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Collins, Dowling and Greer Earn VaSID All-State Honors
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Three Virginia football players were named to Virginia Sports Information Directors Association (VaSID) All-State Division I Football Team, announced Thursday. Defensive lineman Nate Collins, cornerback Ras-I Dowling and linebacker Steve Greer all were named to the second-team defense.
Sports information directors from throughout the state took part in the voting which, in addition to the top individual awards, named all-state first and second teams on offense and defense.
Greer led UVa and all ACC freshmen in tackles with 92, earning All-ACC Honorable Mention honors. The Solon, Ohio native also ranked No. 5 among the nation’s freshmen with his 92 stops, which included a career-high 14 tackles at Miami. He also was named a Freshman All-American by Phil Steele’s postseason list and CollegeFootballNews.com.
Collins emerged on the scene during his senior campaign by earning ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors following stellar career outings against then-No. 11 Georgia Tech and at Maryland. The Port Chester, N.Y., native finished the season ranked No. 5 in the ACC with 6.0 sacks, on his way to earning All-ACC first team honors and being named the Touchdown Club of Richmond’s Defensive Lineman of the Year. A part-time starter a season ago, Collins started all 12 games and set a career high with 16 tackles against then-No. 11 Georgia Tech. Collins also snared his first career interception and returned it 32 yards for the go-ahead touchdown at Maryland. On the season Collins finished second on the team with 77 tackles.
Dowling, a junior, earned his second straight second team All-ACC nod, anchoring the ACC’s No. 4 and the nation’s No. 21 pass defense. The Chesapeake, Va., native finished the season ranked No. 6 in the ACC in passes defended (11) and No. 11 in interceptions (three). After recording a career-high nine tackles, including his first career sack, against Indiana, Dowling earned the ACC Defensive Back of the Week nod by the league. He also averaged 3.4 tackles per game and had two tackles for loss.
Dowling was featured on the VaSID All-State list in 2008, also as a second-team defensive nod.