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WACO, TEXAS Virginia senior defensive end Chris Long has been named to the 2007 AFCA Coaches’ All-America team announced today by the American Football Coaches Association. The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and is the only team chosen exclusively by coaches.

Long, recently named the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, is the seventh Cavalier to earn AFCA All-America accolades and the first since G Elton Brown and TE Heath Miller were named in 2004. Other Cavaliers named to the squad include: T Jim Dombrowski (1985), LB/DE Ray Savage (1989), QB Shawn Moore (1990), and T Ray Roberts (1991).

Long has been one of the nation’s most dominant defensive players this season. He was the ACC leader this season in sacks (1.13/g) and tackles for loss (1.54/g). Long also leads conference defensive linemen in tackling with an average of 6.2 tackles per game.

Long had a direct impact on three road victories for the 9-3 Cavaliers this season. He intercepted a North Carolina pass and returned it 25 yards to set up the game-winning field goal in the Cavaliers’ 22-20 win over the Tar Heels in the third game of the season. He blocked a field goal in UVa’s 23-21 win over Middle Tennessee on Oct. 6. Two weeks later he sacked Maryland’s quarterback in the end zone for a third quarter safety in an 18-17 victory.

The Charlottesville, Va., native is also a finalist for several national defensive awards this season including the Lombardi Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Ronnie Lott Trophy and the Ted Hendricks Defensive end of the Year award.

The AFCA’s Football Bowl Subdivision All-America Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches from each of the AFCA’s nine FBS districts, one who serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee. The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective district. That information, along with ballots submitted by FBS head coaches, is used to select the AFCA FBS Coaches’ All-America Team.

2007 AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team

Offense
Pos. Name School
WR Michael Crabtree Texas Tech
WR Jordy Nelson Kansas State
TE Martin Rucker Missouri
OL Jake Long Michigan
OL Kirk Barton Ohio State
C Steve Justice Wake Forest
OL Duke Robinson Oklahoma
OL Ryan Clady Boise State
QB Matt Ryan Boston College
RB Darren McFadden Arkansas
RB Jonathan Stewart Oregon
Defense
Pos. Name
School
DL
Chris Long
Virginia
DL Glenn Dorsey LSU
DL George Selvie South Florida
DL Sedrick Ellis Southern California
LB James Laurinaitis Ohio State
LB Xavier Adibi Virginia Tech
LB J Leman Illinois
DB Dwight Lowery San Jose State
DB Aqib Talib Kansas
DB Brandon Flowers Virginia Tech
DB Mike Jenkins South Florida
Specialists
Pos. Name
School
P Chris Miller Ball State
PK Taylor Mehlhaff Wisconsin
All-Purpose DeSean Jackson California
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