Nov 232010
 

AUBURN — From the day he set foot on campus four years ago as a gangly teen from south Florida, Wesley Byrum has been Auburn’s starting kicker.

That achievement may pale in comparison to similar feats of longevity by a quarterback or a defensive lineman, but Byrum’s four-year tenure remains impressive.

He’s survived two head coaches and a tumultuous season that coincided with a mild sophomore slump but emerged as the program’s all-time leading scorer and one of its most reliable kickers.

Auburn kicker Wes Byrum (18) walks off the field after kicking a first half field goal against LSU (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Byrum will kick in his final regular season game Friday at Bryant-Denny Stadium, a rare venue in which he has never attempted a field goal.

“I think the main difference is it’s my last time going out there,” said Byrum, who has helped Auburn to a perfect 11-0 record and a place in next week’s SEC title game. “When I was younger, you always had the next season, you always had more games. Even if things didn’t pan out the way you wanted them to, I knew I had more games to play. Now I’m looking at the last games of my career. It’s a weird feeling.”

via Auburn kicker Wes Byrum capping reliable four-year career in Iron Bowl | al.com.

 Posted by at 3:33 pm
Nov 232010
 

Senior quarterback Greg McElroy has become only the second University of Alabama athlete to be selected as the ESPN Academic All-American of the Year.

McElroy earned that recognition and more on Tuesday. He was named the Academic All-American of the Year in the Football Bowl Subdivision by the College Sports Information Directors of American.

The only Alabama athlete to earn that honor previously was gymnast Stephanie Kite, who was also selected as the ESPN Academic All-American of the Year on the At-Large Team in 2004.

McElroy and sophomore guard Barrett Jones also were first-team ESPN Academic All-American selections. Jones earned second-team honors last year. He is the third Crimson Tide player to twice be selected as an Academic All-American, joining Johnny Musso (1970-71) and Randy Hall (1973-74).

“It is a great honor,” McElroy said in a news release. “One of my goals when I came to school here was to be an Academic All-American. It is something that I set my sights on early in my career at Alabama. I am just very proud to be able to represent the University of Alabama and very honored to be selected as the Academic All-American of the Year.”

McElroy, who is 23-2 as a starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide, graduated in three years with a degree in business marketing and is finishing his graduate degree in sports admi

via Tide’s Greg McElroy named Academic All-American of the Year | al.com.

 Posted by at 3:30 pm