Jones, LaMontagne Named to Football News Preseason All-American Team
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June 28, 1999
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – University of Virginia football players Thomas Jonesand Noel LaMontagne have been named Second-Team All-Americans by FootballNews magazine.
Jones and LaMontagne are rising seniors and are among the team’stri-captains for the 1999 season. Jones, a tailback from Big Stone Gap, Va.(Powell Valley H.S.), is among the leading returning rushers in the nationthis fall. He led the ACC by a wide margin last season and finished 11thnationally, averaging 118.5 rushing yards per game. He was a first-teamAll-Atlantic Coast Conference choice a year ago after rushing for 1303yards, the third-highest total in school history. Jones needs to rush for1190 yards this fall to break Tiki Barber’s school career rushing record.
LaMontagne, from Coopersburg, Pa. (Southern Lehigh H.S), was a key memberof an offensive line that helped rejuvenate the Virginia rushing attacklast season as the Cavaliers led the Atlantic Coast Conference in a numberof offensive categories. A returning two-year starter at guard, LaMontagnewas a first-team All-ACC selection last fall and could become the first UVaoffensive lineman named first-team All-ACC for two consecutive seasonssince tackle Ray Roberts did so in 1989-90.
The two offensive standouts are among five Cavaliers named to the FootballNews Preseason All-ACC team. Joining them on the magazine’s preseasonAll-ACC squad are tight end Casey Crawford, center John St. Clair andlinebacker Byron Thweatt.
Crawford, from Falls Church, Va. (Bishop O’Connell H.S.), was named to theAll-ACC first-team in 1998 despite missing two games with injuries. Hecaught a career-high 11 passes for 136 yards and is a dangerous receivingthreat downfield.
St. Clair, from Roanoke, Va. (William Fleming H.S.), fought through aseries of nagging injuries last season to start 11 games, including thePeach Bowl vs. Georgia, and was named to the All-ACC second team in hisfirst year as a starter.
Thweatt, a Chesterfield, Va. (Matoaca H.S.), native, is Virginia’s leadingreturning tackler in 1999. A two-year starter, he had 99 stops last seasonand was an honorable mention All-ACC selection.
Virginia posted a 9-3 record last season and was ranked 18th in the finalpolls by both The Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN. The Cavaliers opentheir 1999 season on Sept. 4 against North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C.