Bates, Maggio Earn Freshman All-America Honors
12/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeFB)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest redshirt freshman safety Jessie Bates III and true freshman punter Dom Maggio were recognized as ESPN.com and Campus Insiders announced their Freshman All-America teams. Bates was named a Freshman All-America by ESPN.com and a first team Freshman All-America by Campus Insiders while Maggio was tabbed as a second team Freshman All-America by Campus Insiders.
Bates, a native of Fort Wayne, Ind. (Snider), is tied for ninth nationally with five interceptions on the season and leads all freshmen in the category. He returned two interceptions for touchdowns, a feat accomplished by nine players on the year including Bates.
The redshirt freshman also ranked second on the team and 14th in the ACC in tackles with 93, second-best among freshman in the ACC.
Bates had previously been named a freshman All-America by USA Today Sports.
Maggio, who hails from Monkton, Md. (Boys' Latin School), was the No. 2 freshman punter in the country with a 42.6-yard average for the season. He had 17 punts sail 50 or more yards and his 80-yard punt against Clemson on Nov. 18 was the third-longest in the nation this year and the longest among all freshmen.
In the 10 games that Maggio appeared in, he had an average of 40 or more yards per punt in eight contests and 23 of his 67 punts were downed inside the opponents 20-yard line.
