I'm as anti-preseason polls and All-America teams as just about anyone you're likely to meet (and I know at least one of you has met the Thom Brenneman), but when three Louisville Cardinals are named to the offensive unit of an All-America team put together by one of the biggest players in sports, well, it's at least worth mentioning.
The trio of Brian Brohm, Harry Douglas and George Bussey makes up 3/11 (math) of CBS' First-Team preseason All-America offense, which was released along with the rest of the corporation's All-America teams late Tuesday night.
Douglas and Rice's touchdown machine Jarrett Dillard were the two somewhat surprising choices (Manningham, Sweed, Jackson) at wide receiver, while Brohm was joined in the backfield by the equally unsurprising duo of Steve Slaton and Darren McFadden.
Bussey, a junior considered by most to be the second best offensive lineman on his own team, was another surprise choice, joining an offensive line graced by consensus preseason All-Americans like Jake Long and Sam Baker.
The entire First-Team looked like this:
Offense
QB Brian Brohm, Senior Louisville
RB Darren McFadden, Junior Arkansas
RB Steve Slaton, Junior West Virginia
WR Jarett Dillard, Senior Rice
WR Harry Douglas, Senior Louisville
TE Travis Beckum, Junior Wisconsin
OL Will Arnold, Senior LSU
OL Sam Baker, Senior Southern California
OL George Bussey, Junior Louisville
OL Jake Long, Senior Michigan
OL Jonathan Luigs, Junior Arkansas
Defense
DE Tommy Blake, Senior TCU
DE Bruce Davis, Senior UCLA
DT Glenn Dorsey, Senior LSU
DT Sedrick Ellis, Junior Southern California
LB Vince Hall, Senior Virginia Tech
LB James Laurinaitis, Junior Ohio State
LB Rey Maualuga, Junior Southern California
DB Antoine Cason, Senior Arizona
DB Dwight Lowery, Senior San Jose State
DB Aqib Talib, Junior Kansas
DB DeJuan Tribble, Senior Boston College
Special Teams
K Jeremy Ito, Senior Rutgers
P Durant Brooks, Senior Georgia Tech
KR Marcus Thigpen, Junior Indiana
PR DeSean Jackson, Junior California
Art Carmody was the only other Cardinal to receive recognition, picking up Second-Team honors. On a related note, ever since last November I've had a recurring nightmare where I'm ESPN's sky-cam and Jeremy Ito cockily (word) points right at me after drilling the game winner despite the fact that he had just shanked the same kick moments earlier, but since I'm a camera I can't get down and punch him in the face even though he's only feet away. I then wake up with an even tighter grip around the neck of my Jake the Snake Bed Buddy than I usually do.
Keep enjoying these preseason accolades Jeremy, it's all fun and games until the inevitable pregame kicker/blogger scrap on Nov. 29.
Ray Rice and Eric Foster of Rutgers were the only other Big East players honored by CBS, each picking up Second-Team honors.
Wow, that last sentence really doesn't fit in, does it? I'm keepin' it.