Portland State center Brennen Carvalho was named first team Associated Press All-American for NCAA FCS football today. Teammate Tremayne Kirkland was named to the AP third team as a wide receiver.
Carvalho, a senior from Kapa'a, HI, was recently selected to the Walter Camp All-American team as well. He will compete in the Hula Bowl on Jan. 12. Carvalho was a consensus All-American in 2006 as a left guard, but made a position change in 2007. He wraps up his career as a three-time first team All-Big Sky Conference selection. Carvalho started 39 consecutive games in his career.
With Carvalho's honor, Portland State has had a first team All-American for three consecutive seasons (Joe Rubin in 2005; Carvalho and Adam Hayward in 2006). Carvalho is the fifth first-team choice at Portland State in the past eight years (also Charles Dunn in 2000 and Terry Charles in 2001), and the only two-time, first-team selection.
Kirkland, a senior from Sacramento, had one of the finest seasons by a receiver in PSU history. He finished the year with 84 receptions for 1,059 yards and 10 touchdowns in just 10 games (missing one due to injury). His 84 catches rank second in PSU history for a season. His 1,059 yards rank 10th all-time at PSU. It was the first 1,000-yard receiving season for a Viking since 2001.
Kirkland led the Big Sky Conference and ranked second in the nation in receptions per game (8.4), and sixth in yards per game (105.9). He also rushed 12 times for 64 yards and a touchdown on the season. He had 1,234 all-purpose yards for an average of 123.4 per game.
Kirkland, also a first team All-Big Sky Conference selection, was named team MVP at the conclusion of the season.
The Big Sky Conference was represented with 11 total players on the three AP teams ? three on the first team and four each on the second and third teams.
AP FCS All-America Team
FIRST TEAM OFFENSEQuarterback - Ricky Santos, senior, 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, New Hampshire.
Running backs - Omar Cuff, senior, 5-10, 195, Delaware; Jayson Foster, senior, 5-9, 164, Georgia Southern.
Wide receivers - Ramses Barden, junior 6-6, 228, Cal Poly; Terrell Hudgins, junior, 6-2, 226, Elon.
Linemen - Kerry Brown, senior, 6-6, 290, Appalachian State; Chad Rinehart, senior, 6-5, 310, Northern Iowa; Mitch Erickson, senior, 6-6,
290, South Dakota State; Brennen Carvalho, 6-1, 310, senior, Portland State; Demetrius Bell, senior, 6-5, 263, Northwestern State.
Tight end - Blake Martin, senior, 6-3, 235, Sam Houston State.
All-purpose player - Jeremy Gilchrist, junior, 5-10, 174, Hampton.
Kicker - Jon Striefsky, junior, 6-1, 185, Delaware.
FIRST TEAM DEFENSELinemen - Kroy Biermann, senior, 6-3, 241, Montana; Eric Bakhtiari, senior, 6-4, 260, San Diego; Bryan Smith, 6-2, 230, McNeese State; Brian
Johnston, 6-5, 280, Gardner-Webb.
Linebackers - Bobby Daly, senior, 6-1, 215, Montana State; Brian Bradford, senior, 6-2, 235, Towson; Brannon Carter, senior, 6-3, 233,
Northern Iowa.
Defensive backs - Tony LeZotte, senior, 6-0, 200, James Madison; Corey Lynch, senior, 6-0, 205, Appalachian State; Bobbie Williams, senior,
6-1, 210, Bethune-Cookman; Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, senior, 6-2, 180, Tennessee State.
Punter - Chris MacDonald, senior, 6-4, 215, Texas State.
SECOND TEAM OFFENSEQuarterback - Josh Johnson, senior, San Diego.
Running backs - Tim Hightower, senior, Richmond; Tyler Roehl, junior, North Dakota State
Wide receivers - Eddie Cohen, senior, Western Carolina; Aaron Boyce, sophomore, Eastern Washington
Offensive linemen - Nate Safe, senior, North Dakota State; Matt Austin, senior, Massachusetts; Jesse Padilla, senior, Lafayette; David Hale,
senior, Weber State; Brad Samsa, junior, Youngstown State.
Tight end - Matt Champa, senior, Dayton.
All-purpose player - Larry Shipp, senior, Tennessee Tech
Kicker - Dan Carpenter, senior, Montana.
SECOND TEAM DEFENSEDefensive line - Kendall Langford, senior, Hampton; Rudolph Hardie, senior, Howard; Jovan Belcher, junior, Maine; Greg Peach, junior,
Eastern Washington.
Linebackers - Mike Gallihugh, senior, Colgate; Zach East, senior, Prairie View A&M; Jason Williams, junior, Western Illinois.
Defensive backs - Kareem Brown, senior, Nicholls State; Derrick Huff, senior, Eastern Kentucky; LaDarius Webb, junior, Nicholls State; Al
Donaldson, junior, Alabama A&M.
Punter - Benjamin Dato, senior, Fordham.
THIRD TEAM OFFENSEQuarterback - Eric Sanders, senior, Northern Iowa.
Running backs - Herb Donaldson, junior, Western Illinois; Mike McLeod, senior, Yale.
Wide receivers - Tremayne Kirkland, senior, Portland State; Andre Roberts, freshman, Citadel.
Linemen - Mike Byrne, senior, Delaware; Stephen Field, junior, Cal Poly; Matt Alfred, senior, Eastern Washington; James Lee, senior, South
Carolina State; Brandon Keith, senior, Northern Iowa.
Tight end - Clay Harbor, sophomore, Missouri State.
All-purpose player - J.T. Rogan, junior, San Diego.
Kicker - Gavin Halliford, junior, Jacksonville State.
THIRD TEAM DEFENSELinemen - Marcus Dixon, senior, Hampton; Pierre Walters, junior, Eastern Illinois; Robert Brown, junior, Wagner; Gary Tharrington, sophomore,
Appalachian State.
Linebackers - Joe Mays, senior, North Dakota State; Jason Hatchell, senior, Massachusetts; Ronnie McCullogh, senior, Bethune-Cookman.
Defensive backs - Steven Williams, senior, Harvard; Tyler Koch, senior, South Dakota State; David Hyland, junior, Morehead State; K.J. Gerard,
junior, Northern Arizona.
Punter - Tyler Johnson, senior, Montana.