University of North Carolina Athletics
Balmer, Austin Earn All-America Honors
December 17, 2007 | Football
Dec. 17, 2007
Chapel Hill, N.C. ----- University of North Carolina defensive tackles Kentwan Balmer and Marvin Austin have been named honorable mention All-America by Pro Football Weekly. The team was selected by PFW personnel analyst Nolan Nawrocki, who consulted with NFL evaluators and put in hours of film study to select players based on talent, production and value to their team. Other All-American qualities such as leadership, resiliency, toughness, competitiveness and character were weighed heavily.
Balmer, who is ranked among the top 10 seniors in the country by NFL Draft Expert Mel Kiper, finished second on the team with 59 tackles. He added 9.5 tackles for losses and 3.5 sacks. Balmer was named second-team All-ACC and is headed to the Senior Bowl and Hula Bowl in the coming months.
Austin, a freshman from Washington, D.C., played in all 12 games and started three. He finished the season with 26 tackles, including 16 solo stops and 10 assists. Austin was third on the team with four sacks and also added six tackles for losses.
PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB Matt Ryan, Boston College, Sr.
RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas, Jr.
RB Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois, Jr.
FB Brannan Southerland, Georgia, Jr.
WR Jeremy Maclin, Missouri, Fr.
WR Jordy Nelson, Kansas State, Sr.
TE Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma State, Jr.
OT Jake Long, Michigan, Sr.
OT Jeff Otah, Pittsburgh, Sr.
OG Duke Robinson, Oklahoma, Jr.
OG Roy Schuening, Oregon State, Sr.
C Steve Justice, Wake Forest, Sr.
DEFENSE
DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio State, Jr.
DE Chris Long, Virginia, Sr.
DT Glenn Dorsey, LSU, Sr.
DT Sedrick Ellis, USC, Sr.
ILB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State, Jr.
OLB Keith Rivers, USC, Sr.
OLB Sean Lee, Penn State, Jr.
S William Moore, Missouri, Jr.
S Nic Harris, Oklahoma, Jr.
CB Leodis McKelvin, Troy, Sr.
CB Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State, Jr.
SPECIAL TEAMS
KR Chris Johnson, East Carolina, Sr.
PR Leodis McKelvin, Troy, Sr.
PK Steven Hauschka, North Carolina State, Sr.
P Durant Brooks, Georgia Tech, Sr.
HEAD COACH
Gary Pinkel, Missouri
HONORABLE MENTION
QB
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma, Fr.; Andre' Woodson, Kentucky, Sr.; Dennis Dixon, Oregon, Sr.; Cullen Harper, Clemson, Jr.; Tim Tebow, Florida, So.; Chase Daniel, Missouri, Jr.; Joe Flacco, Delaware, Sr.
RB
Felix Jones, Arkansas, Jr.; Jonathan Stewart, Oregon, Jr.; DeMarco Murray, Fr.; Chris Wells, Ohio State, So.; Kevin Smith, Central Florida, Jr.; Matt Forte', Tulane, Sr.; Knowshon Moreno, Georgia, Fr.; James Davis, Clemson, Jr.
FB
Jacob Hester, LSU, Sr.
WR
Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma, Jr.; Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland, So.; Mario Manningham, Michigan, Jr.; Kenneth Moore, Wake Forest, Sr.; James Hardy, Indiana, Jr.; Arrelious Benn, Illinois, Fr.; Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech, Fr.
TE
Cornelius Ingram, Florida, Jr.; Travis Beckum, Wisconsin, Jr.; Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma, So.; Chase Coffman, Missouri, Jr.; Fred Davis, USC, Sr.; Dustin Keller, Purdue, Sr.; Martin Rucker, Missouri, Sr.
OT
Ryan Clady, Boise State, Jr.; Phil Loadholt, Oklahoma, Jr.; Chris Williams, Vanderbilt, Sr.; Andre Smith, Alabama, So.
OG
Chris McDuffie, Clemson, Sr.; Branden Albert, Virginia, Jr.
C
Alex Mack, California, Jr.; Jonathan Luigs, Arkansas, Jr.; Jamey Richard, Buffalo, Sr.; Fernando Velasco, Georgia, Sr.; Mike Pollak, Arizona State, Sr.
DE
Derrick Harvey, Florida, Jr.; Maurice Evans, Penn State, So.; Phillip Merling, Clemson, Jr.; Jeremy Thompson, Wake Forest, Sr.; Auston English, Oklahoma, So.; Willie Young, North Carolina State, So.
DT
Marvin Austin, North Carolina, Fr.; Trevor Laws, Notre Dame, Sr.; Pat Sims, Auburn, Jr.; Jason Jones, Eastern Michigan, Sr.; Kentwan Balmer, North Carolina, Sr.
ILB
Darry Beckwith, LSU, Jr.; Curtis Lofton, Oklahoma, Jr.; Rey Maualuga, USC, Jr.; Dan Connor, Penn State, Sr.; Jolonn Dunbar, Boston College, Sr.
OLB
Robert James, Arizona State, Sr.; Erin Henderson, Maryland, Jr.; Ali Highsmith, LSU, Sr.
S
DaJuan Morgan, North Carolina State, Jr.; Michael Hamlin, Clemson, Jr.; Tyrell Johnson, Arkansas State, Sr.; D.J. Wolfe, Oklahoma, Sr.
CB
Mike Jenkins, South Florida, Sr.; Vontae Davis, Illinois, So.; Trae Williams, South Florida, Sr.; Patrick Lee, Auburn, Sr.; Tyvon Branch, Connecticut, Sr.; Charles Godfrey, Iowa, Sr.; Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest, Jr.
KR
DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma, Fr.
PR
Eddie Royal, Virginia Tech, Sr.
PK
Jeff Wolfert, Missouri, Jr.
P
Chris Miller, Ball State, Jr.
COACH
Ron Zook, Illinois; Mark Mangino, Kansas; Jim Leavitt, South Florida; Jim Tressel, Ohio State; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Dennis Erickson, Arizona State
