University of North Carolina Athletics
Switzer, Ebron Named To FWAA All-America Team
December 18, 2013 | Football
DALLAS --- North Carolina freshman punt returner Ryan Switzer was named to the FWAA All-America Team, the Football Writers Association of America announced Thursday. In addition, the FWAA named a second team for the first time since 1949, and junior tight end Eric Ebron was selected. Switzer, who was earlier named to the ESPN.com All-America team, is the first true freshman in program history to earn first-team honors.
Switzer, who was also the first UNC freshman to earn first-team All-ACC honors since 1997, emerged as one of the nation's elite punt returners in his first season at Carolina. The Charleston, W.Va., product led the country in punt return touchdowns with four and became just the second player in NCAA history to return a punt for a score in three consecutive games. For the season, Switzer ranks second in single-season school history in punt return yards with 419, just two shy of Bosley Allen's 421 in 2000. His current average of 20.0 yards per return would break the school record of 17.5 set by Charlie Justice in 1948. Switzer also ranks third on the team in receptions (29), receiving yards (319) and receiving touchdowns (3).
A Mackey Award finalist as one of the nation's top tight ends, Ebron established school records for single-season receptions (55), single-season receiving yards (895), career receptions (105) and career receiving yards (1,727) at the position this season. Ebron's 895 receiving yards in 2013 are an ACC record for a tight end, besting the mark of 871 set by Maryland's Vernon Davis in 2005. The Greensboro, N.C., native is poised to be the first Carolina tight end to lead the Tar Heels in receiving since Mike Chatham in 1979 and 1980.
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