Cardinals Place 15 on All-C-USA Gridiron Teams
November 28, 2000 | Football
Nov. 28, 2000
LOUISVILLE, KY -- After earning their first Conference USA title, 15 different Louisville Cardinals make an appearance on the all-Conference USA teams as selected by the league's head coaches and media.
Of the 15 honorees, five earned first-team all-league designation, seven second-team and three all-freshman laurels.
U of L's 12 first and second team honorees were five more than the nearest school (Cincinnati) and its five first team members tied Memphis for the league high.
The five first-team members are all first-time all-league honorees led by sophomore quarterback Dave Ragone. The lefthander completed 61 percent of his passes while throwing for 27 touchdowns for the Cardinals.
A three-time C-USA Player of the Week, Ragone finished 2000 as the league's top passer and No. 14 signalcaller in the nation.
Walter Camp All-American Anthony Floyd was the Cards' only defensive representative on the first team despite leading the nation with 37 forced turnovers this season. Floyd's 10 interceptions set a school and league record while also tying for the Division I-A lead.
Junior wide receiver Deion Branch topped the Cardinals in receiving, pulling in 73 passes for 1,016 yards and a team-high nine touchdowns. He is just one of 16 receivers in Division I-A to post a 1,000-yard season in 2000.
Senior offensive center Jason Padget lived up to his preseason all-league billing earning first-team honors along the offensive line. A team captain, Padget will start his 25th consecutive game at center when the Cardinals take on Colorado State in the AXA Liberty Bowl on Dec. 29.
Sophomore tight end Ronnie Ghent rounds out U of L's first-team honorees after catching 27 passes in his first collegiate season. Ghent topped the Cardinals averaging 14.5 yards per catch and caught 13 of his 27 passes against nationally-ranked foes Florida State and Southern Miss.
The NCAA Division I-A all-time leader in pass receptions, senior WR Arnold Jackson headlines seven Cardinals on the second team after catching 63 passes in 2000.
Linebacker Rashad Harris, cornerback Rashad Holman, defensive tackle Donovan Arp and offensive guard Joe O'Shaughnessy join their classmate on the second 22 for the 9-2 Cardinals.
Harris topped the team in tackles with 105 while Holman had a career year, intercepting six passes and breaking up a school record 20. Arp, who recovered from off-season Achilles' tendon surgery, registered 16 tackles for loss for the second consecutive year while O'Shaughnessy started all 11 games for the second consecutive year on the Cardinals' unheralded offensive line.
Sophomore defensive end Michael Josiah and kick returner Zek Parker complete the Cards' second team honorees after Josiah topped the team with 13 sacks and Parker rated No. 2 nationally in kickoff returns with a 28.9 yard average.
Redshirt freshman defensive end Dewayne White leads a trio of Cardinals on the all-freshman team after accounting for 12 sacks and 17 tackles for loss for a vastly improved U of L defensive unit.
Tight end Richard Owens and placekicker Wade Tydlacka accompany White as all-frosh choices in 2000.
Conference USA will announce its offensive, defensive and special teams players of the year along with its coach of the year and freshman of the year on Wednesday.
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