GoDaddy.com has a 2011 Preseason All-American college football team, presented by NationalChamps.net. The company with commercials that everyone knows (Danica Patrick, that fake chested porn star Super Bowl ad) and whose actual business almost no one knows (they sell domain names, web hosting) has compiled a list honoring the projected legends of next fall.
The Northwestern Wildcats landed four on the list. Tying them for third, behind Alabama and Boise St.
They are:
defensive end Vince Browne (Lisbon, Ohio/David Anderson). senior, recorded a career-high 58 total tackles and seven sacks last season, chosen as a second-team selection. The new Corey Wootton?
Seniors, quarterback Dan Persa (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty), safety Brian Peters (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central), and receiver Jeremy Ebert (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Darby) received honorable mention recognition. Ebert is expected to be one of the Big Ten’s best wide receivers this season, as he was among the conference leaders in most important receiving stats last season.
Senior Jeremy Ebert was Persa’s favorite target, snagging eight touchdowns last season to go along with 953 yards on 62 receptions.
Safety Brian Peters played in all 13 games last season, accumulating a team-leading 107 total tackles at the safety position. Peters also had three interceptions, including a memorable interception return for TD against Illinois at Wrigley Field.
Persa is rehabilitating from a torn Achilles tendon, so hopefully his timetable of recovery speeds along much more rapidly than Kalin Lucas. How far the Cats go or don’t depends much on him. Persa garnered national attention as a playmaker in the Wildcats’ offense last season. The versatile quarterback threw for 2,581 yards and 15 touchdowns, and ran for 519 yards and nine more scores.
This will be a very senior dominated team. So Wildcats fans should expect an improvement upon last year’s 7-6 finish in last season’s “rebuilding year.”
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net , a Midwest webzine. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports
He does a regular guest spot each week for Chicagoland Sports Radio.com You can follow him on Twitter @thesportsbank