Trojans Land Three FWAA All-Americans

from usctrojans.com:

Three Trojans--defensive end Kenechi Udeze, offensive tackle Jacob Rogers and wide receiver Mike Williams--were named to the 2003 Football Writers Assocation of America All-America first team on Tuesday (Nov. 25).

They will be honored with the other players on the 25-man FWAA team on Dec. 12 in Orlando, Fla., by the Florida Citrus Sports Foundation during a banquet at the Citrus Bowl.

The FWAA team is the first of several major All-America squads to be unveiled. With the 3 selections, USC already has its most first teamers since 1989 (when 4 Trojans were honored). Udeze is the first USC defensive lineman to be on an All-American first team since Tim Ryan in 1989, Rogers is USC's first offensive line All-American since Tony Boselli in 1994 and Williams is Troy's first wide receiver selected since Keyshawn Johnson in 1995 and the first USC sophomore honoree since Boselli in 1992.

USC now has produced 127 All-American first teamers in its history.

Only Oklahoma, with a record 6 All-Americans, had more players than USC on the 2003 FWAA team.

Udeze, a junior who leads USC with 20 tackles for a loss and 12.5 sacks, is 1 of 6 finalists for the 2003 Hendricks Award (given to the nation's top defensive end). He currently is tied for third nationally in sacks (1.2, second in Pac-10), tied for fifth in forced fumbles (0.4, second in Pac-10) and tied for sixth in tackles for loss (1.8, first in Pac-10). His 20 tackles for a loss and 12.5 sacks in 2003 are the most by a Trojan defensive lineman since Tim Ryan's 28 and 20, respectively, in 1989. He is the first Trojan with double digits in sacks since Willie McGinest in 1992 (16). In the past 6 games, Udeze has 10 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

Rogers has yet to allow a sack in 2003. The senior 3-year starting left tackle earned All-Pac-10 first team laurels in 2002. He and Winston Justice make up the nation's best bookend tackles.

Williams, just a sophomore, is already tied for sixth on USC's career receptions list (161) and has 12 100-yard receiving games in his young career (7 times in 2003). A semifinalist for the 2003 Biletnikoff Award, he has 80 receptions for 1,167 yards (14.6 average) and 14 touchdowns this season. He has 28 touchdown catches in his 24-game career, eclipsing the USC career TD reception record 3 games before the end of his sophomore season (the Pac-10 career TD reception mark is 32 by Stanford's Ken Margerum in 1977-80). His 14 TD catches in 2003 ties the USC season record (a mark he already shared in 2002 with Johnnie Morton in 1993). He has had multiple TD games 8 times, including 3 times getting a USC game record-tying 3 TDs. He currently is seventh nationally in receptions (7.3, second in the Pac-10) and receiving yards (106.1, third in Pac-10). He was a Freshman All-American last year when he set NCAA frosh records for receiving yards (1,265) and receiving touchdowns (14) and the Pac-10 frosh mark for receptions (81).

2003 FWAA ALL-AMERICA TEAM

OFFENSE

QB Jason White, Oklahoma, 6-2, 221, Sr., Tuttle, Okla.

RB Kevin Jones, Virginia Tech, 6-0, 221, Jr., Chester, Pa.

WR Mark Clayton, Oklahoma, 5-11, 187, Jr., Arlington, Texas

WR Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh, 6-3, 225, Soph., Minneapolis, Minn.

WR Mike Williams, Southern California, 6-5, 230, Soph., Tampa, Fla.

TE Kellen Winslow, Miami (Fla.), 6-5, 250, Jr., San Diego, Calif.

OL Shawn Andrews, Arkansas, 6-5, 370, Jr., Camden, Ark.

OL Alex Barron, Florida State, 6-6, 316, Jr., Orangeburg, S.C.

OL Robert Gallery, Iowa, 6-7, 320, Sr., Masonville, Iowa

OL Jacob Rogers, Southern California, 6-6, 305, Sr., Oxnard, Calif.

C Jake Grove, Virginia Tech, 6-3, 300, Sr., Forest, Va.

DEFENSE

E Dave Ball, UCLA, 6-6, 275, Sr., Dixon, Calif.

E Kenechi Udeze, Southern California, 6-4, 285, Jr., Los Angeles, Calif.

T Tommie Harris, Oklahoma, 6-3, 289, Jr., Killeen, Texas

T Chad Lavalais, LSU, 6-3, 292, Sr., Marksville, La.

LB Derrick Johnson, Texas, 6-4, 230, Jr., Waco, Texas

LB Teddy Lehman, Oklahoma, 6-2, 243, Sr., Fort Gibson, Okla.

LB Grant Wiley, West Virginia, 6-1, 235, Sr., Trappe, Pa.

B Will Allen, Ohio State, 6-2, 190, Sr., Dayton, Ohio

B Keiwan Ratliff, Florida, 5-10, 178, Sr., Columbus, Ohio

B Derrick Strait, Oklahoma, 5-11, 195, Sr., Austin, Texas

B Sean Taylor, Miami (Fla.), 6-3, 230, Jr., Miami, Fla.

SPECIAL TEAMS

K Nick Browne, TCU, 5-10, 172, Sr., Garland, Texas

P Dustin Colquitt, Tennessee, 6-2, 196, Jr., Knoxville, Tenn.

KR Antonio Perkins, Oklahoma, 6-0, 188, Jr., Lawton, Okla.