|
Contact: Scott Rucker, SID Heading the list is senior linebacker Bernie Perconti from Louisville, Kentucky (Kentucky Country Day). Perconti was named as an All-American by USA Football and Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette. He was named to the West Region team by Don Hansen, which selects a 27-member (12 offense, 12 defense, 3 special teams) pre-season All-American team from around the country and four more 27-member squads from four geographical regions. Perconti was a 1998 First-Team All-Midwest Conference selection and notched a team-high 114 tackles last season, the third-highest total in school history. He also recorded 9 tackles for losses, 6 sacks and intercepted 1 pass, which he returned for a touchdown. Senior running back Tyrome Bembry (Hamilton, OH/Culver Academy) and sophomore defensive back/return specialist Tim Pentz (West Dundee, IL/Dundee Crown) were also named pre-season All-Americans by USA Football. Bembry was a Second-Team All-MWC pick last season and rushed for 998 yards in 10 games. His rushing total was the fourth-highest in school history and included a 226-yard game versus Monmouth, the third-highest single game total in the school record books. He also rushed for 11 touchdowns and was the leading rusher on a team which finished the season with the 10th highest per game rushing average in the nation. Pentz was a major contributor to the Forester's special teams last season. He was 14th in the nation with a 13.4-yard punt return average and 46th in the country with a 24.2-yard kickoff return average. Last year versus Lawrence, Pentz exploded for a school-record 134 yards in punt returns, including a 69-yard return for a touchdown. |