New York, N.Y. The Citadel wide receiver Andre Roberts was named Third Team All-America by the Associated Press Wednesday afternoon, following a record-setting sophomore season in 2007. Roberts was one of only two players from the state of South Carolina to earn All-America honors and is the first Bulldog since 1992 to receive such an honor.
Roberts recorded a school record 78 receptions in 2007, notching 1,060 receiving yards in the process. His 1,060 yards is the second-most in school history for yards in a season as he became only the second cadet-student-athlete in school history to record over 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Roberts ended 2007 ranked 10th nationally and third in the Southern Conference (SoCon) in receptions per game with 7.09. He also finished the season 11th nationally and fourth in the SoCon in reception yards per game, averaging 96.4 receiving yards per contest.
“Andre is a big play receiver that is only going to get better as he continues to mature,” said head coach Kevin Higgins. “He has excellent speed, runs good routes and is continuing to learn the intricacies of the game. This is a wonderful honor for him to receive.”
Roberts joined fellow Third Team selection and South Carolina State senior James Lee as the only Palmetto State players to be named All-America by the Associated Press. Including Roberts, only seven Southern Conference players earned the honor. He becomes the first Bulldog player to be named All-America by the Associated Press since 1992.
The Citadel has only received 16 other All-America honors by the Associated Press in its 100 season history of the football program. Five other Bulldogs have received Third Team All-America in the history of The Citadel, including Paul Maguire (1959), Vince Petno (1963), Stump Mitchell (1980), Scott Thompson (1987) and Lance Hansen (1992).
The All-America selection adds to Roberts' list of honors, after being named All-Southern Conference Second Team by the Southern Conference Sports Media Association this year.
Roberts was a big part of The Citadel's historic season in 2007, the school's 100th season of football. The Bulldogs finished the year 7-4 (4-3 in the Southern Conference), their best record since 1992. The team set or tied 22 different individual and team records throughout the season and the program's success has earned head coach Kevin Higgins a finalist nod for the Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year award. Fans everywhere can vote online for Coach Higgins through Dec. 15 at www.coachoftheyear.com.
For complete coverage of Bulldog Football, visit the official home of The Citadel Athletics at CitadelSports.com.
