TSN Names Burr-Kirven, Murphy, Rapp To All-America Second Team
December 11, 2018 | Football
Ben Burr-Kirven, Byron Murphy and Taylor Rapp were each named to The Sporting News' All-America second team today.
All three members of the Pac-12's top defense added to their recent haul of postseason honors. Burr-Kirven has been named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press and the Football Writers, while both Rapp and Murphy earned second-team honors from the AP and were first-team selections by Pro Football Focus.
Burr-Kirven, a senior linebacker from Menlo Park, Calif., was named the Pac-12 Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year last week and also was the conference's Scholar-Athlete of the Year for football, making him the first man ever to win those two awards.
One of four finalists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, Burr-Kirven heads into the Huskies' date with Ohio State in the 2019 Rose Bowl as the nation's leading tackler, with 165 total stops, most by a Husky since 1989. He's also among the national leaders in both fumble recoveries and forced fumbles.
Murphy, a sophomore cornerback from Scottsdale, Ariz., was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year by Pro Football Focus. A first-team All-Pac-12 pick, he was also the MVP of the Pac-12 Championship Game. Murphy leads the Huskies with is four interceptions.
Rapp, a junior safety from Bellingham, Wash., earned first-team All-Pac-12 for the second straight season in 2018. He's also a two-time, first-team Academic All-Pac-12 selection and was the Pac-12's Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2016. He leads the 2018 Huskies in both tackles for loss and sacks.
The Sporting News All-America team is one of five teams recognized by the NCAA that make up the unanimous and consensus All-America teams each year.
The fifth and final of those, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), comes out tomorrow (Wed., Dec. 12).
All three members of the Pac-12's top defense added to their recent haul of postseason honors. Burr-Kirven has been named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press and the Football Writers, while both Rapp and Murphy earned second-team honors from the AP and were first-team selections by Pro Football Focus.
Burr-Kirven, a senior linebacker from Menlo Park, Calif., was named the Pac-12 Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year last week and also was the conference's Scholar-Athlete of the Year for football, making him the first man ever to win those two awards.
One of four finalists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, Burr-Kirven heads into the Huskies' date with Ohio State in the 2019 Rose Bowl as the nation's leading tackler, with 165 total stops, most by a Husky since 1989. He's also among the national leaders in both fumble recoveries and forced fumbles.
Murphy, a sophomore cornerback from Scottsdale, Ariz., was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year by Pro Football Focus. A first-team All-Pac-12 pick, he was also the MVP of the Pac-12 Championship Game. Murphy leads the Huskies with is four interceptions.
Rapp, a junior safety from Bellingham, Wash., earned first-team All-Pac-12 for the second straight season in 2018. He's also a two-time, first-team Academic All-Pac-12 selection and was the Pac-12's Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2016. He leads the 2018 Huskies in both tackles for loss and sacks.
The Sporting News All-America team is one of five teams recognized by the NCAA that make up the unanimous and consensus All-America teams each year.
The fifth and final of those, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), comes out tomorrow (Wed., Dec. 12).
Players Mentioned
Tuesday, June 02
Saturday, May 02
Tuesday, April 21
Monday, April 20
