White Named Preseason All-American
June 05, 2002 | Football
June 5, 2002
The Sporting News has released its 2002 Preseason All-American Football Teams and Preseason Top 30, the publication announced. Louisville junior defensive end Dewayne White was named a second-team All-American and the Cards were ranked 13th in the preseason poll.
White earned Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year honors as a sophomore last season. White is the nation's leading returner in sacks with 15, including 11 which came in seven Conference USA games. He set a new Louisville school record with 24 tackles for loss in 2001, finishing the year with 47 total tackles. In 23 career games, White has 27 sacks (already fifth on C-USA's all-time list) and 41 tackles for loss.
White led all Conference USA defensive linemen with 86 tackles last year, including 73 solo stops. He enters his junior campaign ranked third in school history in sacks and second in tackles for loss.
Louisville returns 10 starters on defense and 18 total as it seeks its third consecutive Conference USA championship. Senior QB Dave Ragone, a top prospect for next April's NFL Draft, leads the Cardinals on offense. Ragone passed for 3,056 yards and 23 touchdowns last season and owns a 20-5 record as U of L's starting quarterback. The cards will open the 2002 when they host Kentucky on Sunday, September 1 on ESPN.
Tulane kicker Seth Marler was named a first team All-American. Marler, the winner of the 2001 Lou Groza Award as the nation's top kicker, hit 15-of-16 field goals and 39-of-40 extra points last season. He made 54 straight kicks to start the year before a missed field goal in the second to last game of the season. Marler connected on all seven of his field goal tries from 40 yards and longer, and was three-for-three on kicks of more than 50 yards.
Marler needs three field goals in 2002 to break the school record of 48 set by Brad Palazzo from 1995-98. His 106 PATs all-time are second on the all-time charts. With 244 points, Marler ranks third in the Green Wave career record book in scoring and is second in kick scoring.
Southern Miss welcomes back nine starters on each side of the ball. The Golden Eagles defense is led by junior linebacker Rod Davis, a Butkus Award candidate. Davis posted a team-best 92 tackles and 10 sacks last season, to go along with four interceptions and two fumble recoveries. The offense is looking forward to a healthy season for RB Derrick Nix. A 1,000-yard rusher in his freshman and sophomore seasons, Nix missed some of the 200) season and all of last year's campaign with a kidney infection. USM will open its 2002 season hosting Jackson State on Saturday, August 31.
