By
John Harvey
BALTIMORE
– In 2009, former William and Mary standout was named Preseason Defensive
Player of the Year honors in the Colonial Athletic Association.
Five
years later, Mike Reilly was honored as the CAA’s top defensive player
Wednesday afternoon during the conference’s annual media day.
Reilly
had a breakout season for the Tribe last season. The rising senior led the CAA
with 11.5 sacks. He also ranked in the Top 10 in tackles for loss (13) and
forced fumbles (4).
W&M
had seven players earn preseason honors, the most of any program in the CAA.
Tre
McBride was a selection as a wide receiver and return specialist. In 2013,
McBride ranked fifth in the CAA with 63 receptions for 801 yards and five
touchdowns. The 6-foot-3 senior also thrived in his first season as a returner,
averaging 27.5 yards a kick return.
Andrew
Jones was a first-team selection as an offensive lineman. The 6-foot-1, 280
pound junior appeared in nine games last season, including seven starts at
center.
Defensively,
the Tribe returns four all-conference selections from a unit that ranked among
the best in the country last season.
Linebackers
Luke Rhodes and Airek Green and cornerback DeAndre Houston-Carson join Reilly
as the anchor of this year’s unit
Rhodes
has been a fixture at linebacker for W&M since his freshman year. The
6-foot-2, 242 pound linebacker led the team with 98 tackles last season. Green
emerged as a big-play performer for the Tribe, posting 53 tackles, three
interceptions and 13 tackles for loss.
Houston-Carson
developed into a shut-down corner for W&M. The junior defensive back had 62
tackles with 13 pass breakups and two interceptions.
W&M
was predicted to finish fourth in the CAA this season, behind New Hampshire,
Villanova and Richmond. The Tribe received three first-place votes.
W&M
will open up its season on Aug. 31 at Virginia Tech.
Harvey can be reached at HarveySports757@yahoo.com or @HarveySports757.
No comments:
Post a Comment