BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Quarterback Josh Booty, wide receiver Josh Reed and tight end Robert Royal were named to the 2000 Southeastern Conference Coaches’ First-Team All-SEC squad, leading a league-high eight Tigers on the two offensive and defensive teams.
Joining this trio on the Second Team were offensive lineman Brandon Winey, linebackers Bradie James and Trev Faulk, safety Ryan Clark and cornerback Fred Booker.
“We had a lot of guys play good football this year,” LSU head coach Nick Saban said. “By having eight players selected either first or second team All-SEC, that’s an indication of the type of success that we had as a team this year and I think it speaks highly of the program that we are trying to establish here. I’m happy for the players that were honored because they were all very deserving of the recognition.”
LSU, with three players on the first unit and five players on the second, had the most players on the squad with eight. Florida, with two players on the second team, had seven players on both units. Georgia and Tennessee each had six players on both units.
LSU’s eight players on the two teams is the most since the SEC Coaches began selecting two teams in the early ’90s.
Booty, a junior from Shreveport, La., started 10 games for the 7-4 Tigers, completing 145-of-290 passes for 2,121 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also led the Tigers to victories over Kentucky, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Alabama.
Reed, a sophomore from Rayne, La., led the conference and finished sixth in the nation with 102.5 yards receiving per game and finished second in the league with 5.91 receptions per game. He also finished second in school history behind only Wendell Davis (1,244 in 1986) with 1,127 receiving yards. His 10 touchdown receptions ranked second in school history as well.
Royal, a senior tight end who expects to regain a year of eligibility and return in 2001, started 10 games in 2000 and finished fourth on the team with 22 receptions for 340 yards and five touchdowns.
Booker, a senior from Hammond, La., finished sixth on the team with 45 tackles in 2000, including four for a loss of 19 yards. Booker intercepted two passes to lead the team along with Damien James and Clark. He also broke up a team-high 10 passes and recovered a fumble.
Clark, a junior, started all 11 games at free safety and finished third on the team with 98 tackles in 2000 including four behind the line of scrimmage. He tied two other Tigers for the team lead with two interceptions and finished second on the team with nine passes broken up.
Faulk, a sophomore, led the Tigers with 113 total tackles in 2000 including 79 unassisted and a team-high nine for a loss of 24 yards. He also tormented quarterbacks with two sacks and two passes broken up. He also recovered a team high four fumbles, three of which led to Tiger scores.
James, a Freshman All-SEC selection in 1999, started 10 games and registered 109 tackles to finished second on the team behind Trev Faulk (113). He led the Tigers with five quarterback sacks and was third on the team with eight tackles for loss (minus-32 yards).
Winey, a fifth-year senior, battled through injuries to both himself and his fellow lineman to start nine of LSU’s 11 games in 2000. He was also named to The Sporting News’ Third-Team All-America squad last week.
Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players, thus a unanimous selection earns 11 of 12 first-team votes. The Coaches’ All-SEC Freshman Team will be released on Thursday, Dec. 7.
2000 SEC FOOTBALL COACHES’ AWARDS
(*-Ties / #-Unanimous Selection / ^-Repeat First-Team Selection) (Coaches could not vote for themselves or their own players)
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC — OFFENSE
*TE Derek Smith Kentucky
*TE Robert Royal LSU
OL Kenyatta Walker Florida
OL Terrence Metcalf Ole Miss
OL Mike Pearson Florida
*OL Kendall Simmons Auburn
*OL Jonas Jennings Georgia
*OL Pork Chop Womack Miss. State
^ C Paul Hogan Alabama
WR Jabar Gaffney Florida
WR Josh Reed LSU
QB Josh Booty LSU
#RB Rudi Johnson Auburn
RB Travis Henry Tennessee
PK Alex Walls Tennessee
SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC — OFFENSE
TE Elliott Carson Vanderbilt
OL Brandon Winey LSU
OL Melvin Paige South Carolina
OL Jon Stinchcomb Georgia
*OL Omar Smith Kentucky
*OL Paul Gruber Vanderbilt
C Michael Fair Miss. State
WR Cedrick Wilson Tennessee
*WR Jermale Kelly South Carolina
*WR Dan Stricker Vanderbilt
*WR Ronney Daniels Auburn
QB Romaro Miller Ole Miss
RB Dicenzo Miller Miss. State
RB Deuce McAllister Ole Miss
PK Jeff Chandler Florida
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC — DEFENSE
DL John Henderson Tennessee
^DL Alex Brown Florida
DL Richard Seymour Georgia
OLB Kalimba Edwards South Carolina
OLB Eric Westmoreland Tennessee
ILB Quinton Caver Arkansas
^ILB Jamie Winborn Vanderbilt
DB Lito Sheppard Florida
DB Fred Smoot Miss. State
*DB Tim Wansley Georgia
*DB Rodney Crayton Auburn
*DB Ken Lucas Ole Miss
P Damon Duval Auburn
SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC — DEFENSE
DL Gerard Warren Florida
DL Marcus Stroud Georgia
DL Derrick Burgess Ole Miss
OLB Bradie James LSU
OLB Saleem Rasheed Alabama
ILB Treverance Faulk LSU
ILB Kendrell Bell Georgia
DB Ryan Clark LSU
DB Pig Prather Miss. State
*DB Andre Lott Tennessee
*DB Fred Booker LSU
*DB Sheldon Brown South Carolina
P Richie Butler Arkansas
SEC COACH OF THE YEAR – Lou Holtz, South Carolina
SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Rudi Johnson, Auburn
JACOBS BLOCKING TROPHY – Kenyatta Walker, Florida