Dec. 17, 2008
WACO, Texas- Postseason honors continued to roll in for two Baylor football players Wednesday as quarterback Robert Griffin and offensive tackle Jason Smith added to their already lengthy lists of accolades. Griffin was named first-team All-Freshman by Rivals.com and second-team All-Freshman by Phil Steele Magazine. Smith was named third-team All-America by the Associated Press.
Griffin is the third consecutive Big 12 quarterback to earn first-team All-Freshman honors from Rivals.com, following Texas' Colt McCoy (2006) and Oklahoma's Sam Bradford (2007). Boise State's Kellen Moore was the first-team quarterback on Phil Steele's All-Freshman squads.
Smith, a unanimous first-team All-Big 12 Conference selection, has earned All-America honors from four outlets. He was a first-team selection by the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele Magazine, and a third-team selection by Rivals.com.
2008 BAYLOR FOOTBALL POSTSEASON HONORS
James Barnard, OG
• Honorable Mention All-Big 12 Conference (The Associated Press)
Krys Buerck, CB
• Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference
Rodney Chadwick, LB
• Baylor Defensive Bear Squad Award
Derek Epperson, P
• Second-Team All-Big 12 Conference (Kansas City Star, Waco Tribune-Herald)
• Third-Team All-Big 12 Conference (Phil Steele Magazine)
• Honorable Mention All-Big 12 Conference (coaches, The Associated Press)
• First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference
• Ray Guy Award semifinialist
• Baylor Special Teams MVP
Ty Findley, LB
• First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference
Kirby Freeman, QB
• Baylor Kyle Woods Award
Dan Gay, OT
• Honorable Mention All-Big 12 Conference (coaches)
Robert Griffin, QB
• First-Team All-Freshman (Sporting News, Rivals.com)
• Second-Team All-Freshman (Phil Steele Magazine)
• Honorable Mention Freshman All-America (CollegeFootballNews)
• Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year (The Sporting News, The Dallas Morning News, Pat Forde: SI.com, Rivals.com)
• Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year (Tim Griffin: ESPN.com, San Antonio Express-News)
• Big 12 Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year (coaches, Waco Tribune-Herald)
• Big 12 Conference Offensive Newcomer of the Year (Associated Press, Kansas City Star, Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
• Baylor Offensive MVP
Ben Hixson, LB
• First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference
Jake Jackson, OL
• Baylor Offensive Bear Squad Award
Jacoby Jones, RB
• First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference
Tyler King, LB
• First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference
Jake La Mar, S
• Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference
JordanLake, FS
• First-Team All-Big 12 Conference (coaches, The Associated Press, San Antonio Express-News, Waco Tribune-Herald)
• Second-Team All-Big 12 Conference (The Dallas Morning News, Kansas City Star, Phil Steele Magazine)
• Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference
Jason Lamb, DE
• First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference
Gary Mason Jr., DE
• Baylor Defensive Bear Squad Award
Zak Mitchell, S
• First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference
Joe Pawelek, LB
• Third-Team All-America (Phil Steele Magazine)
• Second-Team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America (CoSIDA)
• First-Team All-Big 12 Conference (unanimous)
• First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference
• Baylor Defensive MVP
• Baylor Academic Excellence Award
Ryan Roberts, QB
• First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference
Zac Scotton, DE
• First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference
Sam Shalala, LB
• Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference
• Rudy Award nominee
Sam Sledge, DT
• Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference
Jason Smith, OT
• First-Team All-America (FWAA, Phil Steele Magazine)
• Third-Team All-America (The Associated Press, Rivals.com)
• First-Team All-Big 12 Conference (unanimous)
• Baylor "Mr. Team" Award
• Baylor Off-Season Co-MVP
J.D. Walton, C
• Honorable Mention All-Big 12 Conference (The Associated Press)
John David Weed, TE
• First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference
Thomas White, WR
• Baylor Off-Season Co-MVP
Terrance Williams, WR
• Baylor Offensive Bear Squad Award
Kendall Wright, IR
• Honorable Mention Freshman All-America (CollegeFootballNews)
