Six Tulsa players get C-USA honors

IRVING, Texas - University of Tulsa junior Damaris Johnson and senior James Lockett earned Conference USA second-team honors, while the Hurricane had four freshmen named to the C-USA all-Freshman Team as chosen by the league's coaches.

The nation's No. 1 ranked player in all-purpose yards, Damaris Johnson, was named to the C-USA second team today as both a receiver and punt returner, while safety James Lockett earned second-team merits for the second consecutive season.

Johnson finished the year with a nation-leading 224.4 all-purpose yards. He ranked second in C-USA for receiving yards per game at 94.2 and had the highest yard per reception average among the top-7 league receivers. Johnson caught 78 passes for 1,131 yards and three TDs, while totaling an identical 1,131 kickoff return yards. He had seven 200+ all-purpose yard games, including three over 300 yards, and six 100+ yard receiving games.

The senior, Lockett, had 68 tackles, 10.5 stops for -58 yards, 4.5 sacks for -33 yards, two pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 2009. He had a career-best 12 tackles and added two sacks for -14 yards and one fumble recovery against Houston. Lockett also had his first career interception in his final career game when he picked off a Memphis pass in overtime to give Tulsa the ball and the eventual victory.

A quartet of freshmen -- defensive end Cory Dorris, free safety Dexter McCoil, offensive center Trent Dupy and receiver Ricky Johnson -- were named to the C-USA all-Freshman Team.

Dorris and McCoil made an immediate impact on the Tulsa defense this year. Dorris, a red-shirt freshman, totaled 54 tackles, 5.5 stops for -22 yards, three sacks for -18 yards, forced two fumbles and recovered two more while starting all 12 games for the Hurricane.

McCoil, a true freshman, took over for an injured Charles Davis at free safety and completed the year third on the team in tackles with 85 stops, while adding six pass breakups and one interception. He had four double-figure tackle games, including a season-best 13 stops, including 10 solos against East Carolina.

Dupy started 10 games at center as a true freshman for the Hurricane, helping the Tulsa offense to rank fourth in the league in scoring and passing. After being slowed early in the season by an injury, true freshman Ricky Johnson came on strong late while ending the year with eight receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns.

Five more Tulsa players earned honorable mention accolades, including junior Charles Clay (TE/RB), senior Wilson Garrison (NG), senior Mike Bryan (LB), sophomore Kevin Fitzpatrick (PK) and junior Michael Such (P). Damaris Johnson also earned honorable mention merits as a kick-off return specialist, while freshman Cory Dorris was an honorable mention selection at defensive end.

2009 C-USA FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

QB- Case Keenum, Jr., Houston

RB- Curtis Steele, Sr., Memphis

RB- Donald Buckram, Jr., UTEP

OL- Sean Allen, Sr., East Carolina

OL- Ryan Hebert, Sr., Southern Miss

OL- Jake Seitz, Sr., UAB

OL- Jah Reid, Jr., UCF

OL- Mike Aguayo, Jr., UTEP

TE- Cody Slate, Sr., Marshall

WR- Dwayne Harris, Jr., East Carolina

WR- James Cleveland, Jr., Houston

WR- Emmanuel Sanders, Sr., SMU

DEFENSE

DL- Linval Joseph, Jr., East Carolina

DL- C.J. Wilson, Sr., East Carolina

DL- Jarvis Geathers, Sr., UCF

DL- Bruce Miller, Jr., UCF

LB- Mario Harvey, Sr., Marshall

LB- Chase Kennemer, Sr., SMU

LB- Cory Hogue, Sr., UCF

DB- Emmanuel Davis, So., East Carolina

DB- Van Eskridge, Sr., East Carolina

DB- Eddie Hicks, Sr., Southern Miss

DB- Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith, Sr., UTEP

SPECIAL TEAMS

K- Craig Ratanamorn, Sr., Marshall

P- Matt Dodge, Sr., East Carolina

KR- Tyron Carrier, So., Houston

PR- Emmanuel Sanders, Sr., SMU

LS- Sean McClellan, Sr., Marshall

SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE

QB- Joe Webb, Sr., UAB

RB- Darius Marshall, Jr., Marshall

RB- Damion Fletcher, Sr., Southern Miss

OL- Terence Campbell, Sr., East Carolina

OL- Jarve Dean, Jr., Houston

OL- Daniel Baldridge, Sr., Marshall

OL- Scott Mitchell, Jr., Rice

OL- Kelvin Beachum, So., SMU

TE- Leroy Banks, Sr., Southern Miss

WR-Patrick Edwards, So., Houston

WR- Duke Calhoun, Sr., Memphis

WR- DeAndre Brown, So., Southern Miss

WR- Damaris Johnson, So., Tulsa

DEFENSE

DL- Tyrell Graham, Sr., Houston

DL- Albert McClellan, Sr., Marshall

DL- Scott Solomon, Jr., Rice

DL- Torrell Troup, Sr., UCF

LB- Nick Johnson, Sr., East Carolina

LB- Marcus McGraw, So., Houston

LB- Korey Williams, So., Southern Miss

DB- Brandon Brinkley, Sr., Houston

DB- James Lockett, Sr., Tulsa

DB- Hiram Atwater, Jr., UAB

DB- Josh Robinson, Fr., UCF

SPECIAL TEAMS

K- Ben Hartman, Sr., East Carolina

P- Matt Reagan, Sr., Memphis

KR- Dwayne Harris, Jr., East Carolina

PR- Damaris Johnson, So., Tulsa

LS- Cody Tawater, Sr., Southern Miss

2009 C-USA FOOTBALL ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM

OFFENSE

QB- Kyle Padron, SMU

RB- Charles Sims, Houston

RB- Charles Ross, Rice

OL- Jamie McCoy, Memphis

OL- Zack Morgan, Tulane

OL- Trent Dupy, Tulsa

OL- Chris Hubbard, UAB

OL- Theo Goins, UCF

TE- Vance McDonald, Rice

WR- Antavious Wilson, Marshall

WR- Darius Johnson, SMU

WR- Ricky Johnson, Tulsa

DEFENSE

DL- Michael Brooks, East Carolina

DL- Zeke Riser, Houston

DL- Dontari Poe, Memphis

DL- Cory Dorris, Tulsa

LB- Phillip Steward, Houston

LB- Taylor Reed, SMU

LB- Shakiel Smith, Tulane

LB- Daniel White, UAB

DB- Kevin Gaddis, Rice

DB- Dexter McCoil, Tulsa

DB- Josh Robinson, UCF

DB- Deshawn Grayson, UTEP

SPECIAL TEAMS

K- Matt Hogan, Houston

P- Peter Boehme, Southern Miss

KR- Marlon McClure, UTEP

PR- Tracy Lampley, Southern Miss

LS- Taylor Klein, UAB