University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
CollegeFootballNews.com Announces Top 150 Players
2/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
CollegeFootballNews.com Announces Top 150 Players
Hattiesburg, Miss. - CollegeFootballNews.com, an on-line football publication, has announced its list of the top 150 players heading into the 2003 spring season. Linebacker Rod Davis is ranked as the No. 1 defensive player in the nation and No. 6 player overall. Defensive back Etric Pruitt is the No. 2 player from Conference USA and No. 25 overall, and linebacker Michael Boley is ranked the 109th best player.
Davis was named a first-team All-American by CollegeFootballNews.com and the All-American Football Foundation, a third-team selection by The Associated Press and The Sporting News and honorable-mention by CNNSI.com.
Davis, who received the 2002 Conerly Trophy signifying the top player in the state of Mississippi, was also a semifinalist for the Butkus Award. A first-team All-Conference USA member for the second year in a row, he led Southern Miss in tackles (168), solo tackles (122), sacks (10.5) and tackles for loss (23.5) and was ranked among the nation's best in each of the listed categories, No. 3 in solo tackles, tied for No. 6 in total tackles, tied for 13th in tackles for loss and No. 18 in sacks.
Davis, one of only two returning AP All-American linebackers, averaged 12.9 tackles a game, 0.81 sacks a game and 1.8 tackles for loss per game. He also registered two interceptions, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He led Conference USA in tackles, solo tackles and sacks and was second in tackles for loss.
Davis finished with double-figure tackles in every game this year except for one and had a season-high 19 tackles against South Florida. He also has registered at least one sack in seven of the 13 games last season and at least one tackle for loss in every game. He has finished with double-figure tackles in 24 of 35 games in which he has played during his career.
Pruitt was a second-team All-American selection by CNNSI.com and CollegeFootballNews.com and a fourth-team selection by The Sporting News. A first-team Conference USA selection, he led or tied for the Golden Eagle lead in interceptions (6), pass breakups (13), forced fumbles (3), fumble recoveries (3) and blocked kicks (3). He currently has a career-high 139 tackles, including 78 solo stops, 1.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss. Pruitt was named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and was a two-time Conference USA Player of the Week selection during the past season. He is tied for No. 11 in the nation in total interceptions, tied for No. 21 in interceptions per game and is No. 21 in interception return yardage. He is currently No. 26 in the nation in pass breakups. He tied the Conference USA record for interceptions in a game, when he picked off three of Army?s passes on Sept. 28.
Boley, a first-team All-Conference USA selection, was ranked No. 20 in the nation in solo tackles and No. 27 in the nation in total tackles. He was second on the team, finishing with 142 total tackles, including 89 solo tackles, 8.0 sacks and 16.0 tackles for loss. He collected five double-figure tackle performances, led by a season-high 15 tackles at Alabama and at TCU.
The Golden Eagles finished with a 7-6 overall record, one of 10 schools in the nation to finish with a winning season in nine-consecutive seasons. Southern Miss also made its fifth bowl appearance in the sixth year. USM returns 14 starters and 49 letterwinners for the 2003 season.
