Tennessee’s Eric Berry capped a near-perfect individual season with a near-perfect postseason Wednesday when he was named to the Sporting News All-America team.
The sophomore defensive back earned first-team honors from all five NCAA-recognized All-America outlets - American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Football Foundation, Football Writers Association of America, Associated Press and Sporting News - becoming the first Tennessee player to claim unanimous mention since offensive lineman Antone Davis in 1990.
The lone blemish for Berry was not winning the Jim Thorpe Award, presented annually to college football’s best defensive back.
Berry finished with a nation-best seven interceptions for 265 return yards, while adding 72 tackles to finish third at UT and 18th in SEC.
Eleven previous Vols have earned unanimous All-America honors: Bob Suffridge (1940), Hank Lauricella (1951), Johnny Majors (1956), Bob Johnson (1967), Charles Rosenfelder (1968), Steve Kiner (1969), Chip Kell (1970), Bobby Majors (1971), Reggie White (1983), Eric Still (1989) and Davis.
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Comments » 49
RoyaltyVol#280778 writes:
1st
RoyaltyVol#280778 writes:
oh yeah, heisman in 09!
bcbobcat82 writes:
Berry is a Beast!! I cant wait to see him improve under POPPA MONTE!! And Yes, I think he still can improve.
FlaVol2 writes:
You Da' Man Eric! So happy for you - you deserve it!
OrangeAndWhite4Life writes:
Congrats Eric Berry on being a fine football player and a fine young man. Glad to have you in the Orange and White.
GO Vols !!
volnbig11land writes:
Congratulations Eric! All of these awards you're earning kinda makes espn and their political machine look even more biased.
bluetick writes:
But couldn't win the Thorpe award. Ridiculous! As long as he knows and the rest of the country knows he is the best DB that is all that matters. Go EB and GO Vols!
NoogaVol55 writes:
As if there was any question....Congrats!
mstoneut writes:
E.B. deserves every award he gets and will make millions one day...oh by the way E.B. could you please come to my house and give me a good retirement plan....I know I can talk my wife into it...
suPEARLman writes:
When the Boogeyman goes to sleep at night, he checks his closet for Eric Berry.
suPEARLman writes:
Been used in another article.
-5 for lack of creativity.
Hunter writes:
How was Peyton not a unanimous selection? Who missed that boat in 1997?
NO_DIGGITY writes:
Naffy's vote held him back. Either that or Cryin' Leaf got one of the awards.
murrayvol writes:
And while we plagiarize: Nick Saban doesn't sleep....he waits.
vipervol writes:
He can also stand on his head and phooey in his back pocket. Kiffin can walk on water and part the red sea. Save this and put it away. When the VOLS win the SEC in 2011. Pull it out and say Saban must have farted at the same time. GO VOLS!!!
orangeblood writes:
screw ryan leaf
volnbig11land writes:
he said Kiffin,
not saban who will probably be long gone by then....
vipervol writes:
I'm sure Saban will have a job somewhere maybe Auburn? HA HA. I Think Saban is going to be with Bama for a while and will win a NC with them. He is a Great coach. I do think we can be giving BAMA a run a couple of years. I HOPE. GO VOLS!!!
STNVol09 writes:
Ryan Leaf.... poster boy for whining and qutting. Eric Berry is a great player and hopefully will remain healthy and continue to excel under MK's systems.
RoyaltyVol#280778 writes:
Actually its Chuck Norris who the boogeyman is afraid of *L*
ncvol writes:
I don't think ESPN hates Tennessee. They are a little bias to UConn and others near Bristol, Connecticut.
Every time I hear them say Bristol- I think of Bristol, Tennessee.
Congrats, again to Eric Berry and hope he does get all the awards next year. Go Vols!
vipervol writes:
Just think how good he can be with a good conditioning coach. He is already the best we have. He deserves all of the awards. But we have suffered the last 5 years due to lack of conditioning.
suPEARLman writes:
Wow....
It's obvious you completly missed what I was doing there.
But thanks for the heads up, Captain Obvious.....
CheckerboardPhilosopher writes:
NEW NEYLAND STADIUM FINISHED PRODUCT PICS
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volnbig11land writes:
I'm old school but WOW, that looks impressive!
Thanks.
bleedingorangewhite writes:
there is nobody bettter
JeffBleedsOrange writes:
you're the 1st idiot.
ggriggs939#223122 writes:
Kiffin's having been in the pros might change the animus the downtown whiners have for Tennessee players. They got their bvds in a wad back in 1946 when the General told them to butt out and several VOLS have not received the recognition they deserved as a result.
But then it is unlikely an outstanding Volunteer would be picked above any
yankee player in any popularity show, especially when the yankees are doing the picking.
Down_The_Field writes:
Well put!
My best memory of EB was two years ago while Flar-duh was kicking our teeth and rubbing our noses in it....EB intercepts Timmy T and even superman himself could touch EB in route to the GL.
gohawks1 writes:
Let me see if I have this straight...
Berry is named as a first team All-American by:
1. the American Football Coaches Association,
2. the Walter Camp Football Foundation,
3. the Football Writers Association of America,
4. the Associated Press, and
5. the Sporting News.
He also:
6. finished with a nation-best seven interceptions for 265 return yards (tied for the Division I lead).
7. was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year by the AP and the league's coaches.
8. was named Rivals.com All-America.
9. was selected as National Defensive Sophomore of the Year by CollegeFootballNews.com.
10. is the SEC’s career leader for interception return yardage.
11. set SEC and UT records for a single season with his 265 return yards in 2008.
12. is only 14 yards away from Terrell Buckley’s NCAA record of 501 interception return yards, and he is only a sophomore.
But...
he didn't win the Jim Thorpe award for college football's best defensive back. Who are the goobers who dropped the ball on this one?
ncvol writes:
I think we need to read this again...Well said! Go Vols!
gnm53108 writes:
Dont care about the heistman.Thats one thing Tennessee and alabuba have in common.In the storied history of both schools niether has had a athlete good enough for the heistman voters.
If ever a Vol gets voted as the winner I pray that he wont even show up at the ceremony.
Tell them to shove it up their a55!
jsm67vol writes:
Sounds like Satan has you under his spell! Satan is captivating isn't he! Follow the red light, follow the red light.
gohawks1 writes:
As Pete from 'O Brother, Where Art Thou' once said, "That don't make no sense!"
gnm53108 writes:
Red light?
When I was in the navy and you followed a red light to a red light district...
orangebloodgmc writes:
suPEARLman writes:
"When the Boogeyman goes to sleep at night, he checks his closet for Eric Berry."
No, that's Knowshon Moreno that does that.
SouthALVol writes:
And don't forget what's-his-name Maze from Bama who is probably still flying after his introduction to EB.
ncvol writes:
I was referring to your post and thought I would comment on it so everyone would read it again. I loved what you said.
tmccurrie writes:
As SEC fans, instead of talking about ESPN why not boycott them. If they (ESPN)could not figure out that Eric Berry was the best DB in the college football world and that Tim Tebow was the best overall college football player then they (ESPN) deserve a little bit of downtime. They hate to amit that the SEC is the best conference in the college football world.
Boycott them ...
suPEARLman writes:
ESPN doesn't choose who wins the Thorpe award, guy....
floridavolsfan writes:
I didn't see what bowl Eric was going to play in---does anyone know???????????????????????????
floridavolsfan writes:
What bowl is he going to???
jasonn1970 writes:
By not honoring Berry the Thorpe award joined the Heistman in permanent irrelevance.
hueypilot writes:
As a sophomore he must be in pretty select company as a consensus All American. Not even sure Tebow was the AA qb on most teams last year. I would guess Herschel Walker, seems like Kenny Easley at UCLA. Can you recall others who were a consensus AA as a Sophomore or freshman.
BigOrangeJeff writes:
So, the guy that won the Thorpe Award didn't even make first team AP All-American? And wasn't a unanimous AA pick?
Did I read that right?
BOJ
gohawks1 writes:
I got it, brother. The "don't make no sense" part was referring to the fact that he didn't win the Thorpe award. Thanks for your post!
Crimson77 writes:
IMO Eric Berry was the best football player in the country this year, offense or defense. As a 'Bama fan he was the one player I feared could turn a game around. If Mark Ingram's knee wasn't down, Berry does exactly that. He should have been in New York along with the quarterbacks.
VolStuckInOrlando writes:
Man the awards keep comin! A joy to watch and one of the few bright spots in 2008. Congrats EB, we are all lookin forward to watchin you rove in Monte's Tampa 2!
Urbiewerecomingtogetyou writes:
One of the best that ever played !
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