Aug. 13, 2002
D2Football.com names Four Bulldogs to 2002 preseason All-Midwest Team
The only online source for complete coverage of NCAA Division II football, D2Football.Com, recently named four Bulldogs to its preseason all-Midwest teams. First-team picks were senior center Nick Ruud (Moline, Ill.) and senior linebacker Jake Willrich (Grimes, Iowa/Dallas Center-Grimes), and second-team selections were senior all-America receiver Andrew Blakley (St. Joseph, Mo./Central) and senior kicker Austin Lepper (Ames, Iowa/Gilbert).
Ruud, a first-team all-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association pick last year and a second-team choice as a sophomore, was the starting center for the third straight year in 2001, helping the team to average 431.0 yards of total offense and 278.0 yards passing per game to rank among the most prolific offenses in the nation
Willrich was named second-team all-conference last year and has finished in the top two among tackle leaders the last two years.
Blakley will likely finish his career as Truman's all-time passing leader after claiming the career receptions record (204) in the 2001 season finale, and he begins the 2002 season just 328 yards from the receiving yards record.
Lepper was a second-team all-league pick a year ago after finishing tied for sixth in the nation with 1.27 field goals a game.
The Bulldogs begin the '02 campaign at Drake University (Iowa) on Sept. 7.
2002 Preseason All-Midwest Region Teams
First Team Offense
QB - Kelby Klosterman, SR, North Dakota
RB - Eddie Acosta, SR, Bemidji State
RB - Tyler Hawkins, SR, Northern Colorado
WR - Jamaica Rector, SO, Northwest Missouri State
WR - Ben Nelson, SR, St. Cloud State
TE - Nick Busby, JR, Minnesota-Crookston
OL - Seth Wand, SR, Northwest Missouri State
OL - Chuck Klabo, SR, North Dakota State
OL - Conor Riley, SR, Nebraska-Omaha
OL - Nick Ruud, SR, Truman
OL - Ben Olson, JR, North Dakota
First Team Defense
DL - Aaron McConnell, JR, Pittsburg State
DL - Andrew Tippins, SR, Minnesota State-Mankato
DL - Leif Murphy, SR, North Dakota State
DL - Ben Dixon, JR, North Dakota
LB - Jake Willrich, SR, Truman
LB - Cabel Rohloff, JR, Northern Colorado
LB - Eric Walker, SR, Missouri Western
DB - Marcel Smith, SR, Northwest Missouri State
DB - Dustin Thornburg, SR, North Dakota
DB - Ben Nauman, JR, Augustana
DB - Dontaye McCoy, SR, Emporia State
First Team Special Teams
P - Chris Lutz, SR, Pittsburg State
K - Eddie Ibarra, SR, Northwest Missouri State
KR - Joe Mapson, SR, Concordia-St. Paul
PR - Vincent Jackson, SO, Northern Colorado
Second Team Offense
QB - John McMenamin, SR, Northwest Missouri State
RB - Chris Washington, JR, Concordia-St. Paul
RB - Johnnie Nolen, SR, Nebraska-Omaha
WR - Jeff Dobbertin, SR, Winona State
WR - Andrew Blakley, SR, Truman
TE - Ken Ennis, SR, Missouri-Rolla
OL - Brett Mingee, JR, Missouri Western
OL - Paul Keller, SR, North Dakota State
OL - Peter Lawton, SR, Minnesota-Duluth
OL - Matt Kender, SR, Augustana
OL - Lucas Brigman, SR, Nebraska-Omaha
Second Team Defense
DL - Buck Rasmussen, SR, Nebraska-Omaha
DL - Eric McDowell, JR, Missouri Western
DL - Anthony Dunn, SR, Northern Colorado
DL - Nate Fluit, SR, Augustana
LB - Kory Ebel, SR, South Dakota
LB - Larry Schembri, SO, Washburn
LB - Tom Irvin, JR, North Dakota
DB - Desmond Polk, JR, Missouri Western
DB - Aaron Hight, SR, Pittsburg State
DB - Matt Nicholson, JR, St. Cloud State
DB - Nick Jaeger, JR, Winona State
Second Team Special Teams
K - Austin Lepper, SR, Truman
P - Jason Langland, SR, South Dakota State
KR - Levi Neville, JR, Pittsburg State
PR - Joseph Mapson, JR, Concordia-St. Paul