON Defensive End – 2001 Football News
As a junior, Elton Pa�erson finished the year with 85 tackles and was an honorable men�on All-America pick by Football News. Pa�erson had 9.0 sacks for 47 yards lost and totaled 21 tackles-for-loss. The defensive end �ed for sixth na�onally with five forced fumbles. Pa�erson also registered 25 quarterback hurries and broke up a pair of pass plays. In the season opener at Clemson, he totaled 15 stops.
DAUNTE CULPEPPER
Quarterback – 1998 Football News, NFL Dra� Report, Playboy, The Sports Network A spectacular senior season helped Daunte Culpepper garner first-team All-America honors from the NFL Dra� Report and The Sports Network and honorable men�on recogni�on from Football News and Playboy. Culpepper completed a school-record 296 passes for 3,690 yards with 28 scores. He recorded seven 300-yard passing performances for the Knights and set a school record with a .017 intercep�on-to-a�empt ra�o.
DAUNTE CULPEPPER
Quarterback – 1997 Football News, NFL Dra� Report As a junior in 1995, Daunte Culpepper garnered AllAmerica first team status from the NFL Dra� Report and honorable men�on honors from Football News. He finished fourth in the na�on in total offense with an
average of 320 yards per game. Culpepper also ranked 15th na�onally in passing efficiency (146.91). During the course of the season, he set 15 school records. He passed for 3,086 yards with 25 scores. Addi�onally, he rushed 136 �mes for 438 yards with five scores.
DAUNTE CULPEPPER
Quarterback – 1995 Poor Man’s Guide to the NFL Dra� Following his freshman campaign, Daunte Culpepper was a third team All-America pick by the Poor Man’s Guide to the NFL Dra�. In 1995, he completed 168 of 294 passes for 2,071 yards and 12 touchdowns. He concluded the campaign 28th na�onally in passing efficiency (122.9). Culpepper also rushed for five touchdowns.
MARQUETTE SMITH
Tailback – 1995 Football Gaze�e Marque�e Smith had an incredible campaign for the Knights in 1995 as he earned second team All-America honors from the Football Gaze�e. During the year, he rushed for a then schoolrecord 1,511 yards on 274 carries. Smith had nine 100yard rushing performances in 1995 and found the end zone 14 �mes. He averaged 5.5 yards per game.
TODD CLEVELAND Kick Returner – 1994 The Sports Network
As a senior in 1994, Todd Cleveland was one of the na�on’s top kick returners and as a result, earned AllAmerica second team honors from The Sports Network. Cleveland was third in the country, averaging 31.73 yards per return. He returned three kicks for touchdowns, including an 100-yard return against Bethune-Cookman. Cleveland also had a 99-yard return for a score versus Buffalo.
TRAVIS COOPER
Linebacker – 1994 The Sports Network
GREG JEFFERSON
Defensive End – 1994 The Sports Network Greg Jefferson garnered honorable men�on All-America status from The Sports Network as a senior. During the 1994 campaign, Jefferson totaled 45 tackles, with 26 of them solo stops. He paced the Knights with 8.0 sacks for 29 yards. Jefferson also forced a fumble during the year and posted one pass breakup.
CHARLIE PIERCE Plackekicker – 1994 The Sports Network
As a sophomore in 1994, Charlie Pierce was named to The Sports Network’s All-America First Team. He connected on 14-of-16 field goal a�empts. Pierce made 11-straight field goals to conclude the year. His longest field goal of the year was a 48-yarder against East Carolina. Pierce made 47-of-47 extra-point a�empts and paced the team with 89 points.
DAVID RHODES
Wide Receiver – 1994 The Sports Network David Rhodes had a strong senior season in 1994, garnering honorable men�on All-America honors from The Sports Network. Rhodes registered 62 receptions for 1,075 yards with 11 touchdowns during the year. He ranked 13th na�onally in yards per game at 97.73. The wideout also was 24th in the country in recep�ons per game (5.64).
A�er leading the Knights with 109 total tackles, Travis Cooper was an honorable men�on All-America pick by The Sports Network in 1994. He was the lone UCF player to record more than 100 tackles. The senior posted a team-high 66 solo stops. Cooper had seven tackles for loss (20 yards) and three pass breakups. He also added a fumble recovery for the Knights.
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UCF KNIGHTS UCF ALL-AMERICANS DAVID RHODES
BERNARD FORD
A�er a record-breaking junior campaign, David Rhodes was a first team All-America selec�on by the Associated Press. He also earned second team honors from Football News, The Sports Network and Walter Camp. In 1993, Rhodes set school records for recep�ons (90) and touchdowns (15). He tallied 1,379 yards. Rhodes finished third na�onally in recep�ons per game (7.09) and fourth in yards per game (105.36).
Bernard Ford earned first team All-America honors from Football News and Kodak as a senior in 1988. He also garnered second team recogni�on from the Associated Press. In 11 contests, Ford totaled 82 recep�ons for 1,304 yards. He found the end zone 13 �mes on the year. Ford also ran the ball 12 �mes for 95 yards.
Wide Receiver - 1993 Associated Press, Football News, The Sports Network, Walter Camp
BOBBY SPITULSKI
Wide Receiver - 1987 Associated Press, Football News, Kodak
Linebacker – 1991 Associated Press
Bobby Spitulski was an Associated Press All-America Third Team pick in 1991. The senior linebacker appeared in nine contests and ranked fourth on UCF with 67 total tackles. Forty-four of his tackles were solo stops. Spitulski posted 5.0 sacks for 31 yards and paced the squad with 8.0 tackles for loss. He also �ed for first on the team with four intercep�ons.
EDDIE O’BRIEN
Placekicker – 1987 Associated Press, Football News, Kodak As a senior in 1987, Eddie O’Brien was named to the Football News All-America First Team. He also received second team honors from the Associated Press and Kodak. During the year, O’Brien led the Knights with 97 points. He made 20-of-30 field goal a�empts and also made all 37 of his extra points tries.
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Linebacker – 1981 Associated Press
Bill Giovane� was one of three All-America honorable men�on picks from UCF during the 1981 campaign. The junior linebacker ranked second on the squad with 116 total tackles. Giovane� paced the Knights with four intercep�ons during the season. He had a pair of tackles for loss and also broke up four passes.
EDDIE JAMES
Linebacker – 1981 Associated Press Eddie James earned honorable men�on All-America honors from the Associated Press in 1981. During the season, he led the Knights with 116 total tackles. He also paced the squad with 56 solo stops. James recorded three tackles for loss and also had a pair of fumble recoveries and two pass breakups for the Knights.
SCOTT RYERSON
DARIN SLACK
STEVE SPEARS
Defensive Lineman – 1988 Football Gaze�e
BILL GIOVANETTI
Placekicker – 1981 Associated Press
Quarterback – 1987 Football News
Steve Spears was one of two Knights tabbed by the Football Gaze�e as an All-America pick in 1988. Spears was an honorable men�on selec�on. As a senior, Spears recorded 84 total tackles, which ranked third on the squad. He posted four tackles for a loss of four years and had one sack. Spears also recorded four fumble recoveries during the year.
Darin Slack was named to the Football News All-America Second Team as a senior in 1987. He guided the Knights to a 9-4 mark as the team advanced to the second round of the Division II playoffs. Slack completed 256-of-486 attempts for 3,457 yards. He concluded the season with 28 touchdown tosses.
DAVE UNDERWOOD
WYATT BOGAN
Offensive Lineman - 1988 Football Gaze�e
Linebacker – 1986 Football News
Offensive tackle Dave Underwood was a Football Gaze�e All-America Second Team selec�on as a senior. Underwood helped the Knights total 219 first downs in 1988, compared to 197 for their opponents. UCF averaged 292.2 passing yards during the season.
In 1986, Wya� Bogan was a Football News All-America First Team selec�on. He paced the Knights with 143 tackles, including 58 unassisted stops. Bogan recorded four sacks as a junior. He also registered three pass breakups.
MIKE COAD
DAN BURKE
Linebacker – 1987 Football News
Offensive Line – 1981 Associated Press
Mike Coad had a strong senior campaign for the Knights in 1988. He was a Football News All-America Second Team pick. Coad recorded 154 total tackles for the Knights, which ranked second on the squad. Fi�y-three of his stops with unassisted. Coad tallied 2.5 sacks and an intercep�on. He also added three pass breakups.
As a junior in 1981, Dan Burke garnered honorable men�on All-America recogni�on from the Associated Press. He played center and tackle during the year for the Knights.
A�er scoring 62 points in 1981, Sco� Ryerson was named to the Associated Press All-America Third Team. The junior converted 18of-29 field goals and made 8-of-12 extra-point a�empts. The 18 field goals were the most among all kickers in Division II and III. Against Savannah State, Ryerson hit a pair of field goals of 50 yards or be�er, including a 54-yarder.
TIM KIGGINS
Kick/Punt Returner – 1980 Associated Press UCF’s first All-America selec�on, Tim Kiggins earned third team honors from the Associated Press in 1980. Kiggins returned 19 kicks for the Knights, averaging 17.6 yards per return. He also averaged 11.8 yards per punt return, which ranked among the top-15 na�onally in the sta�s�cal category. As a defensive back, Kiggins recorded three intercep�ons.