University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Fletcher and McRath Named To Scripps Freshman All-American Team
1/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jan. 9, 2007
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -Southern Miss true freshman running back Damion Fletcher and redshirt freshman linebacker Gerald McRath were named to the Scripps Freshman All-American team as selected by the Football Writers of America.
This marks the sixth year that Scripps and FWAA has named a Freshman All-American team.
McRath, a third-team All-Conference USA selection and All-Freshman team member as well as a first-team Sporting News Freshman All-American, led the Golden Eagles in tackles with 104 tackles, including 59 solos stops, two sacks, 11 tackles for loss, one pass breakup and two forced fumbles. He finished with double-digit tackles in six games, including a season-high 15 against Houston in the Conference USA championship game. He finished with 13 tackles and three tackles for loss against Ohio in the GMAC Bowl and had 13 tackles and a quarterback sack against East Carolina.
Fletcher, named a second-team Freshman All-American by The Sporting News, rivals.com and scout.com, was named to the All-Conference USA first team, the All-Conference USA Freshman team and was a finalist for the Conerly Trophy, signifying the best player in the state of Mississippi. He was named the GMAC Bowl Most Valuable Player after finishing with 20 carries fro 58 yards and scored two touchdowns. He also had three catches for 28 yards.
Fletcher, Southern Miss' and Conference USA's freshman all-time rushing leader, carried the ball 276 times for 1,388 yards, an average of 5.0 yards per carry and scored 11 touchdowns this season. He also has 18 catches for 142 yards. He has a school freshman-record seven 100-yard or more rushing yard performances and had a season-high 177 yards against NC State. He also rushed for three of the top 10 freshman rushing marks in the school's history and is second on the school's single-season rushing list.
The Golden Eagles finished 9-5 overall and 6-2 in Conference USA, won the C-USA East Division title, advanced to the championship game and won the GMAC Bowl, 28-7, over the Mid-American Conference East Division Champion, Ohio University on Jan. 7.
