May 26, 2011

Full list of all-conference/All-America selections

By Zak Gilbert
Athletic Media Relations

CLEVELAND, Ohio – All-America candidate Mychal Sisson led the nation with seven forced fumbles last year as a junior.

And entering his final college season, no other player in the country has more career tackles for loss than Sisson’s 38.5.

On the strength of those numbers, and the intangibles he brings to the Rams, the dynamic outside linebacker gained another accolade this week. He and offensive tackle Paul Madsen on Wednesday earned first-team preseason all-conference recognition from respected national analyst Phil Steele.

A 5-foot-11, 207-pound senior from Duncanville, Texas, Sisson also ranks among the nation’s active leaders at his position in career sacks (11), total tackles (291) and fumble recoveries (5). And across the country among all active players, only Southern Miss defensive lineman Cordarro Law owns more career forced fumbles (10) than Sisson (9).

Sisson, a freshman All-American in 2008 and a three-year all-conference performer, had 95 tackles (56 solo) in 2010, including a team-leading 15 stops for loss, and 4½ sacks. In addition to his seven forced fumbles, most by a CSU player since Joey Porter (8) and Clark Haggans (7) in 1998, he also picked off a pass, broke up two others and recovered two fumbles.

He wasn’t listed this week among Steele’s preseason All-America linebackers, despite leading each of the honored players in virtually every career statistic. In that group, only two players have topped him in any single category, as Oklahoma’s Travis Lewis (362) and Boston College’s Luke Kuechly (341) own more total tackles than Sisson (291).   

Madsen, a 6-foot-4, 313-pound senior from Provo, Utah, joined Boise State’s Nate Potter – a first-team preseason All-American – as one of two first-team all-conference tackles on Steele’s preseason list. CSU's oldest player (25) and its only married competitor, he was the Rams' only returning starter from a 2009 O-line that put four players on NFL rosters. An NFL prospect himself, Madsen earned second-team all-conference honors from the MWC's coaches and media in 2010, after starting all 12 games at weakside tackle. He enters 2011 having started 19 straight, dating back to Oct. 10, 2009.

In addition, Steele also put center Weston Richburg, safety Ivory Herd and punter Pete Kontodiakos on his second-team preseason all-conference list.
The full list is available here.

The Rams’ 2011 schedule, which opens Sept. 3 at New Mexico, includes three first-team Phil Steele All-Americans: Potter, Colorado guard Ryan Miller and TCU linebacker Tank Carder.  Steele’s preseason preview hits newsstands June 7.

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