July 26, 2012
Related Link: 2012 SoCon Football Media Preseason Poll
Related Link: 2012 SoCon Football Coaches Preseason Poll
Related Link: 2012 SoCon Coaches Preseason All-Conference Teams
Spartanburg, S.C. - Western Carolina senior linebacker Rock Williams was today named to the preseason All-Southern Conference team as a part of the league's 2012 Media Day held at the Spartanburg Marriott. The Catamounts were also tabbed ninth in both the coaches and media polls released as a part of the media gathering.
SoCon Media Day
A back-to-back national semifinalist, Georgia Southern was predicted as the preseason favorite in both polls, receiving seven of the nine first-place votes in the coaches' tally and 25 of the 30 in the media tabulation. Playoff contenders a season ago, Wofford and Appalachian State traded the second and third positions in both preseason polls while the remainders mirrored each other. The Mountaineers were picked second by the coaches with the Terriers receiving the runner-up nod in the media poll.
Chattanooga was tabbed fourth in both polls followed by Furman in fifth and Samford in sixth. Rounding out the preseason polls was Elon, The Citadel and WCU.
Williams led the Catamounts with a career-high 115 tackles last season, averaging 10.5 stops per game - a mark which ranked him third in the SoCon. He reached double-digit tackles a combined six times including a single-game, career-best 19 against Elon. All told, he finished just two tackles shy of landing on WCU's single-season top 10 a year ago.
A native of Howell, Mich., Williams played in all 11 games a season ago making 10 starts at linebacker. He has a combined 2011 career tackles including 13.5 tackles for loss and four quarterback sacks. A two-time selection to the SoCon's Fall Academic All-Conference team, Williams has helped create three turnovers in his Catamount career, both forcing and recovering a fumble and coming down with his first career interception last year at Samford.
Williams, a second team selection, is the first Catamount football player named to the SoCon's preseason all-conference team since three were selected by the coaches prior to the 2010 season. The trio of Mitchell Bell (first team), wide receiver Marquel Pittman (second team) and kicker Blake Bostic (second team) were named to the honorary teams.
Appalachian State led the league with 10 all-conference selections including three first team and seven second team honorees. Samford and Chattanooga each had eight players earn preseason all-conference recognition with Furman leading all SoCon programs with five players named to the first team.
Wofford running back Eric Breitenstein was picked as the preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Georgia Southern defensive lineman Brent Russell was tagged as the Defensive Player of the Year.
Western Carolina's football student-athletes officially report to campus on Thursday, Aug. 2, with the first practice of the preseason scheduled for Friday, Aug. 3. The Catamounts will hold their annual Media/Photo Day on Saturday, Aug. 4, on-campus in Cullowhee.
WCU officially opens the Mark Speir era on Thursday, Aug. 30 with a special mid-week kickoff time of 8:00 pm.
