Four Notre Dame football players have been named to the2012 Associated Press All-American Team.
The quartet is led by linebacker Manti Te’o, who was the only Irish First-Team selection. The captain won four major postseason awards last week to become the most decorated single-season player in college football history. Te’o led the Irish with 103 tackles and seven interceptions this season.
John Mackey Award winner Tyler Eifert and defensive end Stephon Tuitt were each Second-Team selections, while center Braxton Cave was named to the Third-Team. Tuitt recorded 42 tackles with a team-best 13.0 sacks this season. Eifert led the Irish with 44 receptions, 624 yards and four touchdowns. Cave was the anchor of an offensive line that ran for 202.5 yards a game and allowed just 16 sacks in 2012.
Following are the complete 2012 AP All-American Teams:
First Team Offense
QB – Johnny Manziel – Texas A&M
RB – Montee Ball – Wisconsin, Ka’Deem Carey – Arizona
WR – Marqise Lee – USC, Terrance Williams – Bayor
T – Luke Joeckel – Texas A&M, Tayor Lewan – Michigan
G – Chance Warmack – Alabama, Jonathon Cooper – North Carolina
C – Barrett Jones – Alabama
TE – Zach Ertz – Stanford
All-Purpose – Tavon Austin – West Virginia
Kicker – Cairo Santos – Tulane
First Team Defense
DE – Jadeveon Clowney – South Carolina, Bjoern Werner – Florida
DT – Star Lotulelei – Utah, Will Sutton – Arizona State
LB – Manti Te’o – Notre Dame, Jarvis Jones – Georgia, C.J. Mosley – Alabama
CB – Dee Milliner – Alabama, Jordan Poyer – Oregon State
S – Phillip Thomas – Fresno State, Matt Elam – Florida
Punter – Ryan Allen – Louisiana Tech
Second Team Offense
QB – Collin Klein – Kansas State
RB – Kenjon Barner – Oregon, Johnathon Franklin – UCLA
T – D.J. Fluker – Alabama, David Yankey – Stanford
G – Spencer Long – Nebraska, Cyril Richardson – Baylor
C – Dalton Freeman – Clemson
TE – Tyler Eifert – Notre Dame
WR – Stedman Bailey – West Virginia, Quinton Patton – Louisiana Tech
All-Purpose – Jordan Lynch – Northern Illinois
Kicker – Dustin Hopkins – Florida State
Second Team Defense
DE – Stephon Tuitt – Notre Dame, Damontre Moore – Texas A&M
DT – Johnathan Hankins – Ohio State, Kawann Short – Purdue
LB – Kevin Minter – LSU, Anthony Barr – UCLA, Arthur Brown – Kansas State
CB – Johnthan Banks – Mississippi State, Bradley Roby – Ohio State
S – Eric Reid – LSU, Tony Jefferson – Oklahoma
Punter – Riley Stephenson – BYU
Third Team Offense
QB – A.J. McCarron – Alabama
RB – Stefphon Jefferson – Nevada, Giovani Bernard – North Carolina
T – Jake Matthews – Texas A&M, Eric Fisher – Central Michigan
G – Larry Warford – Kentucky, Xavier Su’a-Filo – UCLA
C – Braxton Cave – Notre Dame
TE – Austin Seferian-Jenkins – Washington
WR – DeAndre Hopkins – Clemson, Cobi Hamilton – Arkansas
All-Purpose – Dri Archer – Kent State
Kicker – Caleb Sturgis – Florida
Third Team Defense
DE – John Simon – Ohio State, Sam Montgomery – LSU
DT – Shariff Floyd – Florida, Chris Jones – Bowling Green
LB – Khaseem Greene – Rutgers, Trent Murphy – Stanford, Kyle Van Noy – BYU
CB – Ifo Ekpre-Olomu – Oregon, Jason Verrett – TCU
S – Ed Reynolds – Stanford, Ty Zimmerman – Kansas State
Punter – Kyle Christy - Florida
