Jan. 29, 2003
Cullowhee, N.C -
Michale Spicer, who just completed his junior season at Western Carolina, was named third team Division I-AA All-American by Don Hansen's Football Gazette.
Spicer, a consensus first team All-Southern Conference pick this season, set a Western Carolina single-season record by tallying 26 tackles for loss (TFLs) on the season. (Clyde Simmons previously held the record with 23 TFLs in 1985.) The 6-3, 240-pound defensive end averaged 2.36 TFLs per game, which additionally led the SoCon and ranked seventh in the NCAA. A native of Goldsboro, N.C., Spicer added 11 sacks, one shy of the WCU single-season record held by Louis Cooper, to rank second (tied) in the SoCon and seventh (tied) nationally.
Spicer had four sacks and five tackles for loss in the Chattanooga game to tie the WCU single-game record for both categories. He additionally had five TFLs in the West Virginia Tech game, a contest in which he had a career-high eight stops. He finished the season ranked fifth on the team with 56 total stops for the season, which is three more than his first two seasons at WCU combined.
With one season remaining, Spicer currently ranks fourth on the WCU career sacks list with 21.5 and third on the WCU career TFL list with 43. He only needs nine sacks and six tackles for loss to become Western's all-time leader in both categories.
Spicer, who was second team All-Region by the publication as well, becomes the 26th Catamount to earn All-American honors. Other Catamounts to be named All-American include: Mark Buffamoyer (1984), Art Byrd (1949), Alonzo Carmichael (1985-86), Louis Cooper (1984), Don Dalton (1969), Mark Ferguson (1973), Jerry Gaines (1974), Tiger Greene (1983-84), Todd Harkins (1992), Kerry Hayes (1992-93), Ken Hinsley (1998), Brad Hoover (1998), Eric Johnson (1997-98), Josh Jones (1999), Steve Kornegay (1984), Darrell Lipford (1976), Eric Rasheed (1983), Kirk Roach (1984, ?86-87), John Ruta (1964), Geno Segers (1988), Clyde Simmons (1985), Frank Stankunas (1962), Jim Williams (1966), Steve Willliams (1971) and Steve Yates (1972 and ?74).
