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TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes and Utah punter/kicker Louie Sakoda have been named first-team All-Americans by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the nation's oldest All-America team.
A senior from San Jose, Calif., Sakoda's 21 field goals rank third nationally. The three-time MWC Special Teams Player of the Year (2006-08) has made 21-of-23 field goals (91.3%) and is a perfect 17-of-17 in field goals from 47 yards in. He is just the second player to be named a finalist for both the Lou Groza (kicker) and Ray Guy (punter) awards in the same year, and is the first Ute in school history to have made a major All-America first team at two positions. Earlier this month, Sakoda was named a first-team All-America place kicker by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), and in 2007, earned first-team All-America nods as a punter by both the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and CBSSports.com.
A junior from Sugar Land, Texas, Hughes tops the nation with a Mountain West Conference-record 14 sacks and six forced fumbles in 2008. He also ranks in the top-10 nationally with 18.5 tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries. He has two interceptions with one returned for a touchdown. Hughes, who was named the 2008 MWC Defensive Player of the Year, was also a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award.
The Walter Camp All-America team is selected by the head coaches and media relations directors of the 119 Football Bowl Subdivision schools. Hughes and Sakoda will join the other members of the 2008 Walter Camp All-America team at the organization's national awards banquet on Jan. 17, 2009 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven, Conn.
