Arkansas Tech’s Frantz Simeon and Nick Graziano earned one of the greatest honors in college football on Thursday when they were named to the 2009 Associated Press Little All-America team.
Simeon (photographed) was named a first team AP Little All-America selection at wide receiver, while Graziano is the second team AP Little All-America quarterback.
The honor squad is especially prestigious because it recognizes the best college football players at three different levels — NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA — on one All-America team.
Simeon and Graziano are just the seventh and eighth Arkansas Tech players to ever earn a spot on the AP Little All-America team.
Their selections mark the first time that the Wonder Boys have ever placed more than one player on the AP Little All-America team in the same season.
Simeon and Graziano are also the first offensive skill position players from Arkansas Tech to make the AP Little All-America team in 51 years.
Running back Eddie Meador (1958), offensive lineman Todd Mathews (1999), defensive end Tommy Edwards (2002 and 2003), defensive end Cedric Cursh (2004), defensive back Quincy Skinner (2006) and punter Michael Podobnik (2007) are the only other Wonder Boys to ever be named AP Little All-America.
Simeon, a senior from Belle Glade, Fla., established new single-season school records with 90 receptions, 1,359 receiving yards and 14 touchdown catches in 2009.
Simeon also broke Tech records for receptions in a game (15), receiving yardage in a game (229) and touchdown receptions in a game (4).
Simeon’s 1,359 receiving yards in 2009 are third-most in a season in GSC history, and his 90 receptions are tied for fifth most in a season in GSC history.
A senior from Moraga, Calif., Graziano completed 333-of-538 passes for 4,313 yards, 38 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions during the 2009 season. He accumulated 4,768 yards of total offense.
Graziano established new Gulf South Conference records for passing yardage in a season and total offense in a season. He broke Arkansas Tech single-season records for pass completions, pass attempts, passing yardage, touchdown passes and total offense.
Graziano passed for more than 400 yards in six games, including a school-record 465-yard performance against the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in the first round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
The 2009 Wonder Boys finished 9-3 overall and reached the second round of the D-II Playoffs.
]]>
