Falcons Jones & Flashes Archer Named FWAA All-America First Team

Updated 12/14/2012

DALLAS, Texas -- The national recognition for MAC student-athletes continues this year as Bowling Green defensive tackle Chris Jones and Kent State kick returner Dri Archer were named to the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) All-America First Team. This marked the first time in conference history to have two student-athletes from the MAC named to the FWAA All-America First Team.

Chris Jones, from Bowling Green, was also named third-team Associated Press All-American earlier this week. Jones currently ranks third in the nation with 12.5 sacks and is tied for seventh with 19.0 tackles for loss, both career-bests for the defensive tackle. Jones added 41 tackles, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, five quarterback hurries and a pass break-up. He had a sack in 8-of-12 games and recorded a tackle for loss in 10 contests.

Jones is part of a defensive unit that ranks seventh in the nation in total defense (289.7), seventh in pass defense (173.0), ninth in scoring defense (15.8) and 15th in rush defense (116.7). The Falcons also rank sixth on third downs (28.5%) and ninth in sacks (37.0).

The Brownsburg, Ind., native was also named first-team All-MAC and MAC Defensive Player of the Year. In his career, Jones has started 43 straight contests and has 156 tackles, 46.5 tackles for loss, 28.0 sacks, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one safety with the Orange and Brown.

The Falcons will face San Jose State in the Military Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 27 at 3:00 pm ET on ESPN at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC.

Dri Archer of Kent State compiled nearly 2,500 all-purpose yards in leading the Flashes to an 11-1 record in the regular season. He is the only player in the nation with a passing, receiving, rushing and kick return touchdown this season. Archer has 150 carries for 1,352 yards and 15 touchdowns, 35 receptions for 539 yards and four touchdowns, 15 kickoff returns for 573 yards and three touchdowns, while also throwing a 24-yard touchdown pass. He piled up 38.2 yards per kick return, 15.4 yards per reception and 9.0 yards per rushing attempt.

Archer is the only player in the nation with more than 1,300 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving. Only three players in the nation have scored more touchdowns than Archer's 22 this season. Earlier this month, Archer became Kent State's first Walter Camp All-American, the nation's oldest organization for such an honor and was the only Mid-American Conference player selected to the team this year. He was named MAC Special Teams Player of the Year and received Associated Press All-America Third Team as an all-purpose player.

The Golden Flashes will face Arkansas State in the GoDaddy.com Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013, in Mobile, Ala. The game is set for 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The FWAA All-America Team, the second-longest continuously-published team in major college football, was announced on SiriusXM Radio's College Sports Nation this morning. Since 1944, the FWAA has named an All-America team, and this season an extra returner was added to increase the number of players on the team to 26.

2012 FWAA ALL-AMERICA TEAM

OFFENSE

QB Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (6-1, 200, Fr., Kerrville, Texas)

RB Kenjon Barner, Oregon (5-11, 192, Sr., Riverside, Calif.)

RB Jonathan Franklin, UCLA (5-11, 195, Sr., Los Angeles, Calif.)

WR Stedman Bailey, West Virginia (5-10, 195, Jr., Miami, Fla.)

WR Marqise Lee, USC (6-0, 195, So., Inglewood, Calif.)

WR Terrance Williams, Baylor (6-2, 205, Sr., Dallas, Texas)

OL Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina (6-3, 295, Sr., Wilmington, N.C.)

OL Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M (6-6, 310, Jr., Arlington, Texas)

OL Jake Matthews, Texas A&M (6-5, 305, Jr., Missouri City, Texas)

OL Chance Warmack, Alabama (6-3, 320, Sr., Atlanta, Ga.)

C Barrett Jones, Alabama (6-5, 302, Sr., Germantown, Tenn.)

DEFENSE

DL Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina (6-6, 256, So., Rock Hill, S.C.)

DL Chris Jones, Bowling Green (6-1, 293, Sr., Brownsburg, Ind.)

DL Damontre Moore, Texas A&M (6-4, 250, Jr., Rowlett, Texas)

DL Bjoern Werner, Florida State (6-4, 255, Jr., Berlin, Germany)

LB Arthur Brown, Kansas State (6-1, 231, Sr., Wichita, Kan.)

LB Manti Te'o, Notre Dame (6-2, 255, Sr., Laie, Hawaii)

LB Jarvis Jones, Georgia (6-3, 241, Jr., Columbus, Ga.)

DB Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State (6-2, 185, Sr., Maben, Miss.)

DB Dee Milliner, Alabama (6-1, 199, Jr., Millbrook, Ala.)

DB Eric Reid, LSU (6-2, 212, Jr., Geismar, La.)

DB Phillip Thomas, Fresno State (6-1, 215, Sr., Bakersfield, Calif.)

SPECIAL TEAMS

K Cairo Santos, Tulane (5-8, 160, Jr., St. Augustine, Fla.)

P Ryan Allen, Louisiana Tech (6-2, 215, Sr., Salem, Ore.)

KR Dri Archer, Kent State (5-8, 175, Jr., Laurel, Fla.)

PR Venric Mark, Northwestern (5-8, 175, Jr., Tomball, Texas)

The FWAA All-America Team was first selected three years after the organization was formed. The FWAA’s inaugural team included Army’s Heisman Trophy tandem of Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis and Georgia Tech’s Frank Broyles, who later became Arkansas’ head football coach and athletic director.

Over the years, the FWAA Team has highlighted all the game’s great players in several media forums. From 1946-70, LOOK magazine published the FWAA team and brought players and selected writers to New York City for a celebration. During that 25-year period, the FWAA team was introduced on national television shows by such noted hosts as Bob Hope, Steve Allen, and Perry Como.

After LOOK folded, the FWAA started a long association with NCAA Films (later known as NCAA Productions), which produced a 30-minute television program. The team was part of ABC-TV's 1981 College Football Series. From 1983-90, the team was introduced on either ABC or ESPN. In 2002 and '03, the All-America team was honored with a banquet at the Citrus Bowl.

The same bowl, now the Capital One, also was a sponsor when the team was featured on ABC and ESPN from different locations on Disney properties from 2004-07. From 2008-10, the team had been the subject of a one-hour ESPN special.

For nearly seven decades the FWAA has selected an All-America team with the help of its members and an All-America Committee, which represents all the regions in the country. From that All-America team, the FWAA also selects the Outland Trophy winner (best interior lineman) and also the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner (best defensive player).

Some of the true greats of the writing profession have helped to select this team over the years: Grantland Rice, Bert McGrane, Blackie Sherrod, Furman Bisher, Pat Harmon, Fred Russell, Edwin Pope, Murray Olderman, Paul Zimmerman – and the list goes on and on. The FWAA All-America team is steeped in tradition and history and is selected by a writers' group with those same attributes.

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,200 men and women who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team.