Eight Deacons Earn All-ACC Honors
11/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 27, 2007
Wake Forest landed eight members on the All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team announced on Monday. The team is selected by the voting members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. The Deacons had three selections on the first team, two on the second team and three honorable mention picks.
Named to the offensive first team were center Steve Justice and wide receiver Kenneth Moore. Running back Josh Adams was a second team selection. Cornerback Alphonso Smith was a first team choice on the defensive team while linebacker Aaron Curry earned second team honors.
Three Demon Deacons were received honorable mention including placekicker Sam Swank, safety Chip Vaughn and return specialist Kevin Marion.
Justice, a 6-4, 284-pound senior from Port Orange, Fla. (New Smyrna Beach), was named first team All-ACC for the second consecutive year. A three-year starter, Justice was named the winner of the ACC's Jacobs Blocking Trophy on Sunday. He has started 37 consecutive games dating back to the start of the 2005 season.
Moore is a 6-0, 204-pound senior from Charlotte, N.C. (Butler) who set a school record this season by making 87 receptions. Moore leads the ACC in receptions and needs just two more catches to break the ACC record for receptions in a season currently held by N.C. State's Torry Holt who had 88 in 1998. Moore is also second in the ACC in all-purpose yards. He has scored nine touchdowns this season, three by rushing, five receiving and one on a punt return.
Smith is a 5-9, 191-pound redshirt junior from Pahokee, Fla. (Pahokee) who leads the ACC in interceptions with eight. Smith tied a school record with three interception returns for touchdowns this season including a school record 100-yard return against Maryland on Sept. 22. Smith's eight interceptions this season is also a Wake Forest record. He has picked off two passes in each of the last two games.
Curry is a 6-3, 240-pound redshirt junior from Fayetteville, N.C. (E.E. Smith) who finished the regular season second on the squad with 96 tackles. Curry had four interceptions on the season which he returned for a school record 226 yards. He tied an NCAA record for the most interception returns for a touchdown in a season by a linebacker with three.
Adams is a 6-0, 180-pound redshirt freshman from Cary, N.C. who is the leading freshman rusher in the ACC with 887 yards. He was the league's Rookie of the Week three times this season and posted three 100-yard rushing games including a season-high of 140 yards against Florida State on Oct. 11. Adams set school records for the most rushing yards and most touchdowns in a season by a redshirt freshman.
Vaughn is a 6-2, 210-pound redshirt junior from Fairfax, Va. (Robinson Secondary) who leads the Deacons with 100 tackles. Vaughn led the team with 14 pass breakups and also had a 38-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the season-opener at Boston College.
Swank is a 6-2, 206-pound redshirt junior from Jacksonville Beach, Fla. (Fletcher) who became Wake Forest's all-time leading scorer this season with 280 points. Swank has been perfect on all 41 extra point attempts this season and has converted 17 of 20 field goals. He is Wake's career leader with 59 field goals.
Marion is a 5-10, 168-pound senior from St. Petersburg, Fla. (Dixie Hollins) who set Wake Forest's career record with 88 kickoff returns. This season, Marion is the ACC's kickoff return leader with a 31.3 yards per return average. He has four kickoff returns of 80 or more yards this season including a 98-yard touchdown return against North Carolina.
