University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Named To Phil Steele's Preseason All-ACC Team
May 22, 2012 | Football
May 22, 2012
Chapel Hill, N.C. - Eleven Tar Heels have landed on Phil Steele's preseason All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team, including five that garnered first-team accolades. In addition, offensive guard Jonathan Cooper and linebacker Kevin Reddick were named to Steele's first-team All-America squad.
Carolina and Clemson led the way with five first-team selections each.
Cooper and Reddick represented the Tar Heels as first-team All-ACC players, along with defensive tackle Sylvester Williams, offensive tackle James Hurst and tailback Giovani Bernard.
Williams, a senior from Jefferson City, Mo., also earned selection as a fourth-team All-America. Williams finished with 54 tackles, 7.0 tackles for losses, 2.5 sacks, five quarterback hurries, three pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in his first year at the Division I level. He came to Carolina from Coffeyville Community College in Kansas and immediately became a starter.
Bernard had a breakout redshirt freshman season in 2011 in which he earned first-team All-ACC honors and rushed for a UNC freshman record 1,253 yards. He became the first Tar Heel to run for more than 1,000 yards since 1997. He also earned the Piccolo Award as the ACC's Most Courageous Player after battling back from an ACL injury.
Hurst and Cooper man the left side of the Tar Heels' offensive line. They led the team last year in knockdown blocks and consistently graded out as the team's top linemen.
Reddick battled through injuries last season to finish second on the team in tackles with 71. A starter since his freshman year, Reddick had 190 career stops, including 17.5 tackles for losses.
Sure-handed wide receiver Erik Highsmith and dynamic kick returner T.J. Thorpe landed on the All-ACC second team, while offensive guard Travis Bond, defensive end Kareem Martin and punter Tommy Hibbard were third-team selections.
Players Mentioned
