The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
McCants, Henigan, Williams Named To All-Conference USA Teams
12/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 7, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- UAB junior offensive tackle Matt McCants and junior defensive tackle Elliott Henigan were named 2010 All-Conference USA while receiver Jackie Williams was selected to the league's all-freshman team, the conference office announced Tuesday. The all-league football teams are selected by a vote of the 12 C-USA head coaches.
McCants, a 6-7, 295-pound product of Mobile, Ala., was tabbed to the first team while Henigan, a 6-4, 275-pound native of Atlanta, was chosen to the second unit.
The Blazers had nine other players selected honorable mention All-Conference USA.
Williams was the Blazers' lone selection on the C-USA All-Freshman team, also announced Tuesday.
McCants, who started all 12 games in 2010, was the leader on an offensive line that helped UAB register its second-highest offensive season total in school history. The Blazers finished with 5,074 yards in 2010, just 37 yards shy of the season mark for UAB.
Henigan emerged this season as one of the top D-linemen in the league, especially as a run stopper. He finished with 55 tackles to rank No. 3 on the team and was fifth in C-USA in tackles for loss with 15.5. Henigan ranks No. 23 in the country in tackles for loss.
Williams, from Prichard, Ala., made an early and lasting contribution to the Blazers in his first season. The 5-11, 185-pound Vigor High School product led all freshmen receivers in C-USA in catches with 30 (for 327 yards and three receiving TDs). His most memorable game was the third contest of the year when he caught six passes for 114 yards and two receiving scores in the win over Troy.
He was on the receiving end of quarterback Bryan Ellis' 44-yard `Hail Mary' TD pass with no time remaining against the Trojans as the Blazers rallied for the win. Williams also had a rushing touchdown against Troy.
He was one of two UAB receivers to catch at least one pass in every game and also had 12 rushes for 45 yards and a touchdown. Williams averaged 30.0 yards on three kick returns and registered 476 all-purpose yards.
Of UAB's nine honorable mention selections, four came from the offensive side of the ball, four on defense and one special teams. Quarterback Ellis, running back Pat Shed, tight end Jeffery Anderson and wide receiver Mike Jones were offensive picks while defensive end Bryant Turner, linebacker Marvin Burdette, safety Jamie Bender and cornerback T.J. Ballou earned recognition on defense. Taylor Klein, the Blazers' snapper, was selected honorable mention on special teams.
Ellis, a junior, saw the first significant action of his career in 2010. He became the Blazers' starter in the fourth game of the season after leading UAB to a thrilling come-from-behind 34-33 victory over Troy. Ellis passed for 2,940 yards and 25 touchdowns and was twice named the C-USA Offensive Player-of-the-Week (for performances vs. Troy and Tennessee).
Ellis' passing yardage total is the fifth-highest in UAB history while his TD pass count is the second-best mark in the Blazer record book. He passed for 360 yards or more in four games during the season.
Shed, also voted honorable mention all-league, made a tremendous impact for the Blazers in his first season. Shed, a junior, rushed for 847 yards and also caught 47 passes, a UAB record for a running back, for 471 yards. Shed also ranks No. 3 in the country in all-purpose yards at 177.1 yards per contest.
Anderson capped off his UAB career in fine fashion as the two-time John Mackey Award candidate recorded 32 receptions for 407 yards and four touchdowns in his final season in the Green and Gold. In his four years at UAB, he had 96 catches for 1,389 yards with 13 touchdowns.
Senior wideout Jones was also voted honorable mention after stepping into a starting role in his final season. Jones finished the 2010 season with 38 receptions for 531 yards and a team-leading seven touchdowns.
On defense, senior Turner joined his line mate Henigan in earning postseason accolades. Turner was voted honorable mention all-league as he ranked in the top 10 in C-USA in both sacks (No. 7 and tackles for loss (No. 8). He increased his career totals to 17.5 sacks and 38 tackles for loss.
Burdette, a sophomore, has quickly become one of the best linebackers in the league as he enjoyed an outstanding 2010 season. The Batesville, Miss. native led the team in tackles with 114 to rank No. 5 in C-USA. He averaged 9.5 tackles overall and 11.1 stops in conference games only, the latter number ranking third among league defenders.
Burdette registered double-digit tackles in four games, including a career-high 20 stops against Marshall. He had 17 tackles in the season finale vs. Rice two weeks ago.
Safety Bender was a force for UAB in his first season as a Blazer. He registered 94 tackles to rank second on the team and 10th in the conference. In October he recorded 12 stops in back-to-back games versus Mississippi State and Southern Miss.
Another junior and first-year UAB performer, Ballou, joined Bender as an honorable mention choice in the secondary. Ballou led the team in interceptions with three and tied for eighth in the conference in that category. He ranked No. 8 on the team in tackles with 26 and registered eight pass break-ups.
Klein, who handled snapping duties for the Blazers on punts and placekicks, was tabbed honorable mention all-conference after earning league all-freshman team honors last season.
