University of Richmond Athletics
Hightower, Rogers, McCracken Named Sports Network All-Americans
01/08/2008 | Football
Jan. 8, 2008
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Senior tailback Tim Hightower headlined a trio of Richmond football players on the 2007 Sports Network All-America Team that was announced this week. Hightower was a First Team selection, while freshman kick returner Justin Rogers and sophomore guard Matthew McCracken were picked to the Third Team. Rogers was the lone freshman on the three-team, 93-player squad.
The Sports Network FCS All-America team is selected by a vote of sports information directors and media affiliated with FCS football. Along with Rogers as the lone freshman, McCracken was one of just nine sophomores selected. The team also included 19 juniors and 64 seniors.
Hightower put the finishing touches on a remarkable career by finishing sixth in the NCAA in rushing (137.4 yards/game) and breaking 12 Richmond records this season. Among the records Hightower etched his name by the single-season and career rushing marks, the single-season and career scoring records and the single-game rushing record.
All of this has vaulted the senior from Waldorf, Md. to this, his fourth All-America honor (Associated Press, Walter Camp, College Sporting News, Sports Network), a runner-up finish in the Dudley Award voting and the seventh-leading vote-getter for the Walter Payton Award. He was a CAA Football First Team selection.
Only three other Spiders have garnered more All-America accolades in a single season - DL Marc Megna (four teams) in 1998, DB Jeff Nixon in 1978 (seven teams) and WR Walker Gillette (five teams) in 1969.
Rogers electrified special teams for Richmond all season, leading the CAA and ranking third in the nation in kickoff returns by averaging 30.4 yards with two touchdowns. The redshirt freshman from Baton Rouge, La. had a 93-yard return for a score in the Spiders' season-opener at Vanderbilt and also had an 85-yard TD return against New Hampshire.
The CAA Football Rookie of the Year, who became the first freshman honored on the Sports Network All-America Team since 2005, Rogers recorded the three highest single-game return performances in the conference this season with 222 yards against UNH, 217 at Appalachian State and 201 yards versus Vanderbilt. Those performances also rank as the first-, second- and fourth-best in school history.
On the offensive line, guard McCracken helped paved the way for the Spiders' record-setting offensive season. The sophomore from Pittsburgh had a hand in Richmond setting school records for total offense (5,675 yards), rushing offense (3,284), touchdowns (63) and scoring (489 points) and first downs (285). He was a Second Team All-CAA Football selection and Richmond's first All-American on the offensive line since Eric Beatty in 2000.
National Champion Appalachian State had a record 11 selections to the team. Joining the Mountaineers with multiple selections were Northern Iowa with five, Delaware with four, Richmond, Cal Poly, Colgate, Georgia Southern and North Dakota State with three and Bethune-Cookman, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Washington, Elon, Massachusetts, Montana, Prairie View and San Diego with two.
