Amherst's Smith, Hannon Receive Preseason All-America Honors

August 8, 2006

AMHERST, MA – Amherst College senior football players Ryan Smith (Muskego, WI) and Mark Hannon (Glen Rock, NJ) each received Preseason All-America honors last week as Smith was tabbed a second-team offensive lineman by D3Football.com, while Hannon earned honorable mention as an all-purpose back from Don Hansen’s Football Gazette.

A three-year starter on the offensive line, Smith nabbed First-Team All-NESCAC and Third-Team All-East Region from D3Football.com Don Hansen’s Football Gazette and last fall. He has helped pave the way for 9,038 yards over the last three years, including an outstanding 391.5 yards per game in 2005, good for third in the NESCAC.

A quad-captain this fall, Hannon exploded for 1,185 all-purpose yards last season, taking home NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year honors, First-Team All-NESCAC plaudits as a wide receiver and return specialist and Honorable Mention All-East Region from the Eastern College Athletic Conference and Don Hansen’s Football Gazette. He finished 33rd in the nation and first in the NESCAC in all-purpose yardage (148.1 ypg). Hannon also led the conference in touchdowns (10) and punt return average (10.9 yds/att), and ranked third in the NESCAC in receiving (64.5 ypg), seventh in receptions (4.0 cpg) and eighth in punting (33.9 ypp).

The Jeffs open their season Saturday, September 23, hosting NESCAC foe Bates College.