C-USA Announces All-Conference Football Teams, Tigers Named

IRVING, Texas - Conference USA announced its 2012 All-Conference football teams on Tuesday and the University of Memphis produced three second-team selections. Senior offensive lineman Jordan Devey, junior defensive lineman Johnnie Farms and sophomore defensive end Martin Ifedi were all named to the all-conference second team.

The teams were selected by Conference USA's 12 head football coaches.

Memphis also had three players selected to the C-USA All-Freshman Team and a total of seven players earn all-conference honorable mention recognition.

Over his two-year career at Memphis, Devey started 24 straight games and played all 1,568 snaps on offense. In 2012, he started 10 games at left tackle and two at left guard. The American Fork, Utah, native played three positions (left tackle, left guard and right guard) in victories over Rice and UAB. Devey played a season-high 84 plays against Marshall and had 70+ snaps in four games during the 2012 season.

Farms tallied 38 total tackles during his junior season. The Perry, Ga., native ranked second on the squad in tackles for lost yards with 9.5. He registered his first career sacks during wins over Tulane and UAB, a pair of victories which marked the team's first consecutive wins since 2008. Farms had five tackles including 1.5 quarterback sacks in the win over Tulane and a sack for a nine-yard loss at UAB.

Ifedi was named to the Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year midseason watch list during a sophomore season in which he registered 46 total tackles including a team-leading 7.5 quarterback sacks and 11 tackles for lost yards. He also led Memphis with four quarterback hurries. The Houston native ranked fifth among C-USA players in sacks as well as in the Top 10 in C-USA in tackles for lost yards.

Memphis' three picks for the Conference USA All-Freshman Team were tight end Alan Cross, offensive lineman Taylor Fallin and defensive lineman Ricky Hunter.

Cross played in all 12 games, starting 10 and led the Tigers in receiving touchdowns with five including three in the last two games of the season. The Millington product ranked third on the team with 23 receptions and 301 receiving yards. He finished the year with a streak of five straight multiple-reception games including three catches for 36 yards in a win over UAB. Cross had 17 receptions for 214 yards during conference play.

Fallin played in eight games in 2012, starting two at left tackle. In his first career start, the Bowie, Md., native played all 69 snaps against East Carolina and played 67 of 73 snaps the following week in a start against UCF. Fallin missed the next three games with an injury before returning to see significant playing time in wins over UAB and Southern Miss to end the year.

Hunter registered 25 tackles during his rookie season including a career-high four tackles in three games including the season finale against Southern Miss. The Auburn, Ala., native played in all 12 games and started five as a freshman. He finished the year with 6.5 tackles for lost yards and had three quarterback sacks. Five of his tackles for lost yards came in conference play.

Four of Memphis' seven all-conference honorable mention selections were also members of a defensive unit which led C-USA in total defense in league games.

Joining sophomore defensive lineman Terry Redden, junior linebacker Anthony Brown, sophomore linebacker Tank Jakes and junior defensive back Lonnie Ballentine as all-conference honorable mention selections were senior wide receiver Marcus Rucker, punter Tom Hornsey and kick returner Bobby McCain.

Redden, a native Memphian, tallied 28 total tackles including 6.5 tackles for lost yards and two quarterback sacks. Redden's first career quarterback sacks came in the Tigers' win over UAB.

Brown started all 12 games at linebacker. The Cairo, Ga., native was second on the Memphis team with 71 total tackles including three for lost yardage and a quarterback sack.

Jakes finished his first season at Memphis with 48 total tackles including 8.5 for lost yards and two quarterback sacks. He returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown against Tulane as the Tigers began a three-game win streak to end the year.

Ballentine started 11 games for the Tigers at safety and ranked fourth on the team with 66 total tackles and led the Tigers with three interceptions. The native Memphian had 40 solo tackles to lead the team.

Rucker, also a native of Memphis, started all 12 games and led the Tigers with 47 receptions for 525 yards and had three touchdowns.

Hornsey averaged 43.43 yards per punt in 2012. The Geelong, Victoria, Australia native placed 25 punts inside opponents' 20-yard line during the season.

McCain ranked fourth in Conference USA in kickoff returns, averaging 25.8 yards per return. In addition to his return average, the Oxford, Ala., native started all 12 games at cornerback where he finished the year with 36 tackles.